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Video on demand sites: subscriptions or pay/download

by wondering2
9 replies
I want to offer online instructional videos on my site but am unsure which is the better method: offering subscriptions with varying degrees of access and prices or a simple pay per download system. I conducted a survey of our customers and the answers were 2:1 in favor of pay per downloads. However, it seems many experts prefer subscriptions. Anyone tried both?
#demand #pay or download #sites #subscriptions #video
  • Profile picture of the author seojedi
    I run a site that trains people how to use a popular CMS. We are launching a PRO SERIES and making it a paid members only/subscription area of the site.

    In order to protect your videos IF you provide downloads, then you'll need some sort of DRM software. We're looking into this but not too enthralled with the idea. It's easier to provide an online members area.
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    • Profile picture of the author wondering2
      Thanks. What do you see as the pros and cons of each in your decision making?
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      • Profile picture of the author seojedi
        Our site was originally built to provide online training videos for clients and was not intended for "public use. We did not lock down the content in the beginning and felt it was OK to allow others to use the training for free. In teaching others the basics, we got more clients and lot more traffic.

        The Pros to this approach (freebie site) were that we now have an established and trusted brand in our space and can grow in any direction we want so long as we protect the trust and relationships we have with our user base and continue to give them what they want.

        This is now THE "tactic" with IMer's. That of giving away free stuff to build trust and a relationship in order to get folks into your sales funnel. While we do offer Adsense and affiliate offers on the site, we do not market to our list which is quite large.

        We use Kampyle for feedback to listen to our users. The new site will have Uservoice integration.

        Giving the content away for free created the userbase and built the list. Now 3 years later, we're looking to monetize it a bit more.

        The downside, I guess, is that
        1. We didn't monetize it earlier.
        2. Perhaps we should have been more creative when it came to selling into the list
        3. We should have communicated with our users more often in order to maintain connection and brand recognition.
        Now that we have a trusted URL with good content, we should be able to pay some bills with it over time :-)

        Whatever you do - keep it simple. Give them what they want and don't make them think (complicated subscription model with multiple levels etc.)

        Make your content so damn useful that you can command a premium for it.
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  • Profile picture of the author wondering2
    Are you designing the subscription video features yourself or do you have a company you'd recommend doing it for you? Thanks.
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  • Profile picture of the author seojedi
    "Are you designing the subscription video features yourself.."

    Can you clarify that? What do you mean? :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author wondering2
    Did you code your own site to implement the video features/subscription/shopping cart or do you use a web design company?
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  • Profile picture of the author seojedi
    I recorded the videos, built the site and SEO'd the whole thing in 3 weeks.

    Use a CMS like, Joomla if you are building an actual website. Wordpress is for blogging and is not as flexible as Drupal or Joomla. It's "easier" to use but as you grow you'll want the flexibility down the road.
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    • Profile picture of the author wondering2
      That's very impressive that you did it yourself! I've never used Joomla; although I have used Wordpress. Is it something an html-ignorant person could learn quickly or am I better off hiring someone?
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  • Profile picture of the author seojedi
    Joomla, being the most powerful and popular CMS on the planet is easy to use once you wrap your head around how it works (Similar to the first time you install a new WP theme and have to noodle through the widget placement and menus).

    There is no need to know HTML in order to build a Joomla site.

    If you've never built a site and have $100 to spend, you can get a complete 10 page site built using Freelancer.com or something...all you need to do is provide content and hosting.
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