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Shopee parent Sea turns its first annual profit

It reverses a loss of US$1.7 billion in 2022 Read more at straitstimes.com.

Shopee parent Sea books profit of $218.5 million but misses analysts’ estimates | The Straits Times

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Sea hit first profitable year in 2023, eyes positive EBITDA for Shopee in H2 2024

FOLLOWING the announcement of its first profitable year, New York Stock Exchange-listed Sea said that it will improve the price competitiveness of its product listings on its e-commerce platform Shopee, and build its digital banking and insurance services under its payment arm, SeaMoney, to ...

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FTC v. Amazon Court Filing, retrieved on Sep 26, 2023, is part of . You can jump to any part in this filing . This is part 56 of 80. HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series here VIII. AMAZON’S CONDUCT HARMS COMPETITION AND CONSUMERS 433. Amazon’s unfair and monopolistic conduct has broken the competitive process. Amazon’s anticompetitive conduct closes off each major avenue of competition—including price, product selection, quality, and innovation—in both relevant markets. Amazon’s monopolistic conduct also harms consumers in both markets, shoppers and sellers alike, by depriving them of the benefits of open, fair competition and allowing Amazon to exploit its monopoly power without facing the competitive checks of a free enterprise system. 434. The presence of scale economies and network effects in both relevant markets means that a firm must be able to gain scale in order to compete effectively. But Amazon has artificially suppressed rivals’ ability to attract business, gain momentum, and grow. 435. Amazon’s conduct interrupts, impedes, and distorts the normal give-and-take of a healthy market by blocking off every major avenue of competition—including price, product selection, quality, and innovation—that rivals and potential rivals would ordinarily use to compete on the merits for shoppers’ and sellers’ business in the relevant markets for online superstores and online marketplace services. 436. For example, Amazon’s anti-discounting conduct leverages both its first-party Retail and its third-party Marketplace business units to suppress competition. Amazon’s firstparty anti-discounting algorithm disciplines rivals from undercutting Amazon’s prices, and Amazon punishes third-party sellers for offering lower prices on other platforms. Without the ability to attract either shoppers or sellers through lower prices, rivals are unable to gain a critical mass of customers and meaningfully compete against Amazon. At the same time, Amazon’s coercive fulfillment conduct both artificially stunts the growth of independent fulfillment providers and artificially raises the costs that sellers face when seeking to multihome. This limits seller multihoming and thereby suppresses Amazon’s rivals’ ability to compete for sellers by offering better terms and for shoppers by offering additional product selection. 437. Together, Amazon’s exclusionary course of conduct works to suppress competition in both relevant markets, foreclosing even an innovative, high-quality rival or potential rival from competing on the merits. 438. Amazon’s conduct also harms consumers in both relevant markets. For example, Amazon’s conduct has artificially inflated prices for both shoppers and sellers, degraded the quality of online superstores for shoppers and of online marketplace services for sellers, reduced output in both relevant markets, hindered shoppers from comparison-shopping for the best deals, suppressed the flow of useful price and quality information to shoppers, stifled sellers’ ability to gain additional business by offering lower prices, restricted sellers’ freedom to choose to multihome across their preferred sales channels, reduced consumer choice for both shoppers and sellers by yielding a less diverse set of competitive options, and stripped consumers in both relevant markets of the benefits of innovation. 439. Amazon’s anticompetitive conduct is not reasonably necessary to achieve any cognizable procompetitive benefits. The anticompetitive harm from those practices outweighs any procompetitive benefits, and Amazon could reasonably achieve any procompetitive goals through less restrictive alternatives. 440. Amazon’s unlawful conduct has caused cumulative and compounding harm over time. Through its years-long course of illegal conduct, Amazon has deeply entrenched its monopolies in both relevant markets and further widened the gulf between Amazon and everyone else. Particularly given the importance of scale economies and network effects in these markets, Amazon’s conduct has yielded a distorted and stunted competitive landscape. 441. Left unchecked, Amazon will continue to harm competition and maintain its monopoly power over the online superstore market and the market for online marketplace services, causing myriad and widespread harms to shoppers, sellers, and the public—and depriving Americans of the benefits of fair and free competition. Continue Reading . Here About HackerNoon Legal PDF Series: We bring you the most important technical and insightful public domain court case filings. This court case 2:23-cv-01495 retrieved on October 2, 2023, from is part of the public domain. The court-created documents are works of the federal government, and under copyright law, are automatically placed in the public domain and may be shared without legal restriction. ftc.gov

How Amazon's Reign Leaves Shoppers and Sellers in the Shadows

FTC v. Amazon Court Filing, retrieved on Sep 26, 2023, is part of . You can jump to any part in this filing . This is part 24 of 80. HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series here d. Online marketplace services are not reasonably interchangeable with services that primarily provide access to non-U.S. shoppers 201. Sellers who want to reach U.S. shoppers generally only consider online marketplaces that already possess a significant U.S. customer base and facilitate sales to U.S. shoppers through U.S.-specific marketplaces. Online marketplace service providers typically operate distinct websites focused on customer bases by different geographies; these websites list prices in the local currency and operate differently to ensure compliance with local law. 202. Online marketplaces set different fees across their various geography-specific websites. Continue Reading . Here About HackerNoon Legal PDF Series: We bring you the most important technical and insightful public domain court case filings. This court case 2:23-cv-01495 retrieved on October 2, 2023, from is part of the public domain. The court-created documents are works of the federal government, and under copyright law, are automatically placed in the public domain and may be shared without legal restriction. ftc.gov

For U.S. Shoppers, Online Markeplaces Have a Different Meaning

FTC v. Amazon Court Filing, retrieved on Sep 26, 2023, is part of . You can jump to any part in this filing . This is part 20 of 80. HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series here 1. Online marketplace services is a relevant market 186. Online marketplace services is a relevant product market. Online marketplaces offer sellers a distinct set of services. Chief among these services is access to an established online U.S. customer base. Purchasing online marketplace services is not reasonably interchangeable with selling as a vendor to either an online or a brick-and-mortar retail store. Nor are online marketplace services reasonably interchangeable with the offerings of online software-as-a-service providers. Some providers of online marketplace services also offer fulfillment services, which sellers can purchase in addition to online marketplace services. 187. The relevant geographic market for online marketplace services, which provide sellers access to U.S. shoppers, is worldwide. Continue Reading . Here About HackerNoon Legal PDF Series: We bring you the most important technical and insightful public domain court case filings. This court case 2:23-cv-01495 retrieved on October 2, 2023, from is part of the public domain. The court-created documents are works of the federal government, and under copyright law, are automatically placed in the public domain and may be shared without legal restriction. ftc.gov

Amazon Offers Sellers Worldwide Unfettered Access to U.S Shoppers 

FTC v. Amazon Court Filing, retrieved on Sep 26, 2023, is part of . You can jump to any part in this filing . This part is 10 of 20. HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series here VIOLATIONS OF THE RESTORE ONLINE SHOPPERS CONFIDENCE ACT 252. In 2010, Congress passed the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 8401-05, which became effective on December 29, 2010. Congress passed ROSCA because “[c]onsumer confidence is essential to the growth of online commerce. To continue its development as a marketplace, the Internet must provide consumers with clear, accurate information and give sellers an opportunity to fairly compete with one another for consumers’ business.” Section 2 of ROSCA, 15 U.S.C. § 8401. 253. Section 4 of ROSCA, 15 U.S.C. § 8403, generally prohibits charging consumers for goods or services sold in transactions effected on the Internet through a negative option feature, as that term is defined in the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule (“TSR”), 16 C.F.R. § 310(w), unless the seller: (a) clearly and conspicuously discloses all material terms of the transaction before obtaining the consumer’s billing information; (b) obtains the consumer’s express informed consent before making the charge; and (c) provides simple mechanisms to stop recurring charges. See 15 U.S.C. § 8403. 254. The TSR defines a negative option feature as: “in an offer or agreement to sell or provide any goods or services, a provision under which the consumer’s silence or failure to take an affirmative action to reject goods or services or to cancel the agreement is interpreted by the seller as acceptance of the offer.” 16 C.F.R. § 310.2(w). 255. As described in Paragraphs 2 through 224, Defendant has created and manages several negative option features as defined by the TSR, 16 C.F.R. § 310.2(w), including Prime. 256. Pursuant to Section 5 of ROSCA, 15 U.S.C. § 8404(a), and Section 18(d)(3) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 57a(d)(3), a violation of ROSCA constitutes a violation of a rule under section 18 of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 57a, and constitutes an unfair or deceptive act or practice in or affecting commerce, in violation of Section 5(a) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 45(a). 257. Section 5(m)(1)(A) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 45(m)(1)(A), as modified by Section 4 of the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, 28 U.S.C. § 2461, as amended, and as implemented by 16 C.F.R. § 1.98(d), authorizes this Court to award monetary civil penalties of up to $50,120 for each violation of ROSCA, 16 C.F.R. § 1.98(d). Continue Reading . Here About HackerNoon Legal PDF Series: We bring you the most important technical and insightful public domain court case filings. This court case 2:23-cv-00932 retrieved on September 28, 2023, from is part of the public domain. The court-created documents are works of the federal government, and under copyright law, are automatically placed in the public domain and may be shared without legal restriction. ftc.gov

Amazon Accused of Violating the Restore Online Shoppers Confidence Act

Amazon acusado de violar la Ley de Restauración de la Confianza de los Compradores en Línea

Amazon accusé d'avoir violé la loi sur la confiance des acheteurs en ligne

अमेज़न पर रिस्टोर ऑनलाइन शॉपर्स कॉन्फिडेंस एक्ट का उल्लंघन करने का आरोप

Amazon、オンライン買い物客の信頼回復法に違反した疑いで告発

Amazon acusada de violar a Lei de Restauração da Confiança dos Compradores Online

Amazon bị buộc tội vi phạm Đạo luật khôi phục niềm tin của người mua hàng trực tuyến

亚马逊被指控违反《恢复在线购物者信心法案》

Due to its open-source code, free availability, customizability, scalability, and other advanced features, Magento is the leading e-commerce platform. According to recent estimates, . 270,000 merchants worldwide use Magento Even leading e-commerce brands such as Nike, Jaguar, Proctor and Gamble, and HP are not left out. Yet, like any software solution, Magento has its challenges. They range from extension conflicts, compatibility issues, web crashes, and “404 not found” error messages. If not taken care of, they could lead to abandoned carts, reduced conversions, and user experience. Or even worse, your online store could stop working entirely. But the good news is that there are easy fixes for them. Below, is a list of all the problems you may face when using Magento for your e-shop and their solutions. Challenge #1: Data Protection (Credit:Unsplash) Data protection is a major issue, for every platform that’s connected to the internet. And Magento is no different. Why do you need Data Protection? As an e-commerce store, customers trust you with their personal information such as credit card details and other personal details. These are great prey for hackers, who love to execute magecart, ransomware, and phishing attacks to steal this information. And once your E-store is synonymous with hacks and data breaches, you’ll lose the trust of your customers. Additionally, since Magento runs on open-source software that’s customizable, the responsibility of protecting your customer’s security is partly yours. So how can you protect your customer's data? ensure that you’ve upgraded to Magento 2.0. The updated version comes with security fixes to vulnerabilities found in the previous version. [ ] Invest in a reliable Magento 2 security extension. With as little as $69 - $239, you can get a reliable Magento security extension. They alert you of potential data breaches, enable two-factor authentication, and the likes. [ ] Use a secure, and encrypted HTTPS/SSL URL. You can do this by enabling the “Use Secure URLs” in the system configuration menu. [ ] Use a good password and keep it safe. A good password must have special characters, upper and lower case letters, numbers, and numbers. Also, don’t use the same password to log into another website. [ ] Hire Magento security consultants to run security checks once in a while. [ ] Challenge #2. Magento Products are not Getting Displayed In some cases, a product may not appear in any category, except if you use its URL. This is very common, especially if you have many products in your e-store. If you’re facing this issue, take these simple steps: Make sure the products are available in stock. [ ] You can check from Catalog > Manage Products > Inventory (tab). [ ] Out-of-stock items cannot be accessed via categories except by using the exact URL. [ ] But if you want out-of-stock (OOS) products to become visible, change it at System > Configuration > Catalog > Display Out of Stock Products. After changing the settings, you’ll need to rebuild the indexes and update the cache. [ ] If they’re out of stock, set your configuration to display them with the “out of stock” tag. [ ] If you uploaded them manually, check if they are in the correct category. You can check this at Catalog > Manage Products > Category. [ ] Ensure your indexes and caches are current. Whenever you update products to your store, the cache may get invalidated. [ ] Challenge #3. The Website not Showing in Google Search Results In this digital era, being visible on search engines like Yelp, Google, and Yahoo is very important. Why? A large fraction of traffic to your store comes from search engines. According to a recent report, . 39 percent of traffic to e-commerce stores comes from search engines If your e-commerce store is missing from web results, you should: Practice fundamental SEO practices. Utilizing SEO strategies keeps you right in front of your potential customers, which translates to traffic and then conversions down the line. This includes choosing the right keywords after you’ve researched, catering to various awareness levels, using the correct page architecture, and many more. Semrush explains SEO strategies for e-stores, in this . article Leverage content As it's often said, content is king. In the current digital age, content is a key driver for increasing customer engagements and conversions, generating leads, and growing sales. But that doesn’t mean you should publish any type of article or video. You must start with developing an ideal customer persona and drafting a strategy hinged on information gotten from the research of your audience. But it doesn’t stop there. Publish content where your customers visit, use data analytics tools to measure results, and request feedback from your customers. Also, focus more on quality than quantity. Instead of producing 10 low-quality articles, spend time and effort on creating 3 quality ones. It will differentiate you from the multitude of subpar content that fills the internet. Keep up with trends The world of e-commerce is always changing. Even buyers' behavior, continues to evolve. And if you don’t keep up with the pace, you’ll surely fall behind and lose customers in droves. To avoid this, keep pace with the latest trends and implement them in your store. Challenge #4. Invalid Username or Password When you try logging in but you're told your details are invalid, it could be frustrating. This happens, even when you use the correct details. What’s the reason for this? Since Magento is recognized as a local host rather than a domain, web browsers don’t store cookies for it. Thus, your password and details are not recognizable when you log in. How can you resolve this? Go to the Magento directory. Find the file. Then leave the first three common lines, and comment out the last three, as shown below: app/code/core/Mage/Core/Model/Session/Abstract/Varien.php $cookieParams = array( ‘lifetime’ => $cookie->getLifetime(), ‘path’ => $cookie->getPath() // ‘domain’ => $cookie->getConfigDomain (), //’secure’ => $cookie->isSecure(), //’httponly’ => $cookie->getHttponly () ); The two forward slashes (//) before the last three lines, renders them inactive. Challenge #5. Common “503 Service Temporarily Unavailable”  Error This error has 3 potential sources: your site’s server, e-commerce store, or cache. The first thing you should do is contact your hosting company. If the fault is from their end, they would solve it. If not, you should locate the file. maintenance.flag The file is created when installing Magento. It contains a message to notify your users that your site is undergoing maintenance. maintenance.flag Normally, the file is removed after installation. But if it doesn’t delete automatically after installation, an error message will continue to display. The solution to this, is to use an FTP manager, go to your Magento directory on it, and delete the file. maintenance.flag If the above solutions don’t work, then try and delete your cache. Challenge #6. Redirect Website to WWW Allowing customers to access your website via WWW, increases visibility. And all things being equal, increased visibility means more sales. To make your website redirect to WWW, you’ll need to edit some lines of code. Go to the Magento root and click on the .htaccess file. Find RewriteEngine, and add the following two lines: RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^mywebstore.com$ [NC] RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.mywebstore.com/$1 [R=301,L] After you’re done, log into your admin area and go to  System > Config Menu. Beneath the configuration menu, click on the web button. Change your base URL, to contain WWW, then click save. After doing this, customers will access your website using the www prefix. Challenge #7. Website Loading Time. How to Speed Up and Secure Your Site? Having a website that loads quickly provides a good customer experience. And if your customers are happy, they will keep coming back. Also, website loading speed plays a key role in visibility on search engines. The faster your website loads, the better your ranking. With that being said, how can you speed up your website load time? The first step is to enable the compilation function by logging into your admin area, and clicking on “system”. On the pop-up tab, click on tools, then enable the Compilation Process. Aside from the above, you should: Install a content delivery network (CDN) Upgrade to the latest version of Magento Enable cache management. By enabling cache management, a copy of your website is saved on the browser of your customer on their first visit. When they return to your site, the cached version of your website is delivered to them. This is faster than creating a new site for each visit, which takes time To enable cache management, go to admin panel > system > cache management. Finally, enable all the options shown, and click submit. Optimize visuals. An e-commerce store is definitely going to have many visuals. And if they’re not optimized, your site becomes slow. Firstly, use the correct file types. Your product images should be in .jpeg while logos should be .png or .svg. Secondly, compress large images using compressing tools. But only use tools, that do not distort the quality of the image. Merge and minify Javascript and CSS under javascript settings and CSS settings respectively. To merge and minify CSS, go to Stores > Configuration in Settings Section > Developer in Advanced, and click on CSS. Then turn on “minify CSS” and “merge CSS”. For javascript, you’ll also go to Stores > Configuration in Settings Section > Developer in Advanced. But in this case, click on Javascipt. Then turn on “minify Javascipt” and “merge Javascript”. Use a lightweight theme Your website looks cool when you use a heavy theme. But bear down on your loading time. When choosing a theme, focus not only on the aesthetics but also on its size. The smaller, the better. Choose bug-free extensions Most of the time, paid Magento extensions are more likely to be bug-free than free versions. It’s better to go through the pain of paying for an extension than using one that slows your loading speed. Enable flat categories and products: Do this, especially for Magento 2.1x and 2.2x but disable them for 2.3x and above. Disable Javascript bundling Conclusion With the easy fixes mentioned above, you will have fewer problems with your store and give your customers a seamless shopping experience, which is vital if you want them to keep coming back.

7 Common Errors in Magento Online Shops and How to Fix Them

Retailers are perfectly poised to adapt with ease as we move into a post-pandemic world, having experienced such a necessary yet dizzying acceleration in digital transformations over the past year. Covid-19 brought about disruptions to the retail industry that could only be solved efficiently by adapting at pace to trading restrictions and changes in consumer behaviors, ushering in the full-blown digital era a little ahead of its time. And now, as the world of business opens back up in a physical sense, it's nevertheless unlikely that the retail industry will ever be the same again. Customer expectations and buying habits have changed significantly, but retailers have grown used to adapting of late, and embracing modern technologies to complement these shifts has also become second nature. Here are four set to go the distance post-pandemic. retail tech trends 1. Online shopping The enormous shift towards online shopping was the most significant trend to occur for the retail sector during the Covid-19 crisis. According to research, 43% of shoppers are now purchasing more items online than usual, with 65% expected to further increase their online purchasing habits over the next 12 months. Retailers had to adapt quickly to stay afloat amidst the lockdowns. Closing up their in favor of adopting service offerings such as curbside pickup, ship-from-store deliveries, Buy Online and Pickup in Store (BOPIS) and Reserve Online and Pickup in Store (ROPIS) became commonplace. brick-and-mortar stores Whilst some retail channels may return to traditional methods of operation post-Covid, it’s clear from the statistics that this monumental shift towards remote living is largely here to stay. Convenience leads the charge in today’s world, and now having experienced all of the benefits of shopping digitally, the majority of people will continue to expect these streamlined services into the future. E-commerce giant Amazon continues to dominate online retail, with 55% of consumers reporting the intention to use the platform more in the coming year. 2. Digital coupon boom The colossal rise of e-commerce has brought with it an even fiercer competition between retailers, all vying for the attention of consumers who have every conceivable price or product information consideration at their fingertips. A staggering recently reported comparing competitor prices using their mobile phones while physically standing in stores as they decided upon purchases. 93% of Millennial shoppers Using coupons to offer discounts and attract customers is nothing new, but the digital form of this tried and true marketing strategy has boomed since the pandemic forced shoppers online in their millions. In 2020, a massive reported that they regularly searched for a digital coupon for savings before making a purchase. 92% of online consumers And these highly effective sales tools are highly flexible to implement, too. Shoppers can access them via direct marketing such as email campaigns, on store websites, through social media platforms, or they can easily source them through leading . coupon deal sites 3. Virtual fitting rooms In 2020, the conversion rate for customer-to-AR ( ) engaged users soared by , and the potential for its use in the retail sector can’t be ignored. augmented reality 90% Virtual fitting rooms are an intriguing innovation, utilizing augmented reality to overcome the need to be physically present in order to ‘try before you buy’. Given the physical restrictions that have come with Covid, has been perfectly poised to make an impact on the industry. AR Through its adoption of , Sephora enjoyed great gains while many other retailers experienced painful losses. This new retail technology allowed customers to virtually try on their product ranges from jewelry and cosmetics, all on their smartphones. Other retailers, such as Etsy and Kendra Scott are also utilizing virtual fitting room technologies, and there will be many more to follow suit. virtual fitting room technology 4. Contactless shopping Social distancing will remain relevant to public health protection for some time to come, and so, contactless shopping and even staff-free stores are an important retail trend moving forwards. According to research results published by , 87% of consumers prefer stores with self-checkout and/or options. Bloomberg contactless payment To achieve these goals, machine learning, computer vision systems, RFID tags, and facial recognition technologies are being utilized. Amazon’s Just Walk Out system, for example, took advantage of sensor fusion and computer vision, tracking what customers placed in their carts and automatically charging the credit card left on file as the shopper left the store. No one can accurately predict to what extent we will ever return to any recognizable former normalcy when it comes to social distancing and contactless shopping, but the stats suggest that to some extent, it is certainly a new normal that retailers and shoppers alike must adapt to. The bottom line The era of Covid-19 ushered in an accelerated transformation towards an increasingly digital world, and with it came a host of new consumer expectations. The retail sector at large managed tremendous feats of adaptation to facilitate new trends in behavior, and with such progressive outcomes, it seems unlikely that most will simply fade away as the pandemic does.

The Digital Shopper: 4 Retail Tech Trends That Will Stay Post-Pandemic

Welcome to another feature of HackerNoon Startups of the Week series! New to this series? We’ve got you covered. Every week, the HackerNoon editorial team chooses a list of startups from our Startups of The Year database. These startups have been nominated as one of the best in their respective category or region. In this feature, we’re pleased to announce Torram Labs, BookForSport & Dealscard as Startups of The Week. Want to be nominated for HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year? Learn how here. Meet Startups of the Week Torram Labs Torram Labs is a rising star in DeFi - building the foundational infrastructure that enables institutional-grade DeFi and real-world asset tokenization natively on Bitcoin. Torram empowers financial institutions to leverage Bitcoin's unmatched security, transparency, and $880 billion of global liquidity through its decentralized oracle network, on-chain data indexing, and institutional-grade solutions. Torram has recently announced a strategic investment from Draper Associates, the venture firm led by crypto investor Tim Draper. Located in Toronto, Canada, Torram Labs is nominated as one of their city's best, competing in Decentralization, DeFi, and Developer Tools industries. Support Torram - Vote here! BookForSport BookForSport is an online sports venue booking platform for hassle-free sports turf reservations! Users can discover and reserve box cricket, badminton court, pickleball, and more. This company has been nominated as one of the best Startups of The Year in Rajkot, India. Support BookForSport - Vote here! Dealscard Dealscard simplifies online shopping by curating top deals and helping shoppers effortlessly find the best value for their money. Dealscard is dedicated to assisting savvy shoppers score deals on the products they love. Based in UP, India, Megasight was nominated as one the best startups in its location, as well as nominations across multiple industries: E-commerce, and Consumer Goods. Support Dealscard - Vote here! Featured Interview of The Week All Startups of the Year nominees get a chance to publish their free interview where they get a chance to share their journey with millions of tech enthusiasts. Follow the example of the Torram Labs and create your business page on HackerNoon. Having a business profile will allow you to create your very own Evergreen Tech Company News Page and participate in our Tech Companies ranking, as well as weekly and data-driven insights that delve into which tech companies are gaining and losing traction in public awareness. This time, we’re going to look further into the Commerce Interview. This template is designed to highlight how your company stands out in today’s fast-changing business landscape. Here’s how Dealscard shares their excitement to be nominated in a published interview: To get nominated in HackerNoon’s Startups of the Year means a sense of validation of our work that we are on the right track. Since its a new business, it means everything to us that you recognize us. Not sure about winning, but getting nominated is such an achievement that made us elated, extremely happy. We just need a little recognition and validation of what we are doing is right and on the great path of making our users happy. We can not thank you enough already for this selection. We hope to win. Want to be featured on HackerNoon’s Startups of the Week? Share your startup's story - use this interview template. Featured Startup Specials Package HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year is a branding opportunity unlike any other. Whether your goal is brand awareness or lead generation, HackerNoon has curated startup-friendly packages to solve your marketing challenges. Today, we share our Content Marketing package. Content Marketing: 10x Distribution! With this package, you’ll get: Your business page with your logo, introduction, call to action, and socials on HackerNoon
3 stories published on HackerNoon, along with editorial support to enhance their impact.

Your articles are converted into audio stories and distributed via audio RSS feeds
Each story is translated into 12 different languages
Social media promotions of your stories


Multiple permanent placements on HackerNoon
Your Evergreen Tech Company News Page Learn more about this package here or book a meeting with us! That’s all we have for you today, folks! Cheers, The HackerNoon Team About HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year Startups of The Year 2024 is HackerNoon’s flagship community-driven event celebrating startups, technology, and the spirit of innovation. Currently in its third iteration, the prestigious Internet award recognizes and celebrates tech startups of all shapes and sizes. This year, over 150,000 entities across 4200+ cities, 6 continents, and 100+ industries will participate in a bid to be crowned the best startup of the year! Millions of votes have been cast over the past few years, and many storieshave been written about these daring and rising startups. The winners will get a free interview on HackerNoon and an Evergreen Tech Company Newspage. Visit our FAQ page to learn more. Download our design assets here. Check out the Startups of the Year Merch Shophere. HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year is a branding opportunity unlike any other. Whether your goal is brand awareness or lead generation, HackerNoon has curated startup-friendly packagesto solve your marketing challenges. Meet our sponsors: Wellfound: At Wellfound, we're not just a job board—we're the place where top startup talent and the world's most exciting companies connect to build the future. Notion: Notion is trusted and loved by thousands of startups as their connected workspace—from building product roadmaps to tracking fundraising. Try Notion with unlimited AI, FREE for up to 6 months, to build and scale your company with one powerful tool. Get your offer now! **Hubspot:**If you’re looking for a smart CRM platform that meets the needs of small businesses, look no further than HubSpot. Seamlessly connect your data, teams, and customers in one easy-to-use scalable platform that grows with your business. Bright Data:Startups that leverage public web data can make faster, data-driven decisions, giving them a competitive edge. With Bright Data, businesses can grow from a small operation to an enterprise by harnessing insights at every stage. Algolia: Algolia NeuralSearch is the world's only combining powerful keyword and natural language processing in a single API. Welcome to another feature of HackerNoon Startups of the Week series! New to this series? We’ve got you covered. Every week, the HackerNoon editorial team chooses a list of startups from our Startups of The Year database . These startups have been nominated as one of the best in their respective category or region. Startups of The Year database In this feature, we’re pleased to announce Torram Labs , BookForSport & Dealscard as Startups of The Week. Torram Labs BookForSport Dealscard Want to be nominated for HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year? Learn how here. Want to be nominated for HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year? Learn how here. Want to be nominated for HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year? Learn how here . here here Meet Startups of the Week Meet Startups of the Week Torram Labs Torram Labs Torram Labs is a rising star in DeFi - building the foundational infrastructure that enables institutional-grade DeFi and real-world asset tokenization natively on Bitcoin. Torram empowers financial institutions to leverage Bitcoin's unmatched security, transparency, and $880 billion of global liquidity through its decentralized oracle network, on-chain data indexing, and institutional-grade solutions. Torram Labs Torram has recently announced a strategic investment from Draper Associates , the venture firm led by crypto investor Tim Draper. Torram a strategic investment from Draper Associates Located in Toronto, Canada , Torram Labs is nominated as one of their city's best, competing in Decentralization , DeFi , and Developer Tools industries. Toronto, Canada Decentralization DeFi Developer Tools Support Torram - Vote here! Support Torram - Vote here! Support Torram - Vote here ! here here BookForSport BookForSport BookForSport is an online sports venue booking platform for hassle-free sports turf reservations! Users can discover and reserve box cricket, badminton court, pickleball, and more. This company has been nominated as one of the best Startups of The Year in Rajkot, India . BookForSport Rajkot, India Support BookForSport - Vote here! Support BookForSport - Vote here! Support BookForSport - Vote here ! here here Dealscard Dealscard Dealscard simplifies online shopping by curating top deals and helping shoppers effortlessly find the best value for their money. Dealscard is dedicated to assisting savvy shoppers score deals on the products they love. Dealscard Based in UP, India , Megasight was nominated as one the best startups in its location, as well as nominations across multiple industries: E-commerce , and Consumer Goods . UP, India E-commerce Consumer Goods Support Dealscard - Vote here! Support Dealscard - Vote here! Support Dealscard - Vote here ! here here Featured Interview of The Week Featured Interview of The Week All Startups of the Year nominees get a chance to publish their free interview where they get a chance to share their journey with millions of tech enthusiasts. Follow the example of the Torram Labs and create your business page on HackerNoon . Having a business profile will allow you to create your very own Evergreen Tech Company News Page and participate in our Tech Companies ranking , as well as weekly and data-driven insights that delve into which tech companies are gaining and losing traction in public awareness. Torram your business page on HackerNoon Evergreen Tech Company News Page Tech Companies ranking This time, we’re going to look further into the Commerce Interview . This template is designed to highlight how your company stands out in today’s fast-changing business landscape. Commerce Interview Commerce Interview Here’s how Dealscard shares their excitement to be nominated in a published interview: Here’s how Dealscard shares their excitement to be nominated in a published interview : published interview To get nominated in HackerNoon’s Startups of the Year means a sense of validation of our work that we are on the right track. Since its a new business, it means everything to us that you recognize us. Not sure about winning, but getting nominated is such an achievement that made us elated, extremely happy. We just need a little recognition and validation of what we are doing is right and on the great path of making our users happy. We can not thank you enough already for this selection. We hope to win. To get nominated in HackerNoon’s Startups of the Year means a sense of validation of our work that we are on the right track. Since its a new business, it means everything to us that you recognize us. Not sure about winning, but getting nominated is such an achievement that made us elated, extremely happy. We just need a little recognition and validation of what we are doing is right and on the great path of making our users happy. We can not thank you enough already for this selection. We hope to win. Want to be featured on HackerNoon’s Startups of the Week? Share your startup's story - use this interview template. Want to be featured on HackerNoon’s Startups of the Week? Share your startup's story - use this interview template. Want to be featured on HackerNoon’s Startups of the Week? Share your startup's story - use this interview template . use this interview template use this interview template Featured Startup Specials Package Featured Startup Specials Package HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year is a branding opportunity unlike any other. Whether your goal is brand awareness or lead generation, HackerNoon has curated startup-friendly packages to solve your marketing challenges. Today, we share our Content Marketing package. startup-friendly packages Content Marketing Content Marketing: 10x Distribution! Content Marketing: 10x Distribution! Content Marketing: 10x Distribution! With this package, you’ll get: With this package, you’ll get: Your business page with your logo, introduction, call to action, and socials on HackerNoon 3 stories published on HackerNoon, along with editorial support to enhance their impact.

Your articles are converted into audio stories and distributed via audio RSS feeds
Each story is translated into 12 different languages
Social media promotions of your stories Multiple permanent placements on HackerNoon Your Evergreen Tech Company News Page Your business page with your logo, introduction, call to action, and socials on HackerNoon 3 stories published on HackerNoon, along with editorial support to enhance their impact. Your articles are converted into audio stories and distributed via audio RSS feeds
Each story is translated into 12 different languages
Social media promotions of your stories Your articles are converted into audio stories and distributed via audio RSS feeds Each story is translated into 12 different languages Social media promotions of your stories Your articles are converted into audio stories and distributed via audio RSS feeds Each story is translated into 12 different languages Social media promotions of your stories Multiple permanent placements on HackerNoon Your Evergreen Tech Company News Page Evergreen Tech Company News Page Learn more about this package here or book a meeting with us ! here here book a meeting with us book a meeting with us That’s all we have for you today, folks! Cheers, The HackerNoon Team About HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year Startups of The Year 2024 is HackerNoon’s flagship community-driven event celebrating startups, technology, and the spirit of innovation. Currently in its third iteration, the prestigious Internet award recognizes and celebrates tech startups of all shapes and sizes. This year, over 150,000 entities across 4200+ cities, 6 continents, and 100+ industries will participate in a bid to be crowned the best startup of the year! Millions of votes have been cast over the past few years, and many stories have been written about these daring and rising startups. Startups of The Year 2024 many stories The winners will get a free interview on HackerNoon and an Evergreen Tech Company News page. free interview Evergreen Tech Company News Visit our FAQ page to learn more. FAQ Download our design assets here . here Check out the Startups of the Year Merch Shop here . here HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year is a branding opportunity unlike any other. Whether your goal is brand awareness or lead generation, HackerNoon has curated startup-friendly packages to solve your marketing challenges. startup-friendly packages Meet our sponsors: Meet our sponsors: Wellfound: At Wellfound, we're not just a job board—we're the place where top startup talent and the world's most exciting companies connect to build the future. Wellfound: Notion: Notion is trusted and loved by thousands of startups as their connected workspace—from building product roadmaps to tracking fundraising. Try Notion with unlimited AI, FREE for up to 6 months , to build and scale your company with one powerful tool. Get your offer now ! Notion: Try Notion with unlimited AI, FREE for up to 6 months Get your offer now ! **Hubspot:**If you’re looking for a smart CRM platform that meets the needs of small businesses, look no further than HubSpot. Seamlessly connect your data, teams, and customers in one easy-to-use scalable platform that grows with your business. Bright Data: Startups that leverage public web data can make faster, data-driven decisions, giving them a competitive edge. With Bright Data, businesses can grow from a small operation to an enterprise by harnessing insights at every stage. Bright Data: Algolia: Algolia NeuralSearch is the world's only combining powerful keyword and natural language processing in a single API. Algolia:

Meet Torram Labs, BookForSport & Dealscard: HackerNoon Startups of the Week

Пазнаёмцеся з Torram Labs, BookForSport і Dealscard: стартапы тыдня HackerNoon

Conozca Torram Labs, BookForSport y Dealscard: las startups de la semana de HackerNoon

Ezagutu Torram Labs, BookForSport eta Dealscard: HackerNoon Asteko Startups

הכירו את Torram Labs, BookForSport & Dealscard: HackerNoon סטארט-אפים של השבוע

Torram Labs、BookForSport、Dealscard のご紹介: HackerNoon の今週のスタートアップ

ພົບກັບ Torram Labs, BookForSport & Dealscard: HackerNoon Startups of the Week

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Упознајте Торрам Лабс, БоокФорСпорт & Деалсцард: ХацкерНоон стартапови недеље

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Hlangana ne-Toram Labs, BookForSport & Dealscard: I-HackerNoon Startups yeviki

Imagine you are walking in a very thick forest without a guide map. Every step you take feels like a lucky guess, and there are high chances that you might lose your way. Now, think of a product the user will use, but without the user's experience, it is the same as the forest with no guide map. User mapping has the role of the guide map in the forest, and thus, the designers can easily walk the users through their journey using user mapping. What is User Mapping? 🤔 It is a methodology of visualizing how a person uses a product or service. It helps the designers understand who are the users, what they are doing, and how they feel at each step. Touchpoints are instances of interaction with your product by the users. App registration or button selection is one of the examples. Pain Points are the things that users complain about. For example, it may take too long to load a page, or if a button is hard to find. Why is User Mapping Important? 🌟 Think of it like you are going hiking with a guide map that will guide you about the wrong paths and the faster route. Without it, you are wasting your time and feeling frustrated. The user map does the same; it helps designers to find the problems earlier before they become major issues. For instance, a food delivery app design team during the user mapping process noticed that the user had trouble finding the checkout button. This helped them to quickly identify the pain point and make the necessary changes. Types of User Mapping 🧩 There are different types of User Maps, each with their own goals. It works just like having different maps for different places. Journey Mapping: It is a road map that shows the entire process that one will go through in order to complete a certain task.
Example: A pizza ordering example found out the following: searching the menu, choosing a pizza, adding it to a cart, and getting the purchase completed. Empathy Mapping: It is more about what users think, how they feel, and what they would want at various times of the journey.
For example, people who are using the fitness app may experience irritation or confusion during the first phase of using it. Experience Mapping: It covers everything that includes how users relate to the brand.
Example: A journey of a consumer from the moment of seeing the ad to buying the product online. It shows the bigger picture including the link between the users and the brand. In simple words: The shopper's path from seeing an advertisement to purchasing a product online. Service Blueprinting: It focuses on the internal mechanisms that create the user experience.
Example: The way a delivery company organizes its kitchen, customer care, and drivers to ensure the process keeps running smoothly. Principles of Effective User Mapping 🌟 Empathy First: Think about how users are perceiving and feeling what the situation is about, at every moment. Visualize Simply: Your map should have the same readability and usability as a straight road map. Work as a Team: It is very important to hear from people all over the business, developers, customer support, and designers are all looking at the same thing but from different angles. Focus on Action: Your map should provide every insight that leads you to a clear step to improve the experience. Iterate: User needs are subject to change with time, therefore, constantly update your maps according to feedback. How to Create a User Map 📝 Let's say you are developing an application for people to order their tasks by the day easily. The next step is what user mapping could give your work: Start with Research: Communicate with users, and watch what they are doing. Define Personas: Build up the features of the different users. As an example, we can say that Tom, a busy professional, has to master meetings and deadlines. Choose Your Map: Depending on what you want to know, decide whether you need a journey map, empathy map, or experience map. Map the Journey: Break down each step of the way. In the case of Tom, it’s about opening the app, adding tasks, and checking them off. Refine: Continue developing your map based on the new data and the user feedback you get, as user needs change over time. Therefore, it will be important to monitor and incorporate the feedback you get to make sure you still have the right and updated map. A Day-to-Day Example: Navigating a Coffee Shop App ☕ Consider a typical coffee shop app in which you can pay for your drinks in advance to avoid the hassle. One of the important items that might be discovered after Journey Mapping is the situation when a user leaves the cart because the advertisements are all in the targeted ads till the end. In the case of Empathy Mapping, the developers might denote that users are angry when the app slows down. After the team finds out about these problems, they can solve them by introducing the total cost sooner and the app's speed faster. And that is more effective than making users happy in the long run. How Atomic Design Helps the Mapping Process 🚀 Rapid user mapping and simplified templates can be accomplished purely by atomic design. Let’s say that you already have a library of buttons, navigation bars, and icons that you can bring in from it. The strategy of reusability allows for the use of the same components which you can tune if you need to fulfil the desired outcome and it will save your time accordingly without a big shift. For instance, you can tell a user has trouble with checking out simply because they can't find the representative button. You can in this situation modify one single button for the whole product which will save you time and the layout will be consistent. Final Thoughts: A Smooth Journey Ahead 🌟 User mapping is not just a task but its a complete set of strategy. It’s about the user's path, finding their pain points, and making the user experience as smooth as possible. As you need a map to guide you through the forest, you need a user map to visualize and design your project. The user map is a skill that will help you connect with your users on a deeper level, solving their problems and making the interface of the design more interactive and engaging. Therefore, take your map and start designing the way to achieve success. 🌍 Imagine you are walking in a very thick forest without a guide map. Every step you take feels like a lucky guess, and there are high chances that you might lose your way. Now, think of a product the user will use, but without the user's experience, it is the same as the forest with no guide map. User mapping has the role of the guide map in the forest, and thus, the designers can easily walk the users through their journey using user mapping. What is User Mapping? 🤔 It is a methodology of visualizing how a person uses a product or service. It helps the designers understand who are the users, what they are doing, and how they feel at each step. Touchpoints are instances of interaction with your product by the users. App registration or button selection is one of the examples. Touchpoints are instances of interaction with your product by the users. App registration or button selection is one of the examples. Pain Points are the things that users complain about. For example, it may take too long to load a page, or if a button is hard to find. Pain Points are the things that users complain about. For example, it may take too long to load a page, or if a button is hard to find. Why is User Mapping Important? 🌟 Why is User Mapping Important? 🌟 Think of it like you are going hiking with a guide map that will guide you about the wrong paths and the faster route. Without it, you are wasting your time and feeling frustrated. The user map does the same; it helps designers to find the problems earlier before they become major issues. For instance, a food delivery app design team during the user mapping process noticed that the user had trouble finding the checkout button. This helped them to quickly identify the pain point and make the necessary changes. Types of User Mapping 🧩 There are different types of User Maps, each with their own goals. It works just like having different maps for different places. Journey Mapping: It is a road map that shows the entire process that one will go through in order to complete a certain task.
Example: A pizza ordering example found out the following: searching the menu, choosing a pizza, adding it to a cart, and getting the purchase completed. Journey Mapping: It is a road map that shows the entire process that one will go through in order to complete a certain task. Example: A pizza ordering example found out the following: searching the menu, choosing a pizza, adding it to a cart, and getting the purchase completed. Journey Mapping: It is a road map that shows the entire process that one will go through in order to complete a certain task. Journey Mapping: Example: A pizza ordering example found out the following: searching the menu, choosing a pizza, adding it to a cart, and getting the purchase completed. Example: A pizza ordering example found out the following: searching the menu, choosing a pizza, adding it to a cart, and getting the purchase completed. Empathy Mapping: It is more about what users think, how they feel, and what they would want at various times of the journey.
For example, people who are using the fitness app may experience irritation or confusion during the first phase of using it. Empathy Mapping: It is more about what users think, how they feel, and what they would want at various times of the journey. For example, people who are using the fitness app may experience irritation or confusion during the first phase of using it. Empathy Mapping: It is more about what users think, how they feel, and what they would want at various times of the journey. Empathy Mapping: For example, people who are using the fitness app may experience irritation or confusion during the first phase of using it. For example, people who are using the fitness app may experience irritation or confusion during the first phase of using it. Experience Mapping: It covers everything that includes how users relate to the brand.
Example: A journey of a consumer from the moment of seeing the ad to buying the product online. It shows the bigger picture including the link between the users and the brand. In simple words: The shopper's path from seeing an advertisement to purchasing a product online. Experience Mapping: It covers everything that includes how users relate to the brand. Example: A journey of a consumer from the moment of seeing the ad to buying the product online. It shows the bigger picture including the link between the users and the brand. In simple words: The shopper's path from seeing an advertisement to purchasing a product online. Experience Mapping : It covers everything that includes how users relate to the brand. Experience Mapping Example: A journey of a consumer from the moment of seeing the ad to buying the product online. It shows the bigger picture including the link between the users and the brand. In simple words: The shopper's path from seeing an advertisement to purchasing a product online. Example: A journey of a consumer from the moment of seeing the ad to buying the product online. It shows the bigger picture including the link between the users and the brand. In simple words: The shopper's path from seeing an advertisement to purchasing a product online. Service Blueprinting: It focuses on the internal mechanisms that create the user experience.
Example: The way a delivery company organizes its kitchen, customer care, and drivers to ensure the process keeps running smoothly. Service Blueprinting: It focuses on the internal mechanisms that create the user experience. Example: The way a delivery company organizes its kitchen, customer care, and drivers to ensure the process keeps running smoothly. Service Blueprinting: It focuses on the internal mechanisms that create the user experience. Service Blueprinting: Example: The way a delivery company organizes its kitchen, customer care, and drivers to ensure the process keeps running smoothly. Example: The way a delivery company organizes its kitchen, customer care, and drivers to ensure the process keeps running smoothly. Principles of Effective User Mapping 🌟 Empathy First: Think about how users are perceiving and feeling what the situation is about, at every moment. Empathy First: Think about how users are perceiving and feeling what the situation is about, at every moment. Empathy First: Visualize Simply: Your map should have the same readability and usability as a straight road map. Visualize Simply: Your map should have the same readability and usability as a straight road map. Visualize Simply: Work as a Team: It is very important to hear from people all over the business, developers, customer support, and designers are all looking at the same thing but from different angles. Work as a Team: It is very important to hear from people all over the business, developers, customer support, and designers are all looking at the same thing but from different angles. Work as a Team: Focus on Action: Your map should provide every insight that leads you to a clear step to improve the experience. Focus on Action: Your map should provide every insight that leads you to a clear step to improve the experience. Focus on Action: Iterate: User needs are subject to change with time, therefore, constantly update your maps according to feedback. Iterate: User needs are subject to change with time, therefore, constantly update your maps according to feedback. Iterate: How to Create a User Map 📝 Let's say you are developing an application for people to order their tasks by the day easily. The next step is what user mapping could give your work: Start with Research: Communicate with users, and watch what they are doing. Start with Research: Communicate with users, and watch what they are doing. Start with Research: Define Personas: Build up the features of the different users. As an example, we can say that Tom, a busy professional, has to master meetings and deadlines. Define Personas: Build up the features of the different users. As an example, we can say that Tom, a busy professional, has to master meetings and deadlines. Define Personas: Choose Your Map: Depending on what you want to know, decide whether you need a journey map, empathy map, or experience map. Choose Your Map: Depending on what you want to know, decide whether you need a journey map, empathy map, or experience map. Choose Your Map: Map the Journey: Break down each step of the way. In the case of Tom, it’s about opening the app, adding tasks, and checking them off. Map the Journey: Break down each step of the way. In the case of Tom, it’s about opening the app, adding tasks, and checking them off. Map the Journey: Refine: Continue developing your map based on the new data and the user feedback you get, as user needs change over time. Therefore, it will be important to monitor and incorporate the feedback you get to make sure you still have the right and updated map. Refine: Continue developing your map based on the new data and the user feedback you get, as user needs change over time. Therefore, it will be important to monitor and incorporate the feedback you get to make sure you still have the right and updated map. Refine: A Day-to-Day Example: Navigating a Coffee Shop App ☕ Consider a typical coffee shop app in which you can pay for your drinks in advance to avoid the hassle. One of the important items that might be discovered after Journey Mapping is the situation when a user leaves the cart because the advertisements are all in the targeted ads till the end. One of the important items that might be discovered after Journey Mapping is the situation when a user leaves the cart because the advertisements are all in the targeted ads till the end. In the case of Empathy Mapping, the developers might denote that users are angry when the app slows down. After the team finds out about these problems, they can solve them by introducing the total cost sooner and the app's speed faster. And that is more effective than making users happy in the long run. In the case of Empathy Mapping, the developers might denote that users are angry when the app slows down. After the team finds out about these problems, they can solve them by introducing the total cost sooner and the app's speed faster. And that is more effective than making users happy in the long run. How Atomic Design Helps the Mapping Process 🚀 Atomic Design Rapid user mapping and simplified templates can be accomplished purely by atomic design. Let’s say that you already have a library of buttons, navigation bars, and icons that you can bring in from it. The strategy of reusability allows for the use of the same components which you can tune if you need to fulfil the desired outcome and it will save your time accordingly without a big shift. For instance, you can tell a user has trouble with checking out simply because they can't find the representative button. You can in this situation modify one single button for the whole product which will save you time and the layout will be consistent. Final Thoughts: A Smooth Journey Ahead 🌟 User mapping is not just a task but its a complete set of strategy. It’s about the user's path, finding their pain points, and making the user experience as smooth as possible. As you need a map to guide you through the forest, you need a user map to visualize and design your project. The user map is a skill that will help you connect with your users on a deeper level, solving their problems and making the interface of the design more interactive and engaging. Therefore, take your map and start designing the way to achieve success. 🌍

Understanding the Importance of User Mapping in UI/UX Design 🗺️

Startups of The Year: Meet the Cybersecurity Industry

One of the biggest developments among New Hollywood streaming services consists of the growth of advertising tiers, or ad-supported plans that cost less than ad-free options. The growth of ad-supported tiers in streaming services has been significant, with many platforms seeing a large portion of their new subscribers opting for these cheaper, ad-based plans. This trend is driven by rising subscription costs, making ad-supported plans an appealing alternative for consumers looking to save money. In 2024, the majority of new subscribers for several streaming platforms chose ad-supported plans. For instance, 74% of new Peacock subscribers chose the ad-supported tier, up from 70% in 2023, and 58% of new Disney+ subscribers opted for the ad-supported tier, a significant increase from earlier years. In November 2022, Netflix announced the launch of its own ad-supported tier, and Amazon did the same for Prime Video in January 2024. Both companies have taken very different approaches that speak volumes to their content monetization strategies. The Netflix Approach: Your Choice When Netflix introduced its ad-supported tier two years ago, the company gave subscribers a choice: keep the current tier with no ads, or switch to the ad-supported tier and pay less. Stay with the existing plan or trade it in for a more affordable option. Since then, Netflix reports that its ad-supported tier reaches more than 70 million monthly active users globally, and over 50% of new members are opting for the ads plan where available. Netflix expects its ad revenue to double in 2025, albeit from a relatively small base, and has already sold out its ad inventory for two Christmas Day NFL games set to air in 2024. Amazon: Level Up or Pay Up When Amazon launched ads on Prime Video in January 2024, it gave subscribers an unpleasant surprise: stick with the existing plan and experience ads or pay $2.99 more a month to go ad-free. This was especially contentious because Prime Video subscribers typically pay $139 per year for Amazon Prime, which includes access to Prime Video.The change prompted user backlash. But so far, Amazon reports that customer churn has been lower than expected and that only about 15% of users have opted to pay the additional $2.99 per month for an ad-free experience. __Hub Entertainment Research found__no measurable impact on overall subscription rates after the ad rollout, and Prime Video’s share of U.S. streaming customers increased from 55% in Q4 2023 to 57% in Q1 2024. Amazon recently decided to shut down the ad-supported Freevee channel and integrate ad-supported content directly into Prime Video rather than across multiple platforms. This reflects a competitive strategy to centralize efforts and focus investments, allowing Amazon to better compete with other streaming giants. Which Approach Works: Netflix’s or Amazon’s? One might conclude that it doesn’t matter whether you deliver a subpar user experience—people may tolerate being forced into a plan they did not ask for, similar to shoppers being directed to self-service lanes at retail stores. That might be true, but the bigger takeaway from Amazon’s perspective is the power of bundling services within the Prime membership. Prime Video subscribers are willing to tolerate some level of inconvenience because they are already invested in the broader Prime ecosystem. Netflix needs to grow subscribers to please advertisers. For Amazon, the end game is different: drive Prime membership. Prime members spend more than non-Prime members. Amazon figures, What’s an additional $2.99 a month to members who are already accustomed to paying more to get all the perks that come with a Prime membership? The Battleground for Netflix and Amazon: Live Sports The real battleground for all ad-supported tiers, including Netflix and Amazon, focuses on live sports. The live sports industry is the last bastion of linear TV viewing. But the world is changing fast. About half of U.S. audiences no longer pay for cable TV or other traditional pay TV services, according to Insider Intelligence. About four out of 10 viewers mainly consume sports content through ad-supported CTV platforms or social media, according to Trade Desk’s Future of TV Report. Streaming services have been gobbling up live sports content over the past few years, ranging from Amazon’s and Peacock’s deals to stream NFL games to Netflix acquiring rights for the WWE. And competition is heating up. Netflix is a relative newcomer to live sports but is catching up quickly, as shown in its NFL Christmas Day broadcasts. But the company is making strides. Only a few months after Netflix dipped its toes into live sports, the company signed a $5 billion deal to become the exclusive home of WWE’s Raw from January 2025 onward in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Latin America. This means the WWE’s flagship show will leave traditional television for the first time in 31 years. Amazon, meanwhile, is flexing its retail and advertising strength by combining live sports with shoppable ads during NFL’s Thursday Night Football and Black Friday game that Amazon launched in 2023. On November 29, Amazon will stream its second annual Black Friday game featuring Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs against the Las Vegas Raiders. Beginning in 2025, Amazon will also stream NBA games on Black Friday, creating an NFL-NBA doubleheader. A Black Friday game in either the NFL or NBA is a particularly interesting gamble. Amazon’s inaugural Black Friday NFL game was not exactly a ratings bonanza on the biggest shopping day of the year. As the ratings for the 2023 game shows, there’s no guarantee a game will be engaging enough to hold viewers’ attention especially on a day when pro football and basketball have been traditionally absent. Still, Amazon is betting on success by integrating shoppable TV, enabling viewers to make purchases right from their screens. By merging entertainment and ecommerce, Amazon will offer exclusive deals on items like NFL gear during the games. This feature is designed to enhance the shopping experience, catering to viewers who are already hunting for deals. Additionally, the NFL will gain exposure to Prime’s 200 million global subscribers, along with corporate sponsors who opt to advertise during the broadcasts. But it’s not just about shopping. Amazon is using AI to create a richer, more interactive viewing experience. Its Prime Vision stream showcases advanced statistics and analytics powered by Next Gen Stats, allowing fans to access real-time player data and game strategies. This makes the broadcast more dynamic and engaging for sports fans. Netflix or Amazon? Considerations for Advertisers Of course, advertisers need to consider myriad factors when choosing any streaming platform, including costs, ad formats, and desired audiences. Here are some additional considerations to keep in mind based on Netflix’s and Amazon’s approaches to their ad tiers. Experiment with Contextual and Interactive Ads in Sports Content With live sports emerging as a key battleground, advertisers should tap into opportunities for shoppable, contextual, or interactive ads on platforms that feature sports. Amazon’s integration of shoppable ads in NFL games shows the potential for highly engaging ad formats in sports content, appealing to viewers who expect action and interaction. Assess Long-Term Brand Impact of Forced Ads The backlash Amazon faced suggests that a forced ad experience, without clear user choice, can erode brand perception. In the shor tun, advertisers should carefully weigh the potential benefits of reaching Prime Video’s vast audience against the potential for negative brand associations. For certain brands, aligning with Netflix’s user-friendly model may better protect brand sentiment. But in time, audiences will grow accustomed Amazon’s approach, and audiences won’t remember the initial user backlash. Align with Audience Expectations on Each Platform Since Amazon relies on its Prime bundle to retain viewers, advertisers could use it to reach a broader, more commercially engaged audience. However, this audience might be more tolerant of product-centered ads rather than disruptive or intrusive formats. Tailoring ad formats to match each platform's distinct user expectations will enhance brand effectiveness and avoid alienating viewers. Adapt to Consolidation in Streaming and Build Agile Campaigns With Amazon and other companies consolidating ad-supported content within a single platform, advertisers should remain agile, adapting campaigns quickly as platform strategies shift. Having flexible, cross-platform campaigns allows advertisers to reach users effectively, regardless of changes in streaming service structures. Amazon and Netflix are only two players (albeit big ones) in an increasingly crowded sea of streaming companies. The above recommendations, though, give you a sense of some of the factors involved in navigating different platforms with their own approaches. One of the biggest developments among New Hollywood streaming services consists of the growth of advertising tiers, or ad-supported plans that cost less than ad-free options. The growth of ad-supported tiers in streaming services has been significant, with many platforms seeing a large portion of their new subscribers opting for these cheaper, ad-based plans. This trend is driven by rising subscription costs, making ad-supported plans an appealing alternative for consumers looking to save money. In 2024, the majority of new subscribers for several streaming platforms chose ad-supported plans. For instance, 74% of new Peacock subscribers chose the ad-supported tier, up from 70% in 2023, and 58% of new Disney+ subscribers opted for the ad-supported tier, a significant increase from earlier years. 74% of new Peacock subscribers 74% of new Peacock subscribers 58% of new Disney+ subscribers 58% of new Disney+ subscribers In November 2022, Netflix announced the launch of its own ad-supported tier, and Amazon did the same for Prime Video in January 2024. Both companies have taken very different approaches that speak volumes to their content monetization strategies. The Netflix Approach: Your Choice When Netflix introduced its ad-supported tier two years ago, the company gave subscribers a choice: keep the current tier with no ads, or switch to the ad-supported tier and pay less. Stay with the existing plan or trade it in for a more affordable option. Since then, Netflix reports that its ad-supported tier reaches more than 70 million monthly active users globally , and over 50% of new members are opting for the ads plan where available. 70 million monthly active users globally 70 million monthly active users globally Netflix expects its ad revenue to double in 2025, albeit from a relatively small base, and has already sold out its ad inventory for two Christmas Day NFL games set to air in 2024 . two Christmas Day NFL games set to air in 2024 two Christmas Day NFL games set to air in 2024 Amazon: Level Up or Pay Up When Amazon launched ads on Prime Video in January 2024, it gave subscribers an unpleasant surprise: stick with the existing plan and experience ads or pay $2.99 more a month to go ad-free. This was especially contentious because Prime Video subscribers typically pay $139 per year for Amazon Prime, which includes access to Prime Video. The change prompted user backlash. But so far, Amazon reports that customer churn has been lower than expected and that only about 15% of users have opted to pay the additional $2.99 per month for an ad-free experience. __ Hub Entertainment Research found __no measurable impact on overall subscription rates after the ad rollout, and Prime Video’s share of U.S. streaming customers increased from 55% in Q4 2023 to 57% in Q1 2024. Hub Entertainment Research found Amazon recently decided to shut down the ad-supported Freevee channel and integrate ad-supported content directly into Prime Video rather than across multiple platforms. This reflects a competitive strategy to centralize efforts and focus investments, allowing Amazon to better compete with other streaming giants. shut down the ad-supported Freevee channel shut down the ad-supported Freevee channel Which Approach Works: Netflix’s or Amazon’s? One might conclude that it doesn’t matter whether you deliver a subpar user experience—people may tolerate being forced into a plan they did not ask for, similar to shoppers being directed to self-service lanes at retail stores. That might be true, but the bigger takeaway from Amazon’s perspective is the power of bundling services within the Prime membership. Prime Video subscribers are willing to tolerate some level of inconvenience because they are already invested in the broader Prime ecosystem. Netflix needs to grow subscribers to please advertisers. For Amazon, the end game is different: drive Prime membership. Prime members spend more than non-Prime members . Amazon figures, What’s an additional $2.99 a month to members who are already accustomed to paying more to get all the perks that come with a Prime membership? Prime members spend more than non-Prime members Prime members spend more than non-Prime members The Battleground for Netflix and Amazon: Live Sports The real battleground for all ad-supported tiers, including Netflix and Amazon, focuses on live sports. The live sports industry is the last bastion of linear TV viewing. But the world is changing fast. About half of U.S. audiences no longer pay for cable TV or other traditional pay TV services , according to Insider Intelligence. About four out of 10 viewers mainly consume sports content through ad-supported CTV platforms or social media , according to Trade Desk’s Future of TV Report. About half of U.S. audiences no longer pay for cable TV or other traditional pay TV services About half of U.S. audiences no longer pay for cable TV or other traditional pay TV services About four out of 10 viewers mainly consume sports content through ad-supported CTV platforms or social media About four out of 10 viewers mainly consume sports content through ad-supported CTV platforms or social media Streaming services have been gobbling up live sports content over the past few years, ranging from Amazon’s and Peacock’s deals to stream NFL games to Netflix acquiring rights for the WWE. And competition is heating up. Netflix is a relative newcomer to live sports but is catching up quickly, as shown in its NFL Christmas Day broadcasts. But the company is making strides. Only a few months after Netflix dipped its toes into live sports, the company signed a $5 billion deal to become the exclusive home of WWE’s Raw from January 2025 onward in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Latin America. This means the WWE’s flagship show will leave traditional television for the first time in 31 years. signed a $5 billion deal signed a $5 billion deal Raw Amazon, meanwhile, is flexing its retail and advertising strength by combining live sports with shoppable ads during NFL’s Thursday Night Football and Black Friday game that Amazon launched in 2023. Thursday Night Football Thursday Night Football On November 29, Amazon will stream its second annual Black Friday game featuring Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs against the Las Vegas Raiders. Beginning in 2025, Amazon will also stream NBA games on Black Friday, creating an NFL-NBA doubleheader. A Black Friday game in either the NFL or NBA is a particularly interesting gamble. Amazon’s inaugural Black Friday NFL game was not exactly a ratings bonanza on the biggest shopping day of the year. As the ratings for the 2023 game shows, there’s no guarantee a game will be engaging enough to hold viewers’ attention especially on a day when pro football and basketball have been traditionally absent. Still, Amazon is betting on success by integrating shoppable TV, enabling viewers to make purchases right from their screens. By merging entertainment and ecommerce, Amazon will offer exclusive deals on items like NFL gear during the games. This feature is designed to enhance the shopping experience, catering to viewers who are already hunting for deals. Additionally, the NFL will gain exposure to Prime’s 200 million global subscribers, along with corporate sponsors who opt to advertise during the broadcasts. But it’s not just about shopping. Amazon is using AI to create a richer, more interactive viewing experience. Its Prime Vision stream showcases advanced statistics and analytics powered by Next Gen Stats, allowing fans to access real-time player data and game strategies. This makes the broadcast more dynamic and engaging for sports fans. Netflix or Amazon? Considerations for Advertisers Of course, advertisers need to consider myriad factors when choosing any streaming platform, including costs, ad formats, and desired audiences. Here are some additional considerations to keep in mind based on Netflix’s and Amazon’s approaches to their ad tiers. Experiment with Contextual and Interactive Ads in Sports Content Experiment with Contextual and Interactive Ads in Sports Content With live sports emerging as a key battleground, advertisers should tap into opportunities for shoppable, contextual, or interactive ads on platforms that feature sports. Amazon’s integration of shoppable ads in NFL games shows the potential for highly engaging ad formats in sports content, appealing to viewers who expect action and interaction. Assess Long-Term Brand Impact of Forced Ads Assess Long-Term Brand Impact of Forced Ads The backlash Amazon faced suggests that a forced ad experience, without clear user choice, can erode brand perception. In the shor tun, advertisers should carefully weigh the potential benefits of reaching Prime Video’s vast audience against the potential for negative brand associations. For certain brands, aligning with Netflix’s user-friendly model may better protect brand sentiment. But in time, audiences will grow accustomed Amazon’s approach, and audiences won’t remember the initial user backlash. Align with Audience Expectations on Each Platform Align with Audience Expectations on Each Platform Since Amazon relies on its Prime bundle to retain viewers, advertisers could use it to reach a broader, more commercially engaged audience. However, this audience might be more tolerant of product-centered ads rather than disruptive or intrusive formats. Tailoring ad formats to match each platform's distinct user expectations will enhance brand effectiveness and avoid alienating viewers. Adapt to Consolidation in Streaming and Build Agile Campaigns Adapt to Consolidation in Streaming and Build Agile Campaigns With Amazon and other companies consolidating ad-supported content within a single platform, advertisers should remain agile, adapting campaigns quickly as platform strategies shift. Having flexible, cross-platform campaigns allows advertisers to reach users effectively, regardless of changes in streaming service structures. Amazon and Netflix are only two players (albeit big ones) in an increasingly crowded sea of streaming companies. The above recommendations, though, give you a sense of some of the factors involved in navigating different platforms with their own approaches.

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