While the Primis unit is fully customizable to publishers’ needs, there are two big factors that have a sizable impact on user engagement and video discovery– recommended video thumbnails and textual descriptions. As a result, we’ve analyzed the four main features that publishers choose from: Classic (Recommendation Thumbnails), Native (textual description), Mid-article (recommendation thumbnails with descriptions), and Simple (a clean design).  

Classic

Recommendation thumbnails

There are many factors working in favor of this design, making it a very popular choice for publishers. First of all, it lets users discover videos in an intuitive manner, by looking at a picture that describes the content and enticing them to click. 

Remember, neither gut instinct nor machine learning algorithm will always know the one video that the user will want to watch, so it’s best to let them choose from a playlist. Video discovery is a great way to grow video consumption on a site, and according to Primis numbers, for every video a user watches, the publisher earns an additional $7.20 RPM on average. 

Additionally, users are familiar with this format, as they see the same design and the same discovery method on many of the leading platforms and websites. The added playlist thumbnails raise engagement rates with the content, and gives users more control over their content experience. When deciding on elements that will be part of the website, user experience and enjoyment are crucial factors.

Native

Textual description

This design incorporates the metadata of the video into the design of the unit. It is also widely used, because of the nativeness and contextuality it brings to the table. It describes in words what the user could expect from watching, enticing them to continue watching. It blends in well with the text on the website around it, especially with Primis customization capabilities that accommodate details like the text’s font and color, as well as size, buttons and more.  

The description text is also a way for the user to engage with the content, by keeping the user from scrolling past. This can raise consumption on the site, which is what brings in the ad revenue. 

Mid-article

Recommendation thumbnails with descriptions

If it fits the publisher’s grid and audience, this skin promotes the most engagement and consumption. By combining the advantages of both the previously discussed skins, users can discover more videos both visually with the thumbnails, and textually with the descriptions/titles. This gives users even more control over their content experience and provides double the opportunities to engage.

Besides the increased consumption this skin promotes (leading to a boost in ad revenue), it provides a very positive user experience, giving users a clear understanding of their options and promoting control over their experience. Couple that with the seamless appearance of the unit, thanks to Primis’ endless design customization abilities, and the result is a user that will happily come back to the site. 

Simple

A clean design

While the clean design is lacking many of the video discovery benefits that the other skins provide, some publishers occasionally decide to use them. It is most commonly used when a publisher wants to promote a specific video on a given article or a video that promotes one of the other sections of the publisher’s website. 

Collapsibility

The most important feature to use in any design you choose, collapsibility (sticky mode) leaves the docking placement on-page and in view as the user scrolls on. While there are many ways that this feature is important for publishers, the main benefits are much higher consumption and viewability rates. These are the two factors that have the most impact on the resulting ad revenue. While it gives a better flow to the user content experience there are many factors to consider: where to place it (right/left/top/bottom), the x button placement, the float animation, size, and many more. 

Not A One-Size-Fits-All

The purpose of this guide is not to tell all publishers to use a certain video skins. It really depends on the publisher’s unique needs and their audience’s preferences. With all the detailed reporting we have, it is super easy to A/B test and discover the unit that serves you and your users the best. The shared knowledge of a publisher who is the authority on their audience and website, together with the video experience Primis’s Publisher Success Managers bring to the table has really proven itself. Talk to your Publisher Success Manager today!

The post Choosing The Perfect Primis Skin appeared first on Primis.

A Positive User Experience

Think of the sticky unit as a way for viewers to consume video on the go. These days, many users don’t just watch a video in a static manner, they want to keep moving. On a website, that means scrolling. In fact, if your unit does not give the option for users to view it while scrolling, you are limiting their control of the content browsing. These are the elements that will balance revenue and user experience just right.

By following these five steps, your sticky unit will be able to provide high revenue without compromising user experience:

1. Placement – The sticky unit needs to fit your grid perfectly both on desktop and on mobile devices. On desktop, make sure it doesn’t block any content. On mobile, stick it to the bottom or the top, that way it doesn’t obstruct content.
2. User Control –  Let the user move the unit around when the unit is displayed on Mobile. Whenever possible, grant your users control over their browsing experience.
3. The X Button – Make sure the x button is visible so that the user can decide whether they’d like to watch or close the unit.
4. Size – Don’t make it too big. If you look at the big platforms, they are using a small unit that is easily accessible for one hand scrolling, and lets you keep exploring for written content as you go.
5. Content – One of the most important elements is to make sure that the video content that is playing is relevant and actually supports the editorial content.

Striking the Perfect Balance

Making a video unit sticky has amazing effects on monetization but also introduces several pitfalls for user experience. However, a few simple tactics can be the difference between long-term growth coupled with good user experience, and a bad user experience which will eventually drive away both users and revenue.

The post 5 Ways to Make Your Sticky Video User Friendly appeared first on Primis.

There are 3 major factors to consider.

Video Viewability

You already know the importance of ad viewability and how much it impacts your resulting revenue. However, in video advertising, the most important term today is viewable duration.That is the period of time that the player stays in view, providing the highest rates of profit. The longer the unit is viewable, the more opportunity to fill an ad. Think of it this way, time is for video ads what website real estate is for display ads.

The best way to achieve high viewable duration in a way that is respectful of user experience (and even complements it) is with the collapsing unit. You can see it used by all of the top publishers and social platforms. This tactic simply enables the user to keep scrolling and watch the video at the same time. 

Size Considerations

Obviously, a bigger video unit promotes user involvement and advertiser revenue. However, if it’s made too big, or too big for its placement, it can harm the user experience.

It is a game of balances, where the optimal size according to Primis research is around 500-550px. Our numbers clearly show that less than 400px hurts monetization, and on the other hand a player larger than 600px is capturing too much of the grid. The uptick for players over 600px is virtually nonexistent, and in some cases even hurts monetization due to reduced viewability, because it’s hard to get over 50% of the pixels in view.

For the same reasons, it usually is not advised to place the unit on the side rail. Placing the video unit on the side rail limits the possible size of the unit, as the side rail is usually limited to 300px. An additional reason to avoid side bars is that they are usually considered places for ads, which is why users may apply ad blindness, and you will miss out on a great opportunity to engage your users and keep them on the site longer. 

Content-Related Considerations

When deciding on the placement and function of the video unit you have to take the content into account. If you have a video that expands on the content of the text, then the best placement is usually as high in the body of text as possible. Placing it right after the title will serve both your objectives in the best way; it is the most viewable placement for advertisers, and gives users the exact content that they are looking for at that moment. 

If the content is not created for the specific article, but is instead promoting videos you want the user to discover, then it is better to let the audience start by focusing on the text, and then give them recommendations for more related videos afterwards. That will help avoid any increase in the bounce rate. When he is well on his way, you can politely suggest content that is related to the user’s interests, and the context of the page. 

Video: A Strategic Growth Engine

It all comes down to the way you regard video on your site. If you consider it as just another ad unit that will make you a few bucks, you are really missing out on the power of video to engage your users, deliver them true value, and subsequently deliver advertisers a quality high impact advertising opportunity. On the other hand, placing video at the core of your growth and revenue diversification strategy, understanding that online users demand it, and that it offers advertisers one of the most engaging ad placements, will truly transform your website.

The post The Ideal Video Unit Placement appeared first on Primis.

That is why it’s no surprise that many publishers worry about giving their users a good experience, especially due to the widespread perception that video may be harmful to website UX.

Video and Your Publishing Strategy

Publishers aren’t just integrating more videos into their content mix because it’s expected of them. Here are a few other reasons why video is so crucial to your publishing strategy:

• Videos make your audience much more attractive for advertisers. Viewers are 95% more likely to remember a call to action after watching a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text format.
• Videos help keep users on your website longer and also keep them more engaged. The average user spends 88% more time on a website with video.
• Video prompts shares. 92% of mobile video consumers share videos with others (RendrFx)
• Video provides the best search engine results. Videos are 45 times more likely to rank on the first page of Google than text results. Videos have less competition because the material is more scarce.
• Consumers simply want more video. Studies show that 54% of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support.

Ok, so now you’re convinced that video is important, but if video creates a bad user experience then it’s better not to make the investment. On the contrary, when done right, video not only improves user experience, it can actually enhance the user’s journey and increase their time on your site. 

Key Video Elements for Improving UX

Here are the major factors to consider when utilizing video to enhance your UX:

Sound Advice

Don’t surprise your users with audio content then depend on them to figure out how to mute it if they don’t want to listen. Auto-mute should be the default setting, and volume should not be allowed unless the user makes a deliberate decision to listen to a video. If you are successful in matching the right video to the right user, then they may decide that they would like to listen as well.

A Strong Start

Capture user attention from the start. The first few seconds determine whether the user will engage with your video content. So, start strong and make sure to be interesting from the very beginning. Remember, users’ attention spans are not to be taken for granted.

Keep It Short

Short videos (up to 2 minutes) get the most significant engagement, so there is no time to waste. Make your message accurate and to the point.

Give Users Control

Now that your users are watching your video, make sure that they have full control over interacting with the player. They should be able to intuitively discover all of the features of the unit, from volume, to fullscreen, to recommended content or even sharing on social media.

Remember, interaction can not just improve the user experience, it also means that there are more possibilities for video monetization.

Ease and Accessibility

Add a written title and description and closed captions to let the user decide how to consume the information. Another feature that improves accessibility is the collapsing player, which lets the user follow the video while scrolling between pages.

The Future of Video in User Experience

In the fast-paced technological landscape in which we work, it’s important to keep up to date with the latest trends in website design, UX and other features improving video playing on websites. 

However, as we’ve seen above, there is no substitute for putting yourself in the user’s shoes and delivering to them what they want. Respect your users, deliver them content that they are looking for, and give them control over their experience. Then you’ll be sure to reap the rewards of engagement and monetization that make video such a lucrative medium.   

The post Why Video is GOOD for Your User Experience appeared first on Primis.