Netflix Hoping Shorter Clips Can Win Over Mobile Users

Your Netflix mobile app might already be serving up short clips under the heading of “Have five minutes?”

Netflix says that 87% of its mobile users stream videos from the service for fewer than 10 minutes at time. After all, it’s hard to keep the attention of a user looking at a small smartphone screen, especially when it competes with incoming texts and other messages. Wireless users may also be reluctant to check out more than a few minutes of video out of fear of hitting their monthly data caps. Problem is, Netflix doesn’t really have any content shorter than 10 minutes. The solution? Go shorter.

According to GigaOm, a Netflix design manager revealed today that the company is looking at the possibility of having loads of short clips aimed at giving mobile users something that is brief enough to keep their attention and not drain their monthly data bucket.

But before you freak out that Netflix will suddenly be overrun with user-generated video blogs or ice-bucket challenge clips, the idea is apparently more in line with what you find on many network TV websites — short clips of movies and TV shows culled from an Netflix’s existing library.

You may even be a test subject for this cut-down content and don’t even know it. The company has quietly been offering shorter selections on some mobile users’ home screens under the category heading of “Have five minutes?”

The company says it has received “very positive results” so far and could make the short segment category permanent as part of an upcoming mobile relaunch.

by Chris Morran via Consumerist