Believe It When You See It

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many is a video worth?  Who's to say , but I am sure it's worth a lot more then a thousand words and many others are also supporting this frame of mind.  Last year, for example, Google acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion in shares - old news I know, but that does not change the fact that video is becoming increasingly important to Internet users and big business is noticing.  So, now that we know video is important, how do we use it?

A site called geobeats, an interactive media company focusing on providing travel information on international destinations, has wholly embraced video and has implemented it as the core component of their website.  And, one thing that distinctly sets geobeats apart from other sites is that they are not relying on uploads of user-generated video or using video advertisements on their sites; geobeats videos are advertorial free and, at the moment, educational and informative.  Geobeats makes note that the video content is researched and the quality monitored so what the users view is consistently high-standard materials.

I like the concept of the site.  The fact that the videos available are monitored and maintained for quality purposes is a plus; however, i think the site would benefit from adding features that would allow site visitors to post comments and questions for each destination.  In addition, features like interactive maps or "speak with a local" (Q&A answered by a local of the particular destination) would give visitors a more rounded user experience.

Video use will contiute to rise on the Web; marketers and Web developers alike recognize the importance and potential of video and the future of the Web and, as such, we can expect to see much more of it in the near future.