The Smart TV opportunity
The concept of Smart TV is brilliant. By adding connectivity directly in the TV screen it is possible to access applications and content from various providers without the need for an extra device. All major TV manufacturers have launched Smart TVs and even though the growth has been very impressive, Accedo is of the opinion that consumers and app providers should demand more from the Smart TV app stores.
User experience is too manufacturer-centric
Every time I show Smart TV app stores to a consumer who has never seen a Smart TV before, the initial reaction is confusion. The Smart TV home screens are cluttered with interaction points and functionality. Each manufacturer has over the years added functions and services that try to differentiate their Smart TV offering and try to present all of these on the home screen. After the initial confusion, consumers normally discover the pre-installed apps, which are typically a few tier 1 brands for each market. The personalization possibilities of the home screen are limited, and large portions of consumers only use the pre-installed applications.
Application discovery
Once consumers visit the Smart TV app store section the main problem is discoverability. Almost exclusively, Smart TV manufacturers have opted for a grid-based icon navigation in 5-6 categories, which scales reasonably well up to around 100 apps. Above this level, discoverability becomes a real problem, which discourages attractive app publishers from launching apps on the Smart TV platform and reduces one of the main attractions with online capabilities directly to the TV.
Focus on personalisation
At Accedo we believe the secret sauce is personalization. Consumers should be in control of the home screen and should be able to be presented with attractive application suggestions in an integrated way with application usage. The manufacturers control the platform, and should be able to with active editorial functionality and recommendations be able to provide recommendations to consumers in a more attractive way than just lists of apps on a separate page. Manufacturers should incentivize their organisations not only on connection rates but average number of apps downloaded and repeat visits to many apps. This will stimulate innovation and long term consumer loyalty rather than just promoting internally developed functionality.
By Michael Lantz, CEO, Accedo
Submitted by Accedo.
