Video-sharing websites are common on the internet. YouTube, the biggest of them, shares a significant portion of the revenue and is named the second biggest search engine after Google. YouTube aspired many other creators to begin a video-sharing platform akin to its model to get more traffic.
What is a video-sharing website?
Video-sharing websites typically showcase information in video format. Pinterest is considered a visual search engine, and there are several blogs to engage people who love reading. On the other hand, video-sharing sites convey every single piece of information in the form of a video.
The videos on these platforms can range from:
- How-to videos in the health, wealth, and education categories
- Movie and television show trailers, full episodes, and snippets
- Company advertisements and announcements
- Personal parties like birthday, wedding, baby-shower and house-warming videos
- Vlogs recording the day-to-day life of the creators
Creating a video website leaves no shortage of content as there are literally millions of topics to explore and create a video, from how to use a mobile phone to the best OTT apps for your mobile phone.
Websites like Rumble run totally on re-posted videos from YouTube and other video-sharing sites, while still making a ton of profit. This sparks several bloggers and influencers to create their own video sharing channel and generate traffic on their platform.
Why are video sharing sites created?
A single picture can convey a message that a thousand words may not. Videos convey the message even more quickly.
Several people prefer to see a live demonstration video instead of reading through a blog or manual to learn about something. Be it building a dollhouse for their child or repairing their car, a simple video explains many things easily.
Influencer video sharing websites
Top video content influencers, authors, creators, and actors start their video-sharing websites and upload their content on the platform. YouTube has grown enormously big and has several strict rules which are hard for some creators to follow.
It is tough to generate decent traffic among millions of competitors on YouTube and measure your video performance as YouTube offers a limited range of services. Hence, many video game enthusiasts have created their own video-sharing websites by hosting videos on their own platform, luring their fan base entirely to their private websites. Many creators
- Who could not figure out the YouTube algorithm ranking and recommendation list
- Those who got fed up with their ad policies.
- Those who did not like the restrictions placed on them started to post their content on their own video-sharing websites.
Topic-based video sharing websites
Topic-based video sharing websites like Gaia, which talks about paranormal activities, alien life, etc., NatGeo, and Animal Planet uploaded their videos only on their website, covering exclusive and top-quality content.
These organizations continuously spend millions to create broadcast-quality videos and are hosting their videos privately on their video-sharing websites with better infrastructure and greater control over their content.
A large portion of content creators place YouTube videos on their topic-based websites using an embed code leading traffic from their own platform to YouTube.
Research shows that content creators hosting their exclusive videos on their own website gain an enormous following in a short period and generate traffic that stays on their platform leading to measurable results.
University or institution based websites
Universities and huge institutions create their video-sharing websites and link it to their main website. Students and teachers are free to post their creative content and special ideas on such platforms for others to see.
Key requirements of a video sharing website
Create a video-sharing website like any other website using WordPress. All you need to set up a website are:
- Domain
- Hosting platform
- Some Themes, Add-ons, and Plugins
The video websites do not have any special requirement except for good hosting and supporting the videos to load quickly. There are different ways to create them, and the three most popular methods are listed below:
- Use a content management system or CMS like WordPress or Joomla. Video hosting solutions like Cincopa can be used to create specific video templates, host videos. This helps in securing your video content with robust encryption technology.
- Use an open-source clone script to create a website with the exact features of YouTube. You can generate these clone scripts to duplicate the design for any website you like. They give all the core information, from the bandwidth requirement to the various styles and themes used in the parent website.
- Hire a web developer and create a website from scratch with the requirements suiting your needs. They can help customize the website from scratch, making it unique and still possess all the features in YouTube.
Websites like BBC Earth and Gaia use a similar approach creating great video-sharing sites, very different from the YouTube structure.
Step-by-step procedure to create a video-sharing website
- Get a domain name and dedicated video/image/podcast hosting platform as video-sharing websites require a lot of bandwidth as they get bigger.
- The second step is to select a perfect CMS or a video hosting OTT which provides the necessary help to set up any website.
- Small bloggers and beginners can use simple WordPress or Joomla, while huge institutions like universities can use Laravel Development services, etc.
- The third step is to determine whether you like others to upload your video onto your platform or post only admin allowed dedicated creator videos and program the website accordingly.
- Test the beta version of the video and fix the errors and bugs. Make arrangements to protect the website from hackers and spammers by arranging for a good backup.
- Shoot impressive videos in various categories, post them on the website, and SEO optimize the videos on the website to get good traffic and more views.
Advertise on social media and other platforms to get more views and make the website famous among the target audience within a specific time frame.
Is it really necessary?
There are many ways to leverage the internet and creating a video-sharing website like YouTube is one method. There is no definite answer stating it is right or wrong. If you are an expert in video creation and know the tricks of video editing, and not shy to appear before the camera, creating a video-sharing platform is a great way to make money.
Creating a video blog requires good lighting and high-quality cameras, expertise in sound mixing and video editing, and adding small animations to the video. It would also help if you know how to create impressive thumbnails and write exciting video scripts which engage the users for a long time.
Adding interactive video features will help in retaining the user’s attention. Regular posting and extra investments to shoot good videos in the workforce and equipment are a must.
There are other means like Pinterest, running a successful blog, dropshipping, and affiliate marketing to get recognized through the internet. Most creators use video as a supplement in their blog or website and share it on social media to drive traffic to the website.
Attractive short videos are the third essential factor driving traffic to a website or blog and have more reach than short Tik Tok videos. It is a norm for many creators to compile a group of short videos shared in stories and TikTok and upload it as a 5 to 6-minute video on other video-sharing platforms.
Video SEO point of view
Videos drive immense traffic and require all on-page and off-page optimization to rank in the top ten and get tons of views. From an SEO standpoint, videos are essential and must be used to drive more traffic to the website and convey the information quickly and precisely.
Video sites need to carry out the exact steps to optimize themselves, similar to blogs or other websites. Maintaining a blog, website, or video-sharing platform is essentially the same. It is like wearing different outfits based on the occasion. It is up to the creator to select one based on their expertise and their target audience.
The bottom line
Creating a video-sharing website similar to YouTube is easy. All you need to do is get a domain, select an excellent hosting company, get in touch with a web developer or a CMS platform that allows you to create a website without coding. Use the famous video Plugins and Add-ons, program-specific features, and make the website go live.
Video sharing platforms are suitable for certain websites which wish to convey visually stunning data rather than inspiring words. Video editing is slightly more complex than running a regular blog. It requires shooting videos, good video editing skills, and standard website SEO, optimization, and traffic-driving activities. Evaluate your skills and choose wisely to start earning on the intent.
Cincopa is a hosting service and video platform that allows content creators to measure granular analytics from individual viewers, providing valuable insight into user engagement. Host your presentation on our platform and earn the ability to make data-driven decisions with your content.
