If you thought adding audio and video to your website will cost you a fortune and make you tear out your hair…..think again. There are lots of free and low-cost tools available online that can help you replace the fees associated with streaming media and create stunning multimedia presentations in minutes.
Once such low-cost option is Webmaster Media Maker.
If you want to learn the how-tos of creating multimedia, check out this course by Jim Edwards, called Website Video Secrets , where he shows you how to use free screen-capture software to create your own videos. And you have to admit, Jim’s videos are pretty hilarious. 
Jim believes that full-motion online video is the “killer app” to revolutionize website communications and ecommerce in 2006. He predicts that Google’s online Video Store will create a revolution in video publishing online primarily because it:
- Opens up a distribution channel for small content publishers (one-man shows) who could create excellent content, but, until now, lacked the technical expertise or server resources to deliver the video over the Web.
- Allows content providers to target micro-niche audiences who cannot be reached profitably through traditional advertising or distribution channels.
- Creates a unique outlet for individual creativity like never before and will expose consumers to a whole new world of thought and content.
He also predicts that along with the free-form, “anything goes” content of video blogging (vlogging) , commercial use of full-motion video will fall into 4 basic categories:
- Website “Infomercials”
- Live Demonstrations
- Before and After Videos
- Product Testimonials
Jim issues a word of caution to all would-be online videographers, noting that you must always offer a dial-up-friendly option, because dial-up users still make up a huge part of the online population. Don’t cater strictly to the high-speed crowd because you’ll alienate a significant portion of the marketplace, he advises.
So if you believe that videos could improve the trust and credibility of your website, check out Jim’s Website Video Secrets course.
