The Popularity of Online Video

October 10th, 2011

In the early days of online video, it was mainly marketing and advertising companies that used this format for promotion and training, but now companies in all fields are using this medium to educate staff, clients and promote their services.   The reduction in video production costs in recent years has led to more and more companies opting for video production each year.  It is estimated that not only will most companies have some form of video online by 2013, but that around 25% of the total content viewed online will be in the form of images.

Business Benefits of Online Video

It is considered that websites which have video content available for staff and clients will rank higher in search engine listings than websites that do not.  In medical video production that is aimed at patients this has the benefit of attracting more potential patients, essential for private hospitals.

It is also estimated that web users who look at sites that have video will spend more time on that particular site, ensuring that the other content there will not be ignored.   Companies which are advertising a particular product or service and have video content on their website consistently have higher sales than those that do not.  For some companies it can mean doubling of sales figures.

Increased Respect for Online Video

In recent years there has been an increase in the amount of respect that has been given to online video, as companies have experienced first-hand the benefits that it brings.  Companies that need to train their staff have saved money as they have been able to train staff without work stopping for long periods of time.  Training video production is one of the largest areas for online videos and many companies now use this as their main training format, with face to face training sessions used as a back-up.

Those who have needed training have welcomed the new technology with open arms.  Training video production has changed the way that people can study, work and improve their skills without eating into their daily lives too much.  It is estimated that a 15 minute video can pass on the same amount of information as a 45 minute face to face presentation, which can save a company time and money in the long term.

For a number of years online video had little respect as it was mainly humorous video but the genre is now being taken much more seriously.  Growth is expected over the next few years as it is estimated that more than 80% of web users will watch a video online at least once a month.