If you’re a small-business that likes to stay updated on the latest marketing trends, you probably already know just how important video marketing is. In fact, you probably already have a third-party video production service handling your marketing videos, training videos, explainer videos, and what not.

But, making videos is just the first step. How about distributing videos? This is just as important, and you need to find the right platform to help you with this. Of course, you could always put up the videos on your own site, but not everybody is going to come in search of it.

This is why you need a third-party online video platform. But, how do you know which ones good for you? Well, that’s what we are here to find out. So, let’s get started.

EXPERTISE AND HISTORY

One of the first things you need to determine is whether or not the platform has been in business for long. The longer the platform has been operation, the better its service is likely to be. When any service stays operational long, it’s proof that said service has a satisfied and loyal customer base behind it.

Plus, as they say, experience comes with time. A platform that’s been operational for long is obviously doing something right. Other than that, a long history is an indicator of stability, especially in terms of finances. This is a very important factor to consider since most OVPs are privately funded.

INFRASTRUCTURE

The IT infrastructure used by the OVP is another major factor to consider. You have to look at whether they’re reliant on the cloud or on dedicated hosting servers. You see, it is very necessary that your OVP is reliable. They need to be able to host your content with 0% downtime and host your content without issues.

As for selecting the configuration, you mainly need to focus on speed to market, overall video demand, cost of ownership, functionality, concurrent viewers and customization.

Your OVP can probably provide a range of configurations, such as hybrid, on premise, or cloud.

An on premise configuration will provide you with complete control of the IT infrastructure. However, you will have to deal with the recurring costs related to maintenance and hardware. On the other hand, the cloud configuration offers a ton of flexibility and even scalability. What’s even better is that you spend less.

CDN or CONTENT DELIVERY NETWORK

A CDN is a distributed server that helps deliver content to your users much faster than normal. However, it can vary based on factors such as origin of the content, the content delivery server, and the geographical location.

A CDN is extremely important for OVPs because it helps your users avoid problems such as slow speeds and buffering. So, make sure you talk to your OVP provider about whether or not they support a CDN. Find out whether it has nodes that match your target audience, support from RTMP feeds, and the bandwidth rates.

SERVICE AVAILABILITY

The platform vendor is required to have a track record of delivering high-quality service. For instance, most SaaS vendors provide an uptime of 99.99%, which is guaranteed. So, the question is, can you demand this from your own provider?

Other than that, the OVP vendor should also deliver video services across the globe.

SINGLE VENDOR

Working with multiple video software vendors can be a major hassle. So, find out if a single vendor would suit your needs better. Multiple vendors only make things even more complicated.

DOES THE PLATFORM PERFORM ANALYTICS?

So, you’ve got a ton of videos distributed to viewers across the globe, via a range of devices. Needless to say, this is exactly why you need analytics. You need it to help improve the performance of your platform. Analytics can help with this by providing insightful data, gained through comprehensive analysis.

If you are considering having a video made, contact Melty Cone today and let us know - we are here to help! Melty Cone is a full-service video production company in NYC providing video production services for New York and beyond!