Why is the membership system for video sites unpopular? Web site relies too much on external resources

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A long time ago, a debate about video advertising was launched online: On the one hand, the video site that advertising is a legitimate way to profit, but also the cost of the site to buy the copyright, shielding ads will reduce the number of video to watch, and ultimately affect the user experience; On the other hand, users are dissatisfied with the current video ads for more than a minute, It is considered that low quality and lengthy advertising is the culprit in destroying the user experience. The two sides of the dispute eventually led to another topic: video sites to provide the removal of advertising membership services, prices are not very expensive (one months to more than 10 yuan), why users prefer to endure up to 60-70 seconds of advertising, also do not want to become members?

Perhaps it is easier to see the status quo of the membership system of video sites with data. In the first quarter of 2013, the group's earnings were 901.3 million yuan, up 42% from the same period in 2012, with advertising net revenue accounting for 801 million yuan, and income growth coming mainly from the growth of brand advertisers and the increase in average advertisers ' input ( Increase in the number of advertising broadcasts). It can be seen that the value-added services represented by paid members do not contribute to the growth of the income of Youku potatoes.

Why is the membership system of video websites not to be seen by netizens? This article will make an analysis from three angles.

Reason one: Has the member really "promoted" experience?

The current video site's membership privileges are divided into three areas: first, skip advertising; second, high-definition experience; three, exclusive film

Of these three privileges, the "HD experience" does not mean much. The so-called "HD" mainly refers to 1080P resolution. The minimum speed required for 1080P online viewing is 4Mbps, which means that 4M network users can barely support the online playback of 1080P video only if other network services are stopped. On the domestic current network situation, the average user to watch 1080P experience is not necessarily better than 720P.

The advantages of "exclusive film" are also not obvious. Now the free BT seeds are everywhere, users can find a few minutes of patient search, most users do not want to see a few films dedicated to a website to spend money. Moreover, at present, the works of the film library are not exclusive, perhaps a website members enjoy the film, the B site is free to open.

The privilege that really works for most users is "skip advertising." But when a user sees an ad that lasts for 60 seconds and can't be muted, he first gets disgusted with the site and then thinks about how to avoid advertising, and the crux of the problem is this--paying members should really get a better experience than the average user, But this does not mean that the site can be used to reduce the average member experience to reflect the member's "Superior". When the user is to "skip advertising" to charge money to become a member, the membership system is not in the "promotion" experience, the second is just "fill" the experience. This approach to blackmail, even if it allows a part of the user to compromise, but also pay the price of the user's goodwill reduced.

Unfortunately, most of the video sites are now using this method to reduce the total station experience to intimidate users into membership. It is conceivable, of course, it will not get users in the value level of identity.

Reason two: Web site too dependent on external resources users lack of sense of belonging

At present, the video site's film and television resources are basically all dependent on external purchase, "who robbed the resources, users to who home." However, the unknown nature of the resources makes it difficult for netizens to predict which websites can output high quality content stably. For example, the first season of "Good Chinese Voice" network exclusive broadcast media is Youku, but in the second quarter suddenly turned into Sohu video. Changes too quickly, users can not create a sense of belonging to the site, nature will not become a paid member.

In addition, and the type of media, the majority of the current video website identity is reproduced platform, rarely participate in the production of video resources content. Without content, it is impossible to export values, and to gather users who are converging with their own values. When the video site's brand appeal is far less than the appeal of video resources, how can users want to become fans of video sites?

This is also the reason for the rise of the 2013 network homemade drama, "Cock Silk man" and "never thought of" the appearance, means that the video site has begun to change. I believe most of the video sites have been clear: a mere view of the program, the site itself is not interested in the user, is not going to give the video site to contribute money. and the network homemade drama, it is the video site to build its own brand first step.

Reason three: Less social elements can not satisfy the user's vanity

Membership is a Web site to meet the expected behavior of the user commendation, this is an incentive mechanism. In the form of representation, the membership system adopts a hierarchical system, through the issuance of a series of privileges, so that member users can obtain "be particularly respected" experience. Unfortunately, the current video site Membership system is not showing this "superior"-in addition to the user head has a member logo, other aspects and ordinary users are not different.

The opposite example is the QQ member, the QQ member's Red privilege is cheesecake the user "is respected" the demand QQ in the high profile Friend list to the QQ member to make the mark, lets the member more conspicuous, lets the member's ego feel More "different".

At present, in addition to Youku and potatoes and other UGC sites, most video site users and users basically no association. Community atmosphere is too weak, membership system naturally has no soil to survive, video site members on the website identity blurred, the title of members will not let it generate pride.

Four ways to solve the death cycle of member system

Imperfect membership system and rough and outrageous advertising display system, it is the main cause of the video site operating dead Cycle: Membership system is not attractive-users can only see ADS-advertising quality is too long too bad-users began to use shielding advertising plug-ins-advertising costs increase, website profit damage-the site will be stretched advertising, and increase membership dues--more and more people with blocked advertising plug-ins, fewer members, more and more users--the cost of advertising continues to increase ... This has become a domestic video site common problems.

As I see, the video site to improve the status quo needs to do the following four points:

1, through the optimization of the form of advertising to reduce the user's bad feelings on the site;

2, enhance the interactive content of the comments to complement the full social attributes;

3, strengthen the proportion of video content, to the Netizen output values, access to the user's identity;

4, through more perfect page design and more exclusive activities to highlight members of the distinguished identity.

With these, a sustainable membership system can only be established.