With the rising popularity of eBooks, especially as a lead generation tool for businesses, it is essential that other than the content, the eBook design is appealing to the reader. Marketers use eBooks as a sure-shot lead-gen content asset that is at their disposal. The value of this content-based marketing tool is further enhanced by the increased use of smartphones and tablets which provide readers with on-the-go content. As a vital tool that comprises of long-form content, it is important that at the time of eBook creation, content and design should be given equal importance.
Here are 5 eBook design elements that are a must-have:
- An attractive and visual cover
While it is said that one must not judge a book by its cover, that is exactly what most readers do. As such, you’ll want to make sure you create an eBook cover that is both visually appealing and in line with your brand style. If you have more than one eBook, you may consider having a uniform layout and structure so that your eBook design is easily identifiable.
- A descriptive table of contents
Even though many print books don’t include a table of contents (TOC), eBooks work differently and hence TOCs are recommended during eBook creation. TOCs come in handy for readers as they can easily maneuver through the eBook with the TOC as a guide. The TOC design can use brand colors and an organized alignment to make a simple, usable contents listing. You can add book-specific ornaments such as bullet points as well.
- Visual elements that complement the written content
Large chunks of text can tend to look monotonous and lead to reader disinterest. On the other hand, visual elements help emphasize or explain certain points easily. Some of the visual elements you can add to your eBook are headers, bold text, bullet points, screenshots, images, charts, and graphs. Furthermore, you can use content visualizations when appropriate to explain concepts that are difficult to explain through text such as hierarchy, family trees and more.
Other than adding social buttons on your eBook landing page, you can also incorporate them onto the pages of your eBook. This enables your eBook readers to share your eBook once they have read it or while they are reading it. If you only have social buttons on the landing page, a reader may not want to go back to that page to share it on social media. That can cost you a few potential leads. You can add these buttons to each page of your eBook in the header or the footer so that readers can easily share the book with their social networks no matter how far they’ve read.
- A mobile/ tablet friendly design
Be aware that your readers are tech savvy, hence they chose to read your eBook rather than a bound print version. It is evident that they are likely to consume your information on a mobile or tablet. Thus, you’ll also want to make sure your eBook file is mobile-friendly. Ensure that your eBook PDF views well on a smartphone and various e-readers or tablets. Many eBook marketplaces such as Kindle need you to conform to the specific eBook formats of that store. Keep this in mind during eBook creation.
At Impelsys, we empower you with our world-class eBook creation platform – iPublishCentral. Our platform enables online and offline reading, supports various eBook formats, includes mobile access and offers content personalization features.
