Digitalmanga.com | DMPbooks.com | Junemanga.com | 801media.com | Dokidokibooks.com
Digital Manga’s multiple imprint web pages were hit or miss in the past but since their recent upgrades and redesigns, they’ve risen to the cream of the crop status for manga publishers on the web. Their new websites are visually attractive and full of colour, and the usability of the sites has seen a huge improvement. Overlapping databases between the different websites ensure all information is the same and is updated simultaneously. All sites also share one blog with imprint-specific posts appearing on their individual front pages.
| Features Blog + Forums Book info (searchable) Release Calendar Manga previews Multiple imprint-sites Newsletter |
All book information, release dates and blog posts are compounded on their company’s index site, DigitalManga.com which also includes job postings, surveys and corporate information. This hub site also includes links to all the imprint pages as well as other Digital Manga properties such as Pop Travel Japan and Akadot Retail.
*Note: At the time of this writing, 801Media.com had not yet received it’s intended overhaul. It’s design and function will not be included in this review.
___Visuals___________________________________________________________
All the individual Digital Manga imprint pages, with the exception of 801Media*, share the same layout structure – a 3 column layout with a large header banner. Past this each one has its own set of graphics and fonts that serve to make each distinct from one another, while still maintaining enough consistency to well utilize many of their shared features such as the blog and book information. All sites use artwork from their licensed books, making them both appealing to the eyes and the site’s focus immediately recognizable.
Dokidokibooks.com looks the most flat visually compared to the others, using much more solid colour space. It isn’t an unattractive design on its own but held up to the more multi-coloured and detailed Junemanga.com and DMPbooks.com, it falls a little short on the glamour scale. The rotating images on the header are a nice touch though most images suffer from rough editing work that leave them look rough around the edges, appearing a little rushed.
The front pages of June, DokiDoki and DMP’s sites are all very image heavy with several ads and feature promotions. It’s a little overwhelming to the eyes and causes the blog to look squished between the multiple image areas. Fortunately this is restricted to the front page and sub-pages open up to a two-column layout to best utilize the space.
DigitalManga.com is the simplest of the designs, which suits being the corporate hub website along with having the most information as a conglomerate of the others. It’s more about facts than flash which makes it an excellent alternative for those who would prefer to go without the extra images and imprint-centric design work.
___Usability__________________________________________________________
As primarily a manga publisher, Digital Manga hits a lot of good notes with their sites’ usability when it comes to promoting their products. Visitors are easily able to find titles they’re looking for, with books organized in a variety of ways from alphabetical to by date of release. There is also a handy search feature that easily pulls up series by their title name and all results are shown in the form of both a title and a thumbnail, furthering ease in finding a specific title.
Sidebars on each website have an up to date release calendar and each title listed is a link back to the page’s information which includes summaries, artists, specs, genres, cost, page count and more. Many titles also have manga preview pages. Both cover pages and manga previews are viewable in Javascript overlay windows when clicked that runs with little load-time. Each volume of a series also gets its own individual listing, adding more detail to the sites while still keeping easily navigated. Also despite image heavy layouts, the load time on all the websites in general is very good.
Sections of the websites are clearly labeled with easy to find links on every page so visitors won’t need to take forever finding the page they’re looking for. Slightly different layouts between websites do cause some variance in this, with some links larger or more swiftly locatable than others.
Interaction with the website works smoothly including an easy to sign up for newsletter and blog commenting that doesn’t require any sort of an account. The forum requires an account to post but the process of signing up is quick and simple.
___Online Presence_____________________________________________________
Digital Manga has a very strong online presence. The websites are frequently updated with new book listings and blog posts that provide both professional and casual looks at the production process and other fun company related info. They frequently send out review copies to spread knowledge of their products and include links to multiple websites’ reviews on the relevant series’ pages, showings a keen attention to peoples’ opinions, both positive and negative. This offers up an incredible resource to site visitors interested in their books.
The staff of Digital Manga is also one of the most interactive with their fans. The forums are well moderated to keep spam under control and they always have at least one staff member designated to the forums to keep an eye on things and answer fan questions and concerns, often shortly after they’re asked.
Digital Manga also maintains a regularly updated Twitter account as well as LiveJournal accounts for several of their imprints. They have a YouTube channel where they post video previews of their books as well.
___Overall____________________________________________________________
Digital Manga’s recent site overhauls have made a huge difference when it comes to their digital impression. With bright, eye-catching websites and up to date information, they do a great job keeping their consumers up to date and in the know. Their consistent and honest outreach to fans is an appreciated gesture that combined with well-tended websites shows an attention to both detail and their readers that hits a good balance of fun and function.
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So what do you think? Is Digital Manga on the ball with their online work or is there something you as a consumer would like to see done differently?
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I regularly check the DMI website for press releases since it will publish something that appears on any of its subsidiary websites (except the 801 blog). It also has the full list of releases from all the lines in one place. I find the other websites usable and generally pleasing to the eye, although I would like to see the 801 Media update as it's been a while since they announced it.
I guess the only thing that sometimes vaguely irritates me is that the release date list is really "this is when we hope to have the book out", not hard dates. They also have not followed up with June's Web-a-Thon, which was supposed to allow pre-orders of titles to speed up printing of certain titles. I personally think they kind of dropped the ball on this project as the first title was a novel, not a manga (first of a two part series nonethless), and they didn't push the project when the cut off date approached.
I wasn't aware that they had active sites on social networking websites (Twitter, Facebook, Livejournal) but since I don't use them it's no big loss.
I'd like to see 801Media get its update as well – I know they were hoping to have it done before Yaoi Con this year but some things came up that put them a bit behind. Can't blame them there of course but it's certainly something I'm looking forward to. It'll also be interesting to see if the books have any design change to match the site as was the case with June and DMP.
Regarding the release dates, I can certainly see your point there. Their dates are usually pretty accurate but it's next to impossible to control/judge when actual retailers will make the books available to consumers – be it physical stores or online ones. I did notice the Web-A-Thon seemed to have fallen through too, which is a shame because the idea was good, though you make a good point about them choosing a novel over a manga.
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Their twitter account is useful for fans of their lines. I follow it. They don't say anything momentous, but point out reviews for their books, blog updates, and give some release/upcoming book information. It's an easy way to keep up to date with them.