This week High Position’s Marketing Manager, Rachael Bilby, takes a look at www.netflix.com. As ever, winners of this prestigious award will receive something from the HP CRO Drawer. All winners will be notified by High Position Head of CRO, James Root via twitter: @RootToMarket. Nominations can also be tweeted so please share and get involved!
Netflix
One of the US’s most successful household names for entertainment, Netflix offers people hundreds of hours of TV shows and films at their fingertips and has taken the UK market by storm. All users need is broadband, a compatible device and just £5.99 per month. When compared to the days of setting off out to Blockbuster to hire one film, for £3-4, for just one night - it’s no wonder services like Netflix are soon becoming a must-have in any home.
What does the site do?
The site has a super simple homepage with succinct key messages and limited call to actions, using crisp, bright images to sell the Netflix lifestyle.
What does the site say they do?
- “Watch TV programmes & films anytime, anywhere. Only £5.99 per month.”
- “Thousands of options. Zero adverts.”
- “Watch on your PS3, Wii, Xbox, PC, Mac, Mobile, Tablet and more.”
- “No commitments, cancel online at anytime.”
Win. Win. Win.
Netflix clearly try to focus on where the value is to its customers – they want a multi-device service, with no hassle, no nasty contracts and loads of choice when it comes to films and TV programmes – all for less than the price of a couple of Costa coffees.
What does the site do well?
It’s not hard to find what the site does well - from its famous “Cinematch” algortihm, which was mastered through the “Netflix Prize” competition, to its epic global streaming of the final season of Breaking Bad.
In terms of user experience there are many lessons that can be learnt from this entertainment genius and here are just a few of my favourite features:
Clear Call To Actions
Easy to find help and 0800 phone support
A library preview that demos the real Netflix experience - and has great Call To Actions
Quick and Easy Sign Up…
…Well, sort of. #Hassle
Once you log in, things get right back on track, with loads of lovely features!
Help improve your recommendations… with easy personalisation options.
Zero effort play buttons, hover over film info and scroll bars. #lovely
Film geek? Enjoy the title content and take charge!
You have the power to relegate, que up and rate content.
Sit back and let Netflix recommend content for you… in easy to scroll lists
They even make it easy for the kids…
And it looks pretty good on tablets and mobile phones.
So, without sounding like I’m on a Netflix commission plan, there are some important UX lessons to be learnt here:
Firstly - understand your user and how they want to use your site. Netflix get that people want to enjoy the experience, it needs to be hassle free and encourage people to be lazy so they can site back and relax, watching hours of Netflix content.
Secondly - they cater for all devices - browsing is smooth and clever algorithms mean you don’t have to browse through lots of chaff to find some wheat. Playback is also pretty seamless - and when watching seasons such as Sons of Anarchy, at the end of an episode it cues up the next episode automatically. And even skips the catchup section of the next episode, so you’re straight into the action. This makes it difficult to switch off!
Thirdly - they keep the sale pretty simple - focus on where you want people to end up and coax them there with just the right amout of words and big enough buttons.
However, there are still a few things that could do with a bit of testing:
- Try adding a search box in the demo library - some people know what they want and need to know if they can get it on Netflix.
- Instant demos - give them a taster without the credit card requirements. A cheeky, free episode of Breaking Bad would get most people hooked, right?
- Keep testing your buttons - they seem pretty good, but can those one-liner Call To Actions be tweaked and tested a bit more?
As the winner of this week’s CRO Site of the Week, you’ve won yourself some stuff from the CRO drawer – look out for a package in the post!
