The teen market is often seen as the holy grail of marketing. This is not only because the available income of this group has risen substantially over the past 5-10 years, but because this is the stage when young people form the likes, dislikes, passions and opinions that shape them as they move into adulthood - get them now, the theory goes, and they're yours for a long time.

So it may be surprising to learn that only a few of the publishers of the best-selling teen magazines have moved their publications online. Many of the online magazines available for this age group - particularly teenage girls - are brand new, dedicated online products, rather than ones that have been set up by the key publishers in the industry to complement their existing titles.

Does this mean that teenagers are being poorly served by publishers? Not necessarily, although parents would probably be happier with their children reading the online versions of the titles they recognise, rather than reading the unknown; and digital publications that include message boards or chat rooms need to be particularly careful that they monitor their sites carefully. Teenagers are extremely internet-savvy and digital magazines that don't include decent navigation, search and interaction components won't last long.

For an online teen magazine to be successful, it has to have a mixture of the right content, the right tone and the right technology. This can be a difficult thing to achieve and the easiest way to gain some market share would be for the existing teen magazines to transfer to online exactly as they appear in the newsagent. This would help to retain their market position, which, in the face of reduced circulation may not be a bad thing. A complementary online magazine could be the key to changing the fortunes of those teen magazines who have seen their circulation drop.

At Webevents, we've developed a bespoke software solution that allows you to produce a page-turning, searchable online magazine that will increase subscriptions and raise ad revenue. To find out more, click on Online Magazines or call 01423 529300 for a quote.