Sales Videos For Iphone and Ipads - Are We Ready? | Warrior Forum - The #1 Digital Marketing Forum & Marketplace

14 years ago

You are right.

Everyone should be sitting up and taking notice.

However, it does not take html 5 to resolve this issue (though we hope it will help) and not all browsers support html 5 at this time... its may be years before that standard is widely adopted.

What I suggest is you simply put a button or link at the top of your page that says "apple version."

Then simply directly embed a quick time compatible version of any media.

Apple's lack of flash sucks... and the end user experience of their mobile devices on the web sucks too because of it.

85% of the biggest sites on the net have one form of flash content or another, 75% of all embedded media is delivered using flash, and flashplayer is installed on 98% of computers.

However apple mobile devices are a big market that should not be ignored and what I suggest is the easiest way around that. Alternatively you could use a flash sensing script and display alternative content much like how the "noscript" tag works with Javascript...

Its quicker and easier though to make it obvious at the top of your page with a "apple version" button.

Html 5 and quicktime will never eliminate the need for flash. Flash can do so much more than just embed media and some media effects and controls are just not possible without flash at this time.

Originally Posted by Steve Peters Benn

This occurred to me whilst writing another post so I thought I would spin it off.

I read a lot of emails on my iPhone. If I get an iPad, even more of my emails will be read on non flash devices.

In recent weeks it has become pretty clear that Apple has no intention of ever supporting Adobe Flash.

So - I can't view all the nice sales and tip videos that are out there on my mobile devices.

As someone who is pretty invested in video sales letters, I'm not sure how to deal with this.

Should we be creating HTML5 alternatives for our sales pages, blogs and squeeze pages.

Or should we ignore the largely cash rich Apple mobile and smart phone world and wait to be forced into changing?

Is compatibility with non flash devices even realistic at this stage or financially worth it?

Are any of you doing this and seeing positive results?

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Online Bliss

14 years ago

This reminds me of the hassles I have had
with the ever changing Audio and Video formats through the past
3 decades. You must embrace everything until something dies.
Aka: Reel to Reel audiotape, cassettes, VHS, SVHS, Beta, and the list goes on . . . .
Just my 3 cents.

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doylesoft

14 years ago

I don't know if this is off topic but HandBrake from handbrake.fr is simply amazing. And it's free and open source! I recently took an absurd (in terms of file size) 300 MB three minute video clip from a Kodak EasyShare camera and compressed it down to 20 MB so I could upload it to blogger.

I would assume that getting video content in front on your prospects/customers with Apple devices won't be too much trouble and the open source community is leading the way. : )

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Brandon Doyle
http://doylesoft.com Simple, effective, and affordable software. Knowledge Base software.

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The Copy Nazi

Banned 14 years ago

Originally Posted by doylesoft

I don't know if this is off topic but HandBrake from handbrake.fr is simply amazing. And it's free and open source! I recently took an absurd (in terms of file size) 300 MB three minute video clip from a Kodak EasyShare camera and compressed it down to 20 MB so I could upload it to blogger.

I would assume that getting video content in front on your prospects/customers with Apple devices won't be too much trouble and the open source community is leading the way. : )

On the handbrake site a headline alluding to John Cleese's Monty Python "Dead Parrot" skit -
HandBrake 0.9.4: Released! or: Not Dead, Just Pining for the Fjords.

YouTube- Dead Parrot

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Steve Peters Benn

14 years ago

Hey Brandon,

It is the flash issue that bothers me. I feel that now Apple is gunning for Adobe (buyout?) that there is ZERO hope of getting flash running on these devices.

Josh - sounds like you are pretty clued up - I only wish the rest of us were. In fact, I think most marketers aren't aware of this juggernaut bearing down on those of us who use video to sell...

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Marty S

14 years ago

Answer: Convert your video to several formats, including M4V for iPhone/Podcasting. Make the link available to device users.

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Todd Lamb

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Marty S

Answer: Convert your video to several formats, including M4V for iPhone/Podcasting. Make the link available to device users.

I use a mac and camtasia for mac produces an MP4 output which embeds nicely on web pages.

I am not an ultra programmer or anything but it seems to do ok...

here is an example if want to have an look at the output

Value Added Bonus - Increase Profits Improve Results

This is my bonus page for affiliate offers..disregard the content and the caption above... just go have a look at the video if you like

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Josh Anderson

14 years ago

Yep and camtasia used flash to put that in your page

If you are direct embedding the mp4 (meaning no flash based swf player is involved) then the browsers use quicktime to play it... which is bulkier and less powerful than flash...

But most important quicktime is installed on less computers than flash!

If it were not for Apple's strategy of bundling it with iTunes (which makes a huge download) then even less would have it...

For desktop market share some statistics have it that less than 70% (some have it at less than 60%) of the market have quicktime installed while 98% of the market have flashplayer installed.

Originally Posted by Todd Lamb

I use a mac and camtasia for mac produces an MP4 output which embeds nicely on web pages.

I am not an ultra programmer or anything but it seems to do ok...

here is an example if want to have an look at the output

Value Added Bonus - Increase Profits Improve Results

This is my bonus page for affiliate offers..disregard the content and the caption above... just go have a look at the video if you like

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Todd Lamb

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Josh Anderson

Yep and camtasia used flash to put that in your page

If are direct embedding the mp4 which it quicktime... wich is bulkier and less powerful than flash...

But most important quicktime is installed on less computers than flash!

If it were not for Apple's strategy of bundling it with iTunes (which makes a huge download) then even less would have it...

For desktop market share some statistics have it that less than 70% (some have it at less than 60%) of the market have quicktime installed while 98% of the market have flashplayer installed.

Hey Josh,

Yeah...it's a pain for sure... I switched to mac and was excited to see camtasia had software for mac but yes the outputs are completely different.... where my my pc outputs an flv file and the camtasia for mac outputs a mp4 file..

The trouble is my mac it so much better at rendering video etc... it was worth it to change and obviously the videos play as you have already outlined.... Interesting statistics you have posted.

Thanks.

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Josh Anderson

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Steve Peters Benn

Josh - sounds like you are pretty clued up - I only wish the rest of us were. In fact, I think most marketers aren't aware of this juggernaut bearing down on those of us who use video to sell...

I and my partners have been developing content delivery systems and services that pipe content to itunes desktop software and all apple mobile devices since 2005

I believe the most important strategy today is to deliver content in multiple formats to make sure that your prospects, subscribers, and clients can consume your the content in the way that they prefer to consume it...

However, there are some types of content or interactive experiences that you need to deliver in flash because there is NO other alternative.

If you absolutely need to deliver your content in flash for interactive type experiences just make sure to tell those viewing your content in apple that if they want the full experience to visit the site with a flashplayer enabled browser. You can use hooks and incentives to get them to visit you later or subscribe to a newsletter etc.

Apple has always been anal. That is their business model... slowly but surely pick away at the status quo.

The problem with their anti flash approach is that they are not providing a viable alternative.

In fact the most innovative step forward in website based media is Adobe flashplayer's support of the h.264 codec.

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JayXtreme

14 years ago

The only way forward is to follow this advice from Josh:

Originally Posted by Josh Anderson

I believe the most important strategy today is to deliver content in multiple formats to make sure that your prospects, subscribers, and clients can consume your the content in the way that they prefer to consume it...

However, there are some types of content or interactive experiences that you need to deliver in flash because there is NO other alternative.

If you absolutely need to deliver your content in flash for interactive type experiences just make sure to tell those viewing your content in apple that if they want the full experience to visit the site with a flashplayer enabled browser. You can use hooks and incentives to get them to visit you later or subscribe to a newsletter etc.

Apple has always been anal. That is their business model... slowly but surely pick away at the status quo.

The problem with their anti flash approach is that they are not providing a viable alternative.

In fact the most innovative step forward in website based media is Adobe flashplayer's support of the h.264 codec.

Peace

Jay

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Gary King

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Steve Peters Benn

Josh - sounds like you are pretty clued up - I only wish the rest of us were. In fact, I think most marketers aren't aware of this juggernaut bearing down on those of us who use video to sell...

Josh is the man for video...

Originally Posted by Josh Anderson

What I suggest is you simply put a button or link at the top of your page that says "apple version."

Realizing this may start a trademark violation thread, how about making an apple type logo (small) graphic to go with/instead of that. It's VERY identifiable especially to MAC fanatics. Just a thought.

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Steve Peters Benn

14 years ago

Hey Marty,

I'm taking it I will be able to identify Apple hardware from the User Agent?

I will be very interested to see conversion rates on mobile sales letter videos...

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Jeffrey Arthur

14 years ago

Great points Josh,

All thats needed is to have the site check to see what OS, or device is running the site and deliver the appropriate content.

However i think apple may change their stance, due to all of their competitors having flash support, the blackberry, google android, and microsofts new win 7 phone due out later this year (which could be the very phone to beat apple). Guess we will have to wait and see.

Should be an interesting year with all the new phones and tech coming.

JA

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Steve Peters Benn

14 years ago

Hi Jeffrey,

As far as I am aware, all the competitors have always supported Flash.

Unless Apple buy Adobe, I think I am pretty sure they will never support flash. I say this because Apple isn't too bothered about others supporting Flash. They have started the ball rolling on cutting flash out and it seems to be gaining momentum...

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Josh Anderson

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Steve Peters Benn

They have started the ball rolling on cutting flash out and it seems to be gaining momentum...

With who?

What other new operating systems do you see deciding they are not supporting it?

One of the main parts of Googles latest Android presentation focused on how it includes Adobe Flashplayer 10.1 support.

Not flash lite but the whole flashplayer.

Surfing the web without flash is a less enjoyable and less rich experience... and there is no way Apple will ever be able to market that as a benefit.

Its the one thing that always leaves me feeling unsatisfied when surfing the web with my ipod touch.

Its like giving the browser a lobotomy.

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SidVarma

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Josh Anderson

With who?

What other new operating systems do you see deciding they are not supporting it?

Josh, it looks like Windows Phone 7 isn't supporting it out of the box, either.

Still, agreed, it's a shame.

Originally Posted by Josh Anderson

Alternatively you could use a flash sensing script and display alternative content much like how the "noscript" tag works with Javascript...

A quick search on google for redirecting iphone traffic makes this seem pretty easy to do. Thanks for the suggestion!

Thanks
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garyfromdurham

14 years ago

Hi

I might be showing my ignorance and missing the point of the original post so my apologies in advance if I am:

I have a video on my web site and it plays perfectly on my iphone when I click the play button as it is hosted on Youtube.

Is that not a way of getting round the problem or am I being an idiot and not understanding what your post was about?

Gary

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Brandon Tanner 14 years ago

Along the lines of what Josh & Jeffrey said...

You can use htaccess to determine what type of browser or device your site's visitors are using, then serve up the appropriate content based on that.

For PC/Windows users, give them FLV videos. For Mac devices, give them MOV videos. Etc etc.
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Josh Anderson

14 years ago

Yes, that works ok... but it is not 100% reliable as sometimes even those youtube videos do not work on the apple mobile devices. Not sure why some do and some don't but I have been testing it.

Other than that though the youtube solution is pretty cool....

Just note that it does not play directly embedded in the page. Instead it uses another method to play the video since for in page embeds flash is required.

Originally Posted by garyfromdurham

Hi

I might be showing my ignorance and missing the point of the original post so my apologies in advance if I am:

I have a video on my web site and it plays perfectly on my iphone when I click the play button as it is hosted on Youtube.

Is that not a way of getting round the problem or am I being an idiot and not understanding what your post was about?

Gary

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Steve Peters Benn

14 years ago

Youtube isn't a professional solution at all, I can't use that unfortunately.

Josh - I agree about Quicktime - it doesn't even work on my PC anymore, it just broke one day.

I've got Quicktime X on my Mac Pro and that doesn't feel good either.

Still, I know from customer comments that I am losing out from iPhone / iPod and soon to be iPad niche customers. Windows Phone 7 Series is probably just going to add to the problem.

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Mr. Enthusiastic

14 years ago

I thought at first the headline said, "Are we worthy?" (Bill and Ted style.

)

Will people want to watch a long video on a phone? I could understand someone settling down on the couch with a Pad for a 15 minute sales video. But wouldn't people give up on a long presentation like that on a handheld device, unless they're really into the subject?

I wonder if it might be better to have the mobile version just be a teaser advertising the full version. Get the prospect to catch up with the long presentation when they're at a full size screen.

Chris

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Steve Peters Benn

14 years ago

Hi Jay,

Josh is on the money but implementing it just isn't easy right now due to how restrictive things are. Maybe I'm ahead of the curve, but these non flash customers seem to be more willing to buy high end niche stuff (In my experience only).

Thanks

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