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 STREAMING MEDIA
Leveling the Playing Field for Small Business
Part I By Don Rhodes
Goto Part II Streaming Slides
Goto Part III Streaming Video Statistics
tell us that there are 5,000 new websites coming on-line everyday! And, sadly,
they all have one thing in common...they are all starting to look the same. Our
company, pursuing its own marketing efforts, has the need to look at thousands
of small business websites, and they seem to have the same ingredients: a few
pictures, lots of text, and maybe an animated gif. With the web surfer becoming
much more "web savvy" than he was a year ago, and with the baseline computer
system being a 250mhz multi-media capable Pentium, users today are expecting
not only information but an entertaining web experience as well.
RealNetworks, the pioneers of streaming audio and video over
the web, tell us that 86% of web site visitors will stay to listen or to watch
a streaming media presentation! They have had 65,000,000 downloads of their G2
player, and Media Metrixs reports that 15,000,000 people experience a streaming
presentation every week. With these statistics, the time is now for small
business to take the initiative and leap into these new web-marketing
techniques.
Streaming Media is the current breakaway technology of the
Internet. As the broadband technologies of cable, satellite, and fibre optics
evolve, the full media experience on the Internet is not far away. The
capability of sending audio, video, and other forms of multimedia 365/24/7 is
revolutionizing the way people communicate with each other and is sending the
advertising industry into a tizzy. A business can now put a half-hour audio
presentation on its' web site for one full year for less than the cost of an ad
in their local Sunday newspaper!
Putting a streaming audio presentation on your web site is
simple. Record your presentation on a high quality cassette tape and send it to
an encoding company. (And who can better talk about your product or service
than you can?) They will digitize your recording and optimize it for smooth and
effective streaming performance. They will then send you back, usually via
E-mail, web-ready files to be put on your web site. (Some companies will also
offer you hosting services on their G2 servers; then it's a simple process of
adding one link to your site!) If you're uncomfortable with doing your own
recording, you can send your script; most encoding companies offer professional
voice talent. This can add to the cost of your presentation, but some people
prefer this to doing the recording themselves.
Utilizing streaming audio adds far more than just a personal
touch to your web site - it sets you apart and gives your site a leg-up over
your web based competition. With audio, you can highlight the uniqueness of
your product or service and offer a more detailed explanation of features that
could not be adequately described with text. This is also a welcome and
appreciated service for the visually handicapped web surfer.
For those businesses that have content that they would like
to keep private, such as inter-company announcements or bulletins, your
encoding company should be able to password protect your presentation. If you
have audio content for sale, such as motivational materials or training tools,
your streaming audio provider can arrange to provide subscription services. It
is even possible to make your audio presentation so that it cannot be copied or
reproduced in any way.
For a long time, museums and other exhibitors have known that
audio is a presentation tool that leaves a lasting impression. Now you can put
the impact and power of audio on your web site for a very reasonable cost.
(As this article was being completed, it was announced
that "...Microsoft's WebTV will support RealNetworks newest streaming audio
format, RealAudio G2." WBC Imaging has adopted G2 technology for developing
interactive streaming audio and video for the Internet. G2 technology utilizes
RealAudio, RealVideo, RealPix, and RealText to achieve its' high quality of
sound and images.)
Copyright © 1999
This article was written by Don Rhodes, owner of WBC Imaging,
a company specializing in web site enhancement utilizing streaming media
technology. Mr. Rhodes is a broadcast engineer who believes that the Internet
is the media delivery system of the future. Please direct all questions and
comments to: info WBC
Imaging
STREAMING MEDIA
Leveling the Playing Field for Small Business
Part II
In part I of this series, I discussed streaming audio which is
the most mature of the streaming techniques.
Just as surely as television followed radio, the rapid
advancement of Internet technology now makes it possible to add high resolution
images to your audio presentations on the web; they can even be designed to
that your images change with audio cues.
Let's backtrack for just a moment. Until recently, the only way
to change images on a web site was by using the meta refresh tags or employing
a Java applet. The meta refresh tag's reliability is highly dependent on
connection speed, and the Java applet is very picky when it comes to choosing
the browser with which it likes to work. And, more importantly, neither one of
these can handle audio. Now, however, by using the technology developed by
RealNetworks, any number of images can be added to your audio presentations and
streamed from your site. Visitors to your site are now able to view high
resolution, quality pictures while enjoying near CD quality sound. Best of all,
it streams smoothly over a 28.8 connection.
I have to issue a word of caution here. Don't confuse streaming
slides with streaming video. There is a big difference! (Streaming video will
be the topic of Part III of this series.) Streaming slides consist of still
images that can change over time or in sync with an audio script. You can
utilize existing photos, graphic images, and quality line art for your slide
show. (Most encoding companies will also be able to supply television type
still graphics at a very low cost if you need assistance in that regard.) Due
to the flexibility of streaming slides, your sales presentations take on a
whole new look and give your web site personality.
You can now show your products in an entirely different light.
Instead of trying to describe unique and/or desirable features with only text
or audio, you can actually zero in on those important selling points with
pictures! (The old adage "A picture is worth a thousand words" takes on new
meaning on the Internet.) Prospective buyers can now more closely examine
products that are usually difficult to sell over the web, due to the desire of
consumers to "touch and feel." This adds a great deal of credibility to your
sales pitch and to your web based business. (Items like antiques, furniture,
sporting goods, and apparel fall easily into this category.)
I have to take a moment to mention the impact that streaming
slides can have for realtors and homebuilders. With so much real estate
activity taking place over the web today, imagine the sales edge that a good
slide show could have by showcasing the property's outstanding features. Add an
audio that discusses the availability of nearby schools, shopping,
transportation, and entertainment, as well as available financing for the
property, and you have a property that will surely sell. You will probably also
have very grateful and happy buyers, especially if they are trying to locate
suitable properties from a city or town far away.
Several publications have called streaming slides a true
attention getter! All it takes to put together a streaming slide show is
gathering your images on disk, photo or paper. Get your audio cassette ready or
have a script available. (Most encoding companies can provide voice talent if
necessary.) In your script you will indicate where the slide changes are to
occur, or you will provide audio cues on your cassette tape for this to happen.
Information will also have to be provided on the sequencing of the pictures.
Your encoding company will prepare and digitize your media and send you web
ready files or they will offer hosting on their own servers.
Small businesses have always dreamed of having access to
expensive media so that they could promote their products tastefully and with
style. Now they can at very reasonable costs...and with the 365/24/7 capability
that only the Internet can offer. The creative possibilities of marketing with
streaming media are endless; streaming slide shows are only one of the many
options available to small business.
(To see a streaming slide show demo, go to:
/RealDemos/RealDemoTable.htm)
STREAMING MEDIA
Leveling the Playing Field for Small Business
Part III
IS YOUR WEB SITE READY FOR PRIME TIME?? In the first two
articles on streaming media, I discussed audio, the maturest streaming
technology, and streaming pictures, which marries photos and graphics with an
audio presentation. (If you missed these two installments, please go to
/articles/audio_article.htm). I'd now like to tell
you about streaming video, the hottest and most exciting media development on
the web today!
Just as television progressed from the black and white, sometimes
snowy, broadcasts of the 1940's and 50's to the elaborate home theatre systems
of today, streaming video is making the transition from tiny, blurry pictures
to 1/4 screen color presentations with near CD quality sound. And with
surprisingly good quality over the 28.8 connections that most web visitors
experience today! I credit this breakthrough to RealNetworks, the creators of
RealVideo, which is currently the most popular streaming video format in use.
(Others about which you might have heard or read are Vivo and Microsoft
NetShow.) At the end of the first quarter of 1999, RealNetworks reported that
over 45 million of their FREE players had been downloaded; this number is
growing by 15,000 per day!
An online streaming video presentation is another marketing tool
that is now affordable and extremely effective. Streaming video adds far more
than just a personal touch to your web site; it actually sets you miles apart
from your competition. As with streaming audio or pictures, a video
presentation guarantees that at least 86% of your visitors will stay to listen
or to watch. Statistics have shown that over 90% of white collar workers have a
PC on their desks, but only 9% have access to television in the workplace.
That means that you can reach more white-collar office workers during normal
office hours than all of the network and cable stations combined.
Streaming video enables you to combine the best attributes of
web-based media with the compelling nature of broadcast media. On-line
advertisers are realizing significantly higher click-through rates with the
adoption of streaming media technology. Recent studies have found that
streaming media advertising substantially increases brand recall, brand
awareness, and positive brand perception. This really gives you the opportunity
to deliver a powerful message about your products or services - much like
having your own, personal "infomercial. " Unlike a television infomercial,
however, yours is available for one fixed price and it runs 365/24/7... thanks
to the Internet.
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Your streaming video presentation can be submitted on VHS tape,
CD, and DVD; most encoding companies will be able to use those formats. (If
your presentation is in another format, such as 8mm, check with them before
sending the media.) The quality of the finished product will be dependent upon
how it's encoded for transmission. Standard practice is to encode video to
stream over the Internet at 28.8 connections. In order to stream smoothly at
this slow speed, an extremely high level of compression is required for both
the audio and video tracks. This compression causes small portions of the data
to be "eliminated." (That's why some of the video presentations you now see are
not as clear as you would like them to be. With the advent of higher bandwidth,
however, this situation will vastly improve in the future.) When completed,
your encoding company will provide you with web ready files to place on your
site, or you may choose to have your encoding company host your presentation.
There are many businesses that can use streaming video to their
advantage. Companies that sell training materials are the most obvious. Because
streaming media can be played upon demand, employees and/or customers can view
materials when they have time to concentrate on the content. This is a valuable
selling tool, especially if your customer has employees in remote locations.
Your encoding company can also set up your materials to be password protected;
this is especially attractive to corporations who would like to use the
Internet for internal communications.
Streaming video is also an excellent choice for product
demonstrations, especially when the product's features are difficult to explain
using only text or still pictures. Caterers and restaurants can give potential
customers tours of their facilities or show clips of some of their "special
events" such as weddings. Hotels can show corporate accounts their meeting
rooms, accommodations, and leisure-time facilities. Country clubs can take new
members to the golf course or have them take lessons from the golf pro. Health
clubs can show-off their gym facilities and the amenities in the locker rooms.
Realtors can take interested buyers, especially those in cities far away, on a
tour of the town in which a property is located. Universities could showcase
their laboratories, their libraries, or their dormitory facilities. The list
could go on and on...
I hope that in these three articles I've whetted your interest in
utilizing streaming media to enhance your web site. Just remember the
following: 1. Find a company that is reputable and understands what you are
trying to accomplish at your web site. (For a list of companies that are
members of the RealNetworks Design and Production Agencies, see:
http://real.com).
2. Be certain that the samples of their own work meet your
criteria for professionalism. (Warning: if a video pauses during playback, this
is not the fault of the producer or of the video stream. It could be net
congestion or a heavy amount of traffic on the site!)
3. Do not judge on price alone! Turnaround time, hosting
capabilities, and technical knowledge have associated costs that are often
overlooked.
Streaming media is affordable, enjoyable, and is only going to
grow in importance to those of us doing business on the web. Enhance your web
site, your business, and the profits at your bottom line with streaming
media...it's a sound business decision.
Copyright © 1999
This series of articles was written by Don Rhodes, owner of WBC
Imaging, a company specializing in web site enhancement utilizing streaming
media technology. Mr. Rhodes is a broadcast engineer who believes that the
Internet is the media delivery system of the future.
Please direct all questions and comments to: info
WBC Imaging
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