Choosing a hosting service for your video lessons isn't just about storage. The place where you choose to put your lessons directly impacts the student experience and the completion of the course or digital product.
That's why we'll show you everything that a video hosting service can offer so you can make an informed choice.
Why is video hosting so important?
A periodical published by IFSUL demonstrated that student engagement when watching a video is very relevant to learning success.
What many people still don't know is that engagement doesn't depend only on the video's content. The place where they are hosted can also contribute to engagement. A good platform:
- Facilitates course completion
- Increases student satisfaction
- Keeps them subscribed to the course
- Increases the chances of making an upsell
In this post, we'll explain how this happens.
Why not host your video lessons on YouTube?
Although YouTube is a great platform for consuming content, it has several limitations for hosting online courses:
- Limited customization: You can't customize the interface with your course's visual identity.
- Distractions and ads: Students are exposed to ads and recommended videos that can divert their attention.
- Piracy risk: Videos on YouTube are easily downloaded and distributed illegally.
Vimeo: Why it's not the best option
Vimeo is the most well-known video hosting service on the market, with plans that, even in dollars, are accessible for those starting in the educational market.
However, if your goal is to win over more students and increase lesson views, it ends up becoming unfeasible due to its Bandwidth Policy, which is stated in the terms of service:
If you exceed your bandwidth quota, we may, at our discretion, charge fees for excessive use, request that you upgrade to a more appropriate plan, or terminate your account(s) upon written notice.
When exceeding the 2TB of bandwidth present in all plans, a $200 per year subscription can turn into a $3500 charge, as happened with Lois van Baarle in 2022, reported by The Verge.
Therefore, it's very important to know the terms of service to avoid falling into traps.
And membership area hosting?
Some Membership Area platforms offer the possibility of hosting videos. Generally, the cost of this hosting is included in each sale you make of the course.
For those starting, it can be a good alternative, as you don't commit to subscriptions.
However, as you grow and increase the number of students, migrating to an exclusive hosting platform becomes much more cost-effective.
Essential features for video hosting
A good platform offers features such as:
- Security and protection against piracy
- Customizable player
- Engagement tools
Security and protection against piracy
Your lessons need to have minimal protection against unauthorized downloads.
To ensure this, the video hosting service you hire needs to offer DRM technology. DRM adds a watermark to the video with the user's data, inhibiting the sharing of the material.
More advanced hosting services may offer two more layers of security:
- Allowed domains: The creator can choose where the video can be viewed, and if someone tries to watch the video outside of those domains, they won't be able to.
- Anti-download: A feature that blocks the use of programs and browser extensions that download videos.
Customizable player
You can adjust the primary color and the control bar of your video, imprinting your brand's visual identity.
Engagement tools
Complementing the video with other materials has been proven to increase lesson retention.
A good video hosting service offers features that allow you to create:
- Quiz: By adding questions related to the video content, you increase student interaction.
- Mind map: Presenting information in a colorful diagram helps students explore ideas and generate connections.
- E-book: Nowadays, e-books are a great differentiator for online courses, as they allow students to view the lesson content more quickly, without needing to spend time taking notes.
Captions and Dubbing
If your course is watched by people from other countries today, you might have the work of creating subtitles for each lesson.
Fortunately, it's already possible to eliminate this work with artificial intelligence features that automatically create captions and dubbing for you.
Chapters
Chapters divide lessons into smaller sections, allowing students to find information more quickly.
This way, students are aware of what will be in the lesson, and if they want to review a topic, it's easier to search.
Search within the player
Imagine your student wants to quickly find information within the lesson but doesn't remember exactly where it is.
The search function within the player allows them to search for the keyword they have in mind and find it in the video.
This saves time and increases engagement from those who follow you.
Continue where you left off
Imagine your student is watching a webinar and needs to leave and continue later.
The continue where you left off feature saves the video progress in the browser as it's being watched. When they return to the page, they continue from where they left off.
Panda Video: A complete solution for hosting courses, training, and VSLs
If you're looking for a video hosting service different from YouTube and Hotmart to improve your students' experience, Panda Video is the ideal solution.
Try Panda Video for 30 days free and see how it can transform your courses.
