5 Things Everyone Knows About HTML5 Online Flipbook That You Don’t

Creating marketing materials can be a costly and frustrating business. Just when you thought you’d created the perfect PDF brochure, the company releases a new product, and you’ve got to do it all over again. Despite your gorgeous graphics, tantalizing text and creative calls to action, people just don’t seem to read your brochure. Why, and what can you do about it?

If you were writing a novel, would you rely on print only to sell your publication?

Of course not; in fact, most authors start out publishing in e-book format only, for lots of good reasons.

For a start, it costs less than trying to print copies, it offers the flexibility to continue to edit the text even after the publication is released, and it’s a super-fast way to get your book in front of millions in an instant.

Although I’m certainly not planning to start writing the next best seller, I still think that we, as marketers, can learn lessons from the world of book publishing.

When it comes to a brochure, why should I invest vast amounts of time and money into something static, something complicated to change and something which is less than inspiring for my customers?

This was my thought process, and the source of much frustration, until I discovered the wonderful world of HTML5 flipbooks.

These innovative and easy to produce documents are more than just a PDF brochure, offering new and better ways to present products and services to customers.

If you’ve yet to discover all the benefits of an HTML5 flip book, allow me to introduce them to you now.

What exactly are online flipbooks?

If you’ve ever browsed an online magazine, with beautiful interactive elements, easy navigation, and the inimitable digital flipping pages, you’ve probably already experienced an HTML5 online flipbook.

These exciting, innovative, engaging marketing products have helped me to engage on a deeper level with my customers, and they are surprisingly easy to use too.

Using simple online software, which is often free of charge, I was able to create my own HTML5 online flipbook in just a few clicks.

Literally, all you need is a PDF of your marketing document (or leaflet, or resume, or whatever) and less than five minutes of your time.

It’s as easy as drag and click, so simple even I managed it on my first try!

Once it’s done, you can choose to share it by email, upload to your website or post the link to your social media. Digital marketing has never looked so beautiful!

How much do you know about HTML5 flipbook?

You might be wondering what’s so great about flipbooks, and why they should be replacing your PDF brochures, flyers and newsletters with this emerging technology.

Well, let’s take a look at five things you probably didn’t know about flipbooks, and see why my marketers (and perhaps your competitors too) are already in love with this fun marketing tool.

1. They work brilliantly on tablets. And phones. And PCs.

Unlike a static PDF which often requires lots of irritating zooming in and out in order to read it on different sized screens, flipbooks are completely responsive. That means you can design your document on a laptop PC, and have it automatically optimised for viewing on whatever screen your customers choose to use. Mobile browsing overtook desktop use for the first time last year, and that’s a trend which is sure to continue into the future. Why wouldn’t you want your customers to be able to see your brochure in all its glory, no matter what device they are using?

2. They are super easy to update

Unlike a printed brochure, which will involve a great deal of cost and time to update, you can edit your HTML5 online flipbook in moments. Simply make the changes you need, re-upload the PDF and voila! Your flipbook is all shiny and new again. Feel free to add new products immediately when they are released, to use your flipbook to notify customers of your latest offers or even to run a flash sale on a whim… it’s all easier than ever when you choose a flipbook brochure.

3. Your customers love them

Because you can make your materials more interactive, your customers will absolutely love them. Mine certainly do. No longer are they just passively reading a boring page; now they can click on elements for pop out interactivity, listen to sounds, turn pages and watch videos, all in one simple place. For you, the creator, you can really let your imagination run wild. Choose to build in mouseover text, animations, e-commerce integration, audio clips and more, then track how your visitors are interacting with all these elements. It’s a brochure, Jim, but not as we know it.

4. Google can index your flipbook

PDF’s can be indexed by Google… sort of. You can edit the meta data to prompt searchers to click on your link, and there are ways to include links and indexable content in the body, but it’s not always easy. With a flipbook, Google and Co will be able to read every single word on the page, so you can employ your best SEO tactics to ensure you get the maximum traffic from the SERPs. Links can boost the SEO value of your main website, and your publication can rank in its own right, attracting new visitors and additional attention for your products and business.

5. You can track user behavior

Monitoring the behavior of visitors is crucial to informing my future marketing efforts, but with a PDF I found I was really limited in the feedback that was available. This is probably one of the most significant advantages I have found so far of flipbooks over PDF’s, as most online publishing platforms will feedback in-depth statistics, so we can all learn more about our customers. At the click of a button, you’ll be able to find out about: 

• Time visitors spend reading your document
• How many visitors you get, and where they are from 
• Which pages are looked at, and how many pages each user looked at
• When users access your document, including date and time
• Which browsers they used, which platform they were on and what devices they were using

With some services, you can even dig into which links were clicked, which pictures were popular and which page elements attracted the most attention.

If you’re already au fait with Google Analytics, you can simply pop the ID into your flipbook to measure and track behavior using all the usual Google tools.

All this data is like gold dust to your business and can help you develop ever more powerful marketing campaigns that your customers love.

With all these advantages to using a flipbook, you’re probably wondering where the catch is.

Well, I’m pleased to say that there isn’t one, not even when it comes to cost.

Getting started with an HTML5 flipbook doesn’t have to cost a penny, as many providers offer a free trial to let you see just how easy the process really is.

Some providers, such as Issuu and Yumpu, let you use the majority of the features for free, although they do place some branding on your document to promote their services.

You can have this removed by signing up for one of the affordable subscription plans, and in some cases, can even make additional income by hosting pay per click advertisements within your publication.

What about Flash?

If you’ve dabbled in flipbooks at all in the past, you might already know that it is possible to create flipbooks in Flash.

In fact, until HTML5 was released relatively recently, Flash was the number one product for creating rich texts and animations like this.

However, Flash has also been plagued with problems, and has garnered the rather unwelcome reputation of being highly insecure.

Originally the open, versatile nature of Flash was what made it so attractive, but has proven to be its downfall as it has left it wide open for hackers and malicious software.

Apple blocked Flash from its Safari browser in 2016, and in 2017 Google joined them in banning Flash from its ads and browser.

The message is clear; Flash is not long for this world and is no longer a viable option for a flipbook publication.

Are you ready to try an HTML5 flip book yet?

Flipbooks provide unrivaled benefits over outdated alternatives such as PDF’s and are definitely something to consider as part of your future marketing mix.

Making a move from your static PDF document to an interactive flipbook is easy, thanks to the user-friendly flipbook creator platforms available on the web.

Simply upload your document to the online service, make any customisations you might need and share away with your customers, stakeholders and colleagues.

If you want to start getting technical, you can add in all the interactive features before you release your publication, or can add them in a little bit at a time to make this task easy to fit around your regular schedule.

They’re easy to share, simple to edit and guaranteed to elevate your marketing efforts to a higher, more amazing level.

I’ve entirely turned around my customer’s image of my brand, and it was all much cheaper and easier than I could ever have believed.