Does Your Site Need to Add Video? Miami FL

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Originally published at Internet.com

And, if so, is a video content provider right for you? There are several services around that let you add videos to an established site, but what do you get for your money? And do they create a better user experience?

With the rise of viral video, we've seen several services emerge that let users put videos on their site's pages, promising to deliver some YouTube-style flash and help sites get more hits. So are they worth the investment? We spoke to Jim Kaskade, the president and CEO of Eyespot, one such service.

Kaskade notes that even though video use on the Web has been increasing, a small number of sites are driving most of the traffic. For smaller sites to complete, he believes, they'll need to add video.

"If you don't deploy video as part of your online strategy, you will fail," said Kaskade.

In order for smaller sites with limited resources to compete, they can partner with Eyespot and begin offering video within a day. Eyespot offers an integrated experience, so that it doesn't look like you're simply hosting videos from other sites and you won't drive traffic away.

The Eyespot Experience
With Eyespot, site creators can call upon a large library of video content and place videos where they'll work best on the site. They can place specific videos on story pages, or put updated lists of popular videos on section pages.

Eyespot has a library of over 1 million videos, music tracks, and photos that users can access. Kaskade couldn't say exactly how much of that library was video, but promised that the number is well over half.

Advanced features include the ability to let site visitors upload their own videos (with no storage restrictions) and remix videos. You site can make money from ads, but only with Eyespot's pro account.

For remixing, site visitors get a basic timeline application where they can mix video clips even if they're in different formats, as well as music and photos, all with drag-and-drop simplicity. They can also add transitions and other effects, then save their work to the desktop when finished.

Two Levels of Service
Eyespot offers two member plans, and users will quickly discover that the promises of easy monetization aren't quite that simple. The basic plan is free, and that lets you add any Eyespot videos to your site. The videos will have overlay ads, but you don't get a share of the money. Videos uploaded to your site will be shared with Eyespot and other Eyespot partners.

The pro account carries a monthly fee of between $2,500 and $4,000, depending on what advanced functionality you want to offer your viewers. You get more control here, as videos uploaded from your site won't be shared with other sites. You also get to keep some of the advertising revenue. If you have Eyespot find and run the ads, you'll get 50 percent of the revenue. You can keep all the revenue, however, if you sell and insert your own ads. Doing so requires using DoubleClick's DART platform.

Visit Eyepsot to view partner sites and see how others are integrating video with their content. With easy implementation and no startup costs for basic use, Eyespot could be just the thing you need to add video to a static site.