Host your own video or use a third party?
If you’re interested in hosting videos on your site one of the first questions you must address is where you will host them. Your first instinct may lead you to one of the popular video sharing sites such as Youtube or Viddler. This has been an excellent choice for many companies for several reasons:
No Cost for Bandwidth
One of the most compelling reasons to use a third party video hosting service is the palatable price tag. Not only is there no charge to upload your videos but there are no bandwidth costs when your video is viewed. In a hosted solution large videos that are viewed frequently can quickly use up your bandwidth allotment. Although bandwidth is relatively cheap these costs still add up if your traffic is high.
Increasing Inbound Links
When adding your videos to an established video sharing site you are exposing it to a wide, established audience. You video becomes readily available on the site via searches. If your video becomes well rated and is viewed often it may even become a feature video, ensuring increased viewership. Your viewers can then be directed back to your website. By contrast, videos hosted on your site can only be viewed if someone happens to stumble upon them.
For those reasons alone you may think you have found the perfect solution. However, there are several disadvantages to using these services that you should carefully consider.
Poor Quality Video Conversion
Sure, uploading to a third party video hosting service may be simple but you are also losing a great deal of control. These services will convert your video in whatever manner they see fit. This almost always leads to a lower quality video. If your video has minute details, these may not come across well. For example, compare this video from Skype which uses the Daily Motion HD Player to the typical quality on YouTube.
No Control Over Aspect Ratio
Just as you have no control in the video conversion process, you have no control over the aspect ratio of the converted video. The conversion process will do its best to replicate the correct aspect ratio. However, if your video ends up looking squished or is cut-off, there may be little you can do to fix it.
Related Content
Since video sharing sites seek to build community most will offer related videos at the conclusion. This feature could direct your user to a competitor’s video.
Since each route has unique pros and cons the best choice will vary based on the specific needs of your business. If you are looking for an easy way to share basic videos and drive traffic a third party hosting service may fit perfectly. If, on the other hand, you require control and quality from your videos you may find the costs of hosting your own videos worth the investment.
