‘Content’ has become a major word on everyone’s lips, with major entertainment platforms investing millions in acquiring the rights to TV Shows, movies, and video games, as well as myriad other forms of entertainment. However, the modern consumer is demanding, and that’s why user experience, or UX, is of increasing importance.
We want our content instantly, intuitively, and immersively, and having better UX than the competitors is vital to acquiring and retaining customers, adding value to the consumption of any medium. From streaming giants like Netflix and Spotify to gaming, social video, and online entertainment platforms, companies are investing heavily in UX design, and not just as a cosmetic upgrade, but as a core business strategy.
Why UX is Important
Over the last ten years or so, we’ve seen the entertainment industry, be it films, TV, video, or casino games, explode with choice for consumers. They now find themselves presented with a wide array of interchangeable subscriptions, which often carry similar or, in some cases, the same content. Across this array of subscriptions, apps, and even devices is great competition, as switching costs are remarkably low, and cancelling one for another is affordable and can take mere minutes to sort out.
This means that platforms have realised that UX is just as important as the content itself, and a platform that is slow, cluttered, confusing, or frustrating is likely to lose users, despite the quality of its content. This makes UX extremely important in what is now an ever-growing and brutally competitive marketplace. And, it can make the difference between users switching over to different channels or services across various industries.
UX in Action
A good example of UX in action is in the increasingly busy world of online casino gaming, which has boomed into a highly competitive global industry over the last couple of decades. To stand out, platforms must prioritise intuitive navigation, fast load times, and frictionless gameplay. These elements define the user experience with established online operators such as SkyCity, where design choices are clearly built around player engagement and ease of use.
This is especially true of mobile online casino sites, or the dedicated apps that some casinos offer. Maximum engagement is the name of the game, and those operators that provide a smoother UX experience are more likely to attract and retain customers.
The wider world of video gaming is also being affected by UX, especially as gaming has moved online. A clunky, slow-moving game is a real turn-off for gamers and is likely to quickly diminish a game’s popularity (and sideline it) compared to others with smoother and more reliable gameplay.
Streaming Services
The rise of streaming services has also become seismic, with major brands such as Disney+, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and many others vying for content-hungry consumers. While many hold subscriptions for some or even all of these services, many consumers tend to stick with one. And why? Well, as so much content overlaps, it naturally comes down to UX. A lot of this is personal preference, but when a site or app is easier to navigate and incorporates effective AI (artificial intelligence) to further personalize the customer experience, UX plays a big part in developing the relationship between service and consumer.
The same can be said for music streaming services such as Spotify or Amazon Music. The neater the interface, the better the recommendations, and the smoother the playback, generally making the difference between customer choices.
Mobile-first
Many of us consume content via our mobiles and tablets now, so developers are focusing heavily on mobile UX. As mobile devices become ever more powerful, with better touchscreen/swipe controls, apps and mobile optimization have become increasingly important in heightening the customer experience. With mobile opening up previously untouchable markets across Africa and Asia (where mobile usage is far more widespread than computer ownership), this makes mobile UX critical for gaining and retaining new customers to use their services.
Mobile gaming, both traditional and in casinos, is wildly popular across these developing markets, and streaming services are licensing their content so that anyone with a mobile phone can access all forms of entertainment. Never before has mobile UX been so important.
The Future of UX
We’ve seen some advancement in the use of VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality), particularly in the world of gaming, in recent years. These emerging technologies bring with them a whole host of new UX possibilities and a whole new world of immersion. VR equipment is more affordable than ever, and AR has proven, via games like Pokémon Go, to be an immensely popular option in the world of video gaming.
The new tech does face challenges still, as some may be hesitant to purchase new equipment to enjoy it, while developing mobile apps that support VR and AR is more costly than developing traditional apps. Still, expect to see an increase in these kinds of UXs.
Content isn’t enough on its own nowadays. Companies are investing heavily in better UX, and for good reason. In an increasingly competitive and global marketplace, customer loyalty is just as much about UX as it is about content itself.
