How to Grow Your Business With Smart TV Application Development?
People don’t talk much about smart TV applications. And we want to fix it! In fact, smart TV apps are very useful for businesses. They open doors, create opportunities, and drive engagement. Surprising? Maybe. Prospective? Absolutely!
In this article, we’re diving into smart TV app development. Let’s explore the potential of TV platforms and see how smart TV apps can transform your business landscape.
Why should you consider smart TV app development?
- Expand audience reach. Smart TVs are in millions of households worldwide, offering a substantial user base.
- Enhance user engagement. The large screen format, coupled with high-quality audio-visual capabilities, leads to higher user engagement and longer session durations compared to mobile or desktop apps.
- Gain monetization opportunities. Apps for smart TVs can generate income through in-app advertising, subscription services, and one-time purchases, among other methods.
- Boost brand loyalty. Users tend to prefer services that provide convenience across multiple devices. By being present on smart TVs, you cater to your audience’s preference for seamless integration of services, enhancing overall user satisfaction and loyalty.
Win a competitive advantage. With fewer businesses currently exploiting the smart TV app market, early adoption can provide a competitive edge.
What sectors will gain less profit with a smart TV app?
Of course, smart TV apps are not a silver bullet for every business. As these devices are immobile and have limited control capabilities, they aren’t quite suitable for:
Professional services. Sectors such as legal, accounting, and consulting typically require more interaction and detailed information that is better suited for desktop or mobile platforms.
B2B services. Smart TV apps are more suitable for content consumption, not chatting with someone. Consequently, business-to-business services can’t be easily translated to a smart TV interface.
For other entertainment and educational sectors, smart TV apps can be a new lease of life.
What business sectors can think of developing their smart TV app?
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Entertainment and media
The most obvious sector to benefit from smart TV apps is entertainment and media. Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ are prime examples. These apps allow users to access movies, TV shows, and live broadcasts directly on their smart TVs, providing a superior viewing experience.
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Education and e-learning
Educational institutions and e-learning platforms can leverage smart TV apps to offer courses and training programs. The large screen and high-quality audio-visuals can make learning more engaging and effective, particularly for video lectures and interactive content.
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Fitness and health
Fitness applications can include yoga courses, health seminars, and guided exercise sessions on smart TVs. With a bigger screen than on smaller devices, consumers can follow along with workouts with greater ease, increasing the accessibility and fun factor of at-home training.
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Gaming
Smart TVs are a useful tool for the gaming industry to provide immersive gaming experiences. Smart TVs’ improved display and audio capabilities might be useful for casual games, interactive tales, and even more difficult games.
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Retail and e-commerce
Retailers who want to display their items in high resolution can create applications for smart TVs. With the help of these applications, customers will have an exciting method to explore and buy things from the comfort of their living rooms. These features include interactive catalogs, virtual showrooms, and even live shopping experiences.
Factors to consider when developing a smart TV app
Smart TVs are different from web and mobile software, even in terms of appearance. There are factors that you should take into consideration before making an application. If you ignore them, you’ll kill the potential of developing a TV app.
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Fragmented platforms
With a wide range of operating systems, including Tizen (Samsung), WebOS (LG), Android TV (various manufacturers), Roku, and others, the smart TV industry is quite fragmented. Every platform has its own app marketplace, development environment, and set of requirements. Therefore, customized development efforts are required.
It is crucial to identify and prioritize the platforms that your target users are most likely to use. If you intend to make an app for several platforms, choose cross-platform smart TV application development to minimize the costs.
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Platform guidelines
Each platform has specific guidelines and requirements for smart TV app development. If you don’t follow them from the start, you won’t enter the smart TV app market quickly. So, your development team should know these guidelines inside out to ensure compliance and smooth app submission.
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UI/UX considerations
Smart TV users typically navigate using a remote control, view content from a distance, and often engage in shared viewing experiences. These factors necessitate distinct UI/UX design strategies to ensure usability and engagement.
Smart TV apps should have:
- Remote control optimization. Navigation optimized for remote control use, minimizing text input and using simple selections.
- Visual hierarchy. A clear visual hierarchy with key elements prominently displayed and ample spacing.
- Readable text. Large fonts and high contrast ensure readability from a distance.
- Feedback and states. Visual feedback for user actions and clear indications of loading states, errors, and completed actions.
- Consistent layouts. Consistent layouts across different screens to maintain a uniform experience.
Multiple user profiles. The option to create several accounts for different members of the family.
What’s next?
Consider working with a reputable smart TV app development company to fully utilize the potential offered by smart TV applications.
With a qualified contractor, you won’t need to worry about learning all the ins and outs of designing and developing for smart TVs — they have that expertise! Their experience and skills are essential for overcoming the unique challenges posed by this platform.
