Can you
hear it?
Turn up
you
computer's
speaker
volume and
take a
good
listen.
What you
hear is
the next
big wave
sweeping
the
Internet
and it's
called
"Multi-Media!"
Everyone
from big
corporations
to small
"mom and
pop"
websites
have
started
using
sound and
video to
create
projects
and
deliver
their
messages,
even to
people on
slow
dial-up
connections.
Here's my
take on
the top 10
reasons
why 2004
is the
year
multi-media
takes over
the Web.
#10 More
"Sticky"
Value:
"Sticky,"
a phrase
that
pervaded
the go-go
online
world
of the
late
1990's.
"Sticky"
describes
the
ability of
a
site to
keep
customers
at the
site
longer by
engaging
them with
content.
Audio and
video make
it much
easier to
create a
"sticky"
site.
#9 Cheap
CD
Burners:
The fact
that
virtually
anyone can
burn a CD
and sell
or
share it
makes the
distribution
of
multi-media
content a
breeze.
Small
businesses
can create
limited
quantities
of high-value
products
and allow
consumers
to access
huge
amounts
of data
for less
than the
cost of a
can of
soda.
#8 People
Learn
Faster &
Remember
More:
The U.S.
Military
reported
that
audio-visual
training
increases
learning
and
retention
rates by
up to 80%
over
written
manuals.
Bottom
Line: This
means
people
learn new
information
faster and
can put it
to better
use more
quickly.
#7 FAST
Reaction
To Change:
With basic
computer
equipment,
a good
microphone,
and
some
easy-to-use
software,
virtually
anyone can
create
information
packages
in a few
days and
publish
them on CD
or the Web
the same
day.
This
allows
companies
and
individuals
to
profitably
fill
micro-niche
needs in
markets
they could
not
otherwise
touch.
#6 CHEAP
Bandwidth:
Website
hosting
rates
cheaper
than ever.
You can
now
transmit
vast
amounts of
data over
the
Internet
for
pennies
compared
to just a
year ago.
#5 EZ-To-Use
Software:
Just a
year ago
you needed
specialized
training,
special
servers,
and a
significant
budget to
put even
the most
basic
audio and
video
content up
on the
Web.
Now, if
you know
how to
click a
mouse and
understand
what
"record"
and "stop"
mean, you
can create
excellent
content
and host
it
virtually
anywhere.
#4
Customers
Crave More
"Meaty"
Content:
People
want
better,
more
useful
information.
Audio and
video
enables
you to
convey
larger
amounts of
information
more
quickly
than text.
#3 Better,
Faster,
Cheaper
Computers:
A good
$399
computer
is now a
reality.
This means
that not
only can
small
companies
produce
good
multi-media
content,
but it
also means
consumers
on the
receiving
end of
that
content
possess
the
computing
power
to use it.
#2
Streaming
MP3 Audio:
You can
now stream
very good
quality,
clear
audio
across
the web to
dial-up
Internet
users -
even on
slow
connections.
Offering
audio from
a website
opens up
distribution
possibilities
that
remind us
of the
glory days
of radio.
#1
Widespread
Use Of
Flash
Video:
Flash
Video, the
most
important
multi-media
development
of recent
online
history,
makes it
possible
to stream
and
transmit
huge
amounts of
data using
video,
pictures,
and
sound to
virtually
every
computer
(Mac or
PC), even
on
dial up
connections.
