Need help adding Video to website

[DoubleDee]

Based on some past failures with client's websites, and with the realization that just having a nice HTML website isn't enough, I want to learn how to add Audio and Video to my personal website.

But I have no clue of where to begin?!

It would be nice to add a couple of simple, yet professional looking videos to my website.

Specifically, I would like to do "Customer Testimonials", because I think that would really help me to establish rapport and trust with potential customers. (In addition, having audio or videos would "spice things up" a bit too!)

Here is hoping that you don't say, "Go buy $10,000 in video and editing equipment" or "Go hire a Hollywood producer"?!

On one hand, adding audio and video to my website will probably require A LOT of work, but then again, think of how many 14 year old kids out there get on nationwide TV and become rich and famous for the most obnoxious YouTube videos...

Can someone help get me started?

Sincerely,


Debbie

[ralph.m]

I am hoping that people won't say, "Go buy $10,000 in video and editing equipment" or "Go hire a Hollywood producer"?!

Go buy a cheap video camera (preferably digital), take your video, import onto your computer and edit with iMovie (should already be on your Mac), then click Share to upload it straight to YouTube. Then embed it into your web page. Easy. And cheap.

[DoubleDee]

Go buy a cheap video camera (preferably digital), take your video, import onto your computer and edit with iMovie (should already be on your Mac), then click Share to upload it straight to YouTube. Then embed it into your web page. Easy. And cheap.

If I give $20 Aussie dollars, will you do it for me?!

Back in the "old days", websites had Flash (??) videos that would play when you visited the website. (I guess sites still do that with advertisements.)

Not sure if people will find that obnoxious or not?!

I was thinking of interviewing a customer or prop person on a topic that relates to my business. For example, maybe there would be a 200px by 200px "video" of some female talking about how incorporating her business was a great idea. People would see the lady talking, and hopefully think, "Hmmm... let me turn on the sound and see what she is talking about?!"

Don't you think that would make my website more interesting?


Debbie

[Max Height]

Off Topic:

I was thinking of interviewing a customer or prop person on a topic that relates to my business. For example, maybe there would be a 200px by 200px "video" of some female talking about how incorporating her business was a great idea. People would see the lady talking, and hopefully think, "Hmmm... let me turn on the sound and see what she is talking about?!"

If you want to add video customer testimonials, certainly do it as cheaply as possible because, and no offence, personally I think unverifiable testimonials on any website are a waste of time.

Think about it - have you ever seen a bad testimonial on a website? And it's nearly impossible to determine if the testimonials are genuine and truthful, let alone just "cash for comment".

just my

[ralph.m]

Like Max above, I don't find testimonial vids very interesting. They are really ads, as they can say anything they like, and who wants to watch an ad? What I really do like on sites these days are intro videos that give a demo of the product being sold. These can be very handy, and are more engaging that a long series of paragraphs trying to do the same. There are some really nice ones out there. If you like, check out this one on the goodsie website (it's the demo video, in the center down near the bottom of the home page, which seems a little silly to me, but o well ...)

If I give $20 Aussie dollars, will you do it for me?!

Add a capital K and I'll think about it.

[DoubleDee]

Like Max above, I don't find testimonial vids very interesting. They are really ads, as they can say anything they like, and who wants to watch an ad? What I really do like on sites these days are intro videos that give a demo of the product being sold. These can be very handy, and are more engaging that a long series of paragraphs trying to do the same. There are some really nice ones out there. If you like, check out this one on the goodsie website (it's the demo video, in the center down near the bottom of the home page, which seems a little silly to me, but o well ...)




Add a capital K and I'll think about it.

Well, Ralph, if you sing, "My heart is beating like a jungle drum.. JA BOM BA BOOM JA <whatever>", I just might...


Debbie

[DoubleDee]

Here are some samples that I found online which represent what I had in mind...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJJT6P-GxCE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bESyf...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwULL...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXE8lHhbC8s

Sincerely,


Debbie

[ralph.m]

Here are some samples that I found online which represent what I had in mind...

You could do all (or most) of that with iMovie, but they are using nice cameras (and camera work) there, so you will probably get much lesser quality with a cheaper camera and cheaper mics etc.

[Max Height]

Perhaps someone could run a poll in a thread to get a guesstimate of what people think of video/audio testimonials on a website and whether they would watch/listen to them. My gut feeling is that the vast majority would say they would not watch and/or listen to a testimonial on a website whose main purpose is not to get people to watch videos in general.

If the testimonial was on something like youtube, then that might be different because people go to youtube type sites to actually watch videos.

Personally, I see testimonials (written, video, audio) that can't be verified by a visitor as parasites on a web page

[kohoutek]

Wonderful post, ServerStorm.

[ServerStorm]

Wonderful post, ServerStorm.

Thank you