Online video is an exciting development for people who use the Internet. Video allows you to communicate types of information and meaning in ways that the written word cannot always accomplish, including through the use of sound, pictures, and of course lots of moving images. Some of the reasons video is so exciting include:

Video is empowering. It can allow you to communicate subtle messages about yourself or your products and services in creative ways that sometimes the written word cannot. And, with video you can "talk" to just about anybody on the planet who has an Internet connection.

Video is inspiring. Over the past few years, how many cool videos have you received from others, viewed, said "wow" and sent to 10 or more of your friends? This is called "going viral," and 1-3% of videos published achieve some sort of viral status. Sure, not every video goes viral, but you can safely say that those that did have changed other people's lives in some small way. Whether a certain video is meant to inspire, surprise, impress, inform, or entertain, really good videos change all of our lives in small, meaningful ways.

Video is inexpensive to create and free to view: You no longer need to be a professional filmmaker to create your own, high-quality videos. There are 20 - 30 very good video editing packages available today. You can buy one and download it to your computer immediately or order a CD to be shipped to your home or business.

Here are some tips for how to make simple videos for the Web:

1. Keep it short - 5 minutes or less: Most video sites like YouTube have a maximum of 10 minutes, so keep your videos no longer than 9 and change. However, you may have a better chance of getting your message across in an impactful way if you keep your video even shorter than that. Sometimes, shorter is better. I recommend keeping it to 5 minutes, especially if your video is of a promotional or marketing nature. You don't want people to lose interest and turn it off before getting to your call to action (i.e., telling them what they should do next, like call you or visit your website).

2. Put together a rough storyboard or script: Begin with the end in mind. This is as true for video production as it is for writing an essay or a book. Don't worry: having a plan won't stifle your creativity. In fact, having a good structure in place can actually free you up to be more creative.

3. Keep your goal in mind: You will have to make 50 - 100 "micro-decisions" along the way during the creation of your video. Each time you do, let your creativity guide you. But, at least as importantly, make sure to ask yourself at each step, "Does this decision bring me closer to or further away from achieving the overall goal of my video?"

4. Capture your video: Okay, the planning phase is over - time to capture your video. You have two primary ways to do this: a. capture your screen, or b. capture raw footage with a video camera. (A third way is to splice together video clips made by other people.)

5. Edit your video: Make sure you have access to a good piece of video editing software. The basic approach is to first import the various media you have created, such as video captured from your camera or computer screen,.mp3 or other sound files, etc. Then, you just need to drag each piece of media down to the area where you can link it all together and add captions, sub-titles, etc. Your software will show you a timeline so you know how much time each segment will take. Once you are finished editing your video, convert it to a Web-friendly format like.swf or.avi files.

6. Upload your video: Be sure to upload your video to multiple video hosting sites. Don't stop at YouTube, for goodness sake! There are tons of other sites to choose from. Upload to all of them - each one will get you more view and more traffic.

If you are looking for how to make simple videos for the Web, familiarize yourself with these simple tips first. And, when it comes to uploading your video, don't shortchange yourself: upload to lots of different sites.