Don’t judge a book by its cover. We listen and read this quote often, but when it comes to design, a person does get attracted by a unique image, compelling graphic or bold striking colors. It is one way to get the attention of your target audience, regardless of what you are trying to market. Websites, blogs, case studies, eBooks, you name it; everything comes down to how they’re designed.

Websites offer free eBooks to new visitors and, in turn, can get valuable information from them, like their email address, social media IDs, etc. Thus, eBooks can make businesses hit the home run as it is a wonderful tool to support the sales team score big.

The format of an eBook is similar to a print book. Sections like copyright page, title pages, a brief description of the book, picture of author and acknowledgements, publisher’s information, etc. There’s nothing new or unique here. But you need to think about the design to make an immediate impact. Surely the written content here is also important, but the design and layout of an eBook are what can make all the difference.

The following are the seven design aspects that you need to make a mark with a wonderful eBook, that is technically sound and designed to perfection.

1. Cover Design

An attention-grabbing and imaginative design will inevitably influence a visitor going through the digital shelf consisting of thousands of eBooks. Just like a website’s home page, you need to think about applying a design that not only complements the book’s topic but other factors that it covers.

You can easily browse through the cover designs of other writers on topics similar to yours. In this way, you will have a good idea about what exactly you need to put in your design. Don’t go for low quality and images you have found on Google. You never know about the copyright issues related to them that can get you in trouble.

2. Typography and Color Scheme

One of the most important aspects, it is like the pillars on which an eBook stands. If you fail in dealing with this aspect, chances are your eBook will not have the kind of impact one wishes for. Through apt typography and color, you can portray your brand so that anyone reading your eBook will find it easy to connect to it.

About the style, stick to the logo and other previous publications so that to keep consistency. Don’t think of typography as something less important. With a customized and unique font apart from the ones available in word processors, the impact can be huge. If you want to give your visitors a visual treat, be sure to give this factor some consideration for a good shot at making your eBook a classic in the making.

3. Table of Contents

Many businesses relegate the table of contents (TOC) to the back seat. This is not a good ploy, as TOC must provide an easy way forward for a person after just a glance. TOC must offer convenience to the person going through it with the entire eBook dynamically linked so that every chapter can be accessed directly.

If you think that you are not skilled enough to use TOC perfectly, you can always consult a person proficient in this. You need to ensure that the indentations used to look natural, and the configuration of chapter headers is perfectly done. Don’t need any stone unturned as an easy to use TOC will get you one step closer in creating perfectly functioned eBook.

4. Real-Life Examples

A content laced with real-life examples, such as a video or infographic, will make an eBook look authentic and exciting to go through. The designing and placement of these two aspects, along with a graphic or GIF, a moving image, can also give your eBook a much-needed edge over other eBooks on similar topics. Don’t think of an eBook as a boring project, even if the topic is about philosophy or botany.

Induction of real-life examples in your eBook can garner the attention of the reader as he can connect to them, rather than jargon and technical info. Limit the text wherever possible and include examples from real-life and recent events that a user can easily connect to.

5. Text

You may wonder how text can be a design element related to an eBook. The role of a designer is not limited to just the cover page and whatever pictures/graphics/design elements present in it. A designer has the power to present written text into something out of the ordinary. Headings and subheadings can be stylized to have a great impact as a person skimming through the content will be able to see all of them.

Heading for different chapters and sections should be stylized differently so that they can stand out from the regular text. The use of alt text and other factors to make images work can also be enhanced by using a specific font in this regard.

6. Custom Graphics, Pictures and Videos

The use of stock images in one easy to create an eBook without much fuss, but these images, along with graphics and videos, will make an eBook look run of the mill stuff. To give your eBook every chance to succeed amongst millions of others, ask your designer to use the power of customization. While every picture used in the eBook will be hard to produce, customized graphics and videos can be incorporated with little effort.

Shooting and editing videos can be fun on a smartphone, but for professional videos that can be used for an eBook or website is something hard to perfect. That’s why help from seasoned designers and tools is required, which will be discussed in the next section.

7. Use of Apt Software and Tools

Finally, everything will be irrelevant and will not have the required impact if the designer does not use the best tools and software. While designers know what tool to use, some of the most used graphic design software is Affinity Designer, Adobe Illustrator, and Photoshop, to name a few. Tools present in Adobe Creative Suite and Visual CSS Tools can make a website look amazing and add the much-needed sheen and splendor in eBook.

Over to you

I am sure that after going through this blog, if the idea of coming up with an eBook and designing it seems easy to you, then I’m happy that my piece has changed your perception. It isn’t anything you need to fear. The result of all the hard work pays off in the form of an eBook that not only visually dazzles but has the required impact, i.e. closing high quality leads for sales to close smoothly and increase ROI in the process.

If you think you can add something valuable to this blog, want to ask a question or offer your feedback, you are more than welcome. Please use the comments section below in this concern.