The importance of the User Experience (UX) in the OTT industry

Essential UI/IX features to consider

Why is the User Experience so important for OTT?

The OTT market is growing and becoming very competitive, no news there. OTT service providers have now to look for ways to keep users engaged with their platform.

We all know that the core to a successful OTT platform is outstanding content, but if the viewing experience is confusing and frustrating, your audience will not stick around. Offering a more personalised user experience is as important as the quality of your content, so make sure that when you’re looking to build an OTT Platform, the UX is part of the development process.

Right now, the act of “watching TV” has changed, and we don’t just watch something while comfortably sitting on our couch, in a large screen. Content is watched anywhere, at any time, and we only need a compatible OTT device connected to the internet. Think of how massively this increases on how many devices you’ll need to guarantee a smooth UX.

What to consider when dealing with UX for OTT

The biggest goal of the UX is to enable users to find the content they want. To do that, it’s important to consider some basic features:

• Compatibility: If your OTT platform isn’t compatible with different devices, users won’t be able to access your content. So first and foremost, make sure you’re compatible with multiple devices such as Amazon Fire TV; Android TV; Apple TV; Chromecast.
  
  
• Navigation: It doesn’t matter how good your content is, if your public find it difficult to navigate through your platform, they will abandon your service. Features like an intuitive search bar or division by categories and genres will help you have an easy-to-navigate platform.
  
  
• Pleasant UI: No doubt that your user’s experience come first, but an astonishing landing page, with an easy-to-read typography, and well-designed posters, for example, will draw your audiences attention, while aiding you to stay true to your own brand. In a nutshell, an innovative and perceptive interface is more likely to be appreciated by the user, so make sure to dedicate some time on that.
  
  
• Personalisation: Connect users to stories they like. Users are actually more than just the target groups they belong to, as we all have different tastes. This is why tailored experience is becoming the norm in OTT media apps. With analytics and machine learning, more meaningful watching experiences are being created specially for us, and we can’t seem to get enough of it. To tell the right story to the right person, is an already proved successful strategy that you should add to your OTT funnel.
  

The UX design improves the usability, ease of use, and satisfaction provided in the interaction between the customer and the platform. In total, a study from Parks Associates found that one-fifth of households cancel an OTT subscription based on an inability to find something to watch.
Yes, content is king, but it has found its match.

But… Is that achievable?

YES. As the OTT market grows, the development teams involved in the creation processes also improve their technical knowledge to match’s customer’s behaviour.
From the implementation to design, and of course the user experience, all of these steps are being taken in consideration. Features such as content preview, recommendation engine, related content, personalized notifications are just some of the things being considered.
The biggest benefit for you is that with UX focused on the optimization of your platform, it instantly becomes enjoyable for the viewers to use.

Our approach

Here at MOG, our main goal is to empower your brand. Vizzi OTT Platform offers a total editable frontend with easy-to-use white label templates and personalized CSS. Define your brand logo, color scheme, posters, thumbnails, content categories, and metadata, and engage with your audience with personalized recommendations.
Here are some features Vizzi can offer you that can help you get a better User Experience for your audience:

• Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence: place ads without disrupting the viewers’ experience, and suggests content targeted to your history and viewing preferences.
• Personalized Notification Mechanisms: notify your public when a show is about to start, or that there is new content available.
• Multiple Devices and Platforms: viewing experience across multiple devices, so your viewers can start watching a piece of content on one device and finish on another.
• Interactive Tools: with features like watch together, in-player actionable, and live chat you can create a bigger engagement with your viewers.
  

But not only that, Vizzi can help build an OTT platform from end-to-end.
Cover every step of your OTT workflow, from content acquisition to distribution, with added interactive tools that will make your content even more exciting to your public.