Choosing a Web Host Who's Priority is Streaming Video

Businesses of all sizes are increasingly turning to using video streamed on the web as a way of interacting with their customers, and with the availability of cheap but powerful video editing software and affordable camcorders and webcams that produce high quality video and sound, it is now possible for even small businesses to create effective streaming video content at a relatively low cost.

There is one problem though...

Video files are typically quite large in comparison to other website files such as text and graphics and can consume a huge amount of bandwidth. They can place a heavy burden on a website server and chew up your monthly bandwidth allocation in a very short period of time.

Because most of us do not have unlimited web space (or bandwidth) the solution is to use a dedicated video hosting service (This is becoming more and more popular, especially with the explosion in popularity of blogs and other interactive sites).

To avoid problems it makes sense to store and distribute these video files from a separate server - in effect renting the space on a video hosting server provided by a company that specializes in streaming. A streaming service server is purpose built and optimized for serving video and audio files, and there are both paid and free services each suited for a different purpose.

Free Video Hosting:

Free video hosting (or more appropriately sharing) sites are designed for sharing regular content with friends and the wider community. The videos you upload on Youtube for example become part of that site's content.Are they really free?

Yes and no - someone still has to pay the running expenses. In all free video sharing models the cost of hosting your video is paid for by advertising. This can be banner ads and context ads placed around your video on the site, or actually displayed as part of your video as a popup.

This is ok for basic fun videos and getting the word out to the masses, and is a good start for attracting new visitors to your website, although it does have a number of drawbacks.

No control over your content, your competitor's advertisements showing over your content, and linking to other content that may be less than suitable for your audience are all risks you take when using a free service. Your account can also be shut down at any time if your material does not comply (for example if your work is deemed to be advertising or the powers that be just don't like it). Also there can be speed issues on these sites during peak periods when traffic is high resulting in slow loading of your video which can turn off some viewers.

Paid Services:

A paid streaming video service is different in the sense that your material is unmarked by any advertising (unless you choose to incorporate your own). Users typically have complete control over their material, where it is placed, what video format they want to use, size quality etc (and even if they want to charge money for their viewers to see it). A web host who's priority is streaming video should give you the flexibility of all the above and the support to make it all work should you encounter any difficulties along the way. In short if you are serious about making video work for you then a paid service offers more options and control.

A winning formula.

Large video sharing sites like Youtube are visited by thousands of viewers every day, and for this reason it makes sense to utilize it as a powerful tool to attract visitors.

Here's how it works:

Use the free services to post your introduction/promotion videos and include the url to your website in the video itself as a way of directing viewers to go to your own website. Yes you will have competition and all the distractions, but that is going to always be there on free sites so like the rest of us, try to concentrate on producing a great video teaser to attract your customer and inspire them to visit your site.

Then use a paid service to host your important content that will play on your site.

This will achieve a number of things.

Firstly it will keep your visitors on your site longer without the distraction of your competitor's ads showing.

Secondly your video will stay on your site permanently without the danger of your content suddenly disappearing.

And thirdly your site will look far more professional and provide a better viewing experience for your visitors.

Remember, the work you put in now to set up your streaming video correctly will pay dividends in the long term. How your video is delivered to your viewers will often make the difference between them staying and making a decision to purchase from you or go elsewhere.

May you experience success.

Mark Spivey is the owner of Speeding Pullet Web Hosting and Design who specializes in assisting newbies to develop a presence on the internet, with expertise knowledge and service in streaming video. You can find more helpful streaming video resources by visiting his website at http://www.thespeedingpullet.com