Comics /
Digital Comics
Comic Book Publishers' Websites Suck
By Hervé St-Louis
January 21, 2008 - 09:00
As part of the work writers and editors do at The Comic
Book Bin, looking for sources and documents from comic books publishers is one
of the most frequent tasks we do. Sometimes getting to these documents is very
difficult. If it is difficult for professionals whose job is to find source
documents, one expects is harder for the average comic book reader to do the
same.
There are specific aspects that are difficult to deal
with at many comic book publishers’ Websites. These include solicited material,
images of published books, lack of proper search engines and convoluted Website
interfaces.
Solicited Material
Many publishers send us press releases without images.
Even though we keep reminding them that we need these images because they cut
our work in half, they often don’t include them in their releases. That means
we have to look for them on their Websites. Many publishers have no clear way
of separating what has been published from what has not. Also, when they do
have solicited information, it is not organized by date or offer complete
information. Many publishers also neglect to include large enough images for
downloads. I don’t understand how someone can think that adding a tiny image of
a visual intensive product can help sell said product. Make those images large
and easy to download!
If you are really afraid that people will copy the image
of the cover of your book, then you have serious issues to deal with. It’s a
cover. Wake up! It’s meant to sell your books. Make it BIG and easy to
redistribute.
Images of Published Books
Often looking for the cover of an old comic book
published a few years back is difficult. Some publishers think that they should
remove such information after a few months. Don’t! Leave all these pages up and
easy to access. Publishers should think about making their sites as user
friendly as possible and understanding why their customers go to their Websites
in the first place.
Lack of Proper Search Engines
One of the greatest deficiencies of comic book publishers
is the lack of a suitable search engine that visitors can use to quickly locate
information. Many have such search engines, but the results are not targeted
and all over the place. I have personally tried the search engine of several
comic book publishers’ Websites about books they have published and could not
find decent results quickly. This is a problem that is generalized with all
comic book publishers, whether they publish alternative material, super heroes,
licensed properties or manga adaptations.
Convoluted Website Interfaces
Publishers seem to not understand what people who come on
their Websites are looking for. Most likely, they are looking specific
information on a comic book and may not be interested in sifting through a complicated
“community.” Publishers often think that spotlighting their entire movie and
licensing deals on the first page is what readers are looking for. Others
pretend to be comic book magazines with news releases, articles and interviews
taking up m ore space than books for sale. Some offer so many choices in their
menus that it’s as if they were ashamed of being seen as comic book publishers,
preferring the umbrella of the entertainment venue. Well, here’s a wakeup call.
Before being a media conglomerate/first class entertainment venue, the core of
your business is comic books. Put them in front and everything else in the back.
It is better to split the site into another one or giving
it a subsection that only takes care of media related information, without
forgetting about your core clientele which the last time I checked for all
major comic book publishers has not changed.
Conclusion
A comic book publisher’s Website is supposed to showcase
what they do first and foremost which usually is also what pays the bills at
the end of the month. That press representatives and visitors have to struggle
through the Websites of Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics,
Fantagraphics, Top Shelf Comix, Devil’s Due, Boom Studios, IDW Publishing, Tokyopop,
Viz, Archie Comics, NBM, First Second Book and many more in order to find simple information quickly,
is unacceptable and a detriment to the comic book industry. All comic book
publishers should seriously reconsider the layouts of their Websites and make
them user-friendly.
Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12