Mozilla is a global non-profit dedicated to putting you in control of your online experience and shaping the future of the Web for the public good. When you use Firefox, you’re supporting that mission and making the Web better for everyone!
The video below explains more about Mozilla’s non-profit ideals and the spirit behind our mission. Enjoy!
via About Mozilla
The above video explains the brief history of the web, and more specifically the history of Mozilla. It achieves this by utilizing eye-catching motion graphics and animations. The video is useful and relevant for it’s brief history of the web, and is a great demonstration about the impact that a video can have on your site. It’s easy to forget the days of dial-up internet connection, AOL, spam popups on every website, etc. The web experience is very different than it was 15, 10, and even 5 years ago. Gone are the days of building a Geocities website in Notepad. Companies like Mozilla are pushing the web in a new direction at a very rapid rate.
The video is also valuable to Mozilla not only because of its effectiveness in creating a sense of community for its users, but also because the goal of the video is to get donations. It’s only after we get the the emotional impact of the video that we are asked to donate, which in my opinion is much more effective than a few paragraphs from the guy who invented the wiki. Mozilla tells us that they are here to build a better internet, and while they are doing so they will continue to make their products available for free to their customers. It’s hard to argue with that – I am writing this post in a Firefox browser and checking my mail on Thunderbird, both of which are free.
These are the tools that are available to us. To be a part of the web community and, more importantly, get people interested in what we are doing, we should capitalize on these tools.
The New York Times has an excellent article on why you should use video as part of your online strategy.
Online video is becoming a first stop for many customers. It is akin to what the Web page was a decade ago — something that can give early adopters an edge over competitors. It gives them a channel to talk directly to customers in ways previously accessible only to large companies that could afford TV advertisements.
This guide to using online video focuses on YouTube, which is by far the dominant player with two billion views per day — but many of the principles also apply to the other hosting services, including Vimeo, MetaCafe, Facebook, Viddler, Brightcove and Blip.tv.
A summary of their tips:
- Show your products
- Create a destination- a video channel.
- Use analytics and tools to analyze your video performance.
- Advertise with it- using preroll ads, banner ads etc. on video sites.
- How to or instructional video- we’ve always said utility is a leading reason to post online.
We’d also add that video reviews or comparisons of products are an excellent tool to gain customers. If you sell competing brands- do a product comparison that helps people make a choice.
Be personable- people still buy from people they know. It helps to put a face on your company- from the sales reps to the repair guys, these are the people your customers will be meeting or doing business with- showcase them.
To create video isn’t that difficult or expensive anymore. We’re big fans of the iMovie software that comes free with every Macintosh. For a camera- we really like the Kodak ZI-8 ($100 on Amazon) which has a mic input, removable SDHC memory card (which you’ll need to buy with the camera) and a replaceable battery. It’s High Def- and even has a direct to YouTube setting- although we always think a little editing helps.
We also suggest you always use a tripod- for the best quality compressed video, keep the backgrounds simple and non-moving, use lots of lighting if indoors, and at least superimpose your web address and phone number on the video.
There are no excuses to not use video anymore. Remember, after Google, Youtube is the second leading search engine.