Shop Talk: Viddler takes care of business

To call the online video space crowded would be an understatement.
Youtubes, Blips and Vimeos all crowd the scene, each searching their way toward profitability. One, though, local online video company Viddler, may have just found the answer.
Yesterday the Bethlehem-based company announced a robust package of video analytics, directly targeted at the site’s business users, that takes Viddler one step further away from money-hemorrhaging consumer platform YouTube and closer to revenue-generating business-based Brightcove.
Earlier this year, Technically Philly spoke with Sandie about the company’s self-serve advertising platform.
The company’s recent focus on business services has founder Robert Sandie thinking that next year will be huge for the company as it plans to expand and reinvest revenue in itself. Having received a few funding offers, the company is holding its ground.
“We’re done funding,” Sandie says.

Announced with a post on the company blog, Viddler hopes that its latest offering ups the ante for video business services while lowering the barrier to entry. The company is charging $100 a month for the service, well below most other companies, he says.
The service uses the TubeMogul API with a Google Analytics-like interface to allow businesses to see detailed information about the people watching their videos. Included: how long people watch a video, the percentage of people that finish a video and a detailed geographic map overlay of visitors.
“If you compare us with other video companies, it’s night and day,” says Sandie. “All of them serve stats as premium.”
Sandie says that the company has been slowly shifting its focus to business services for a little over a year.
“It’s the Craigslist model. Give away a lot for free and for things needed for business use you offer an upgrade,” he says. “Small business is very attractive for us.”
Currently the service is only available to B2B subscribers but the company may offer an intermediate “pro-sumer” subscription in six months to a year from now. First, the company has additional business services, such as mobile video, to offer before releasing consumer level tools.
Below is a video introduction to Viddler analytics by developer Colin Devroe Lead Designer, Andrew Smith:

http://www.viddler.com/player/b6549b4a/

THE REDESIGN

Ahead of its self-proclaimed upcoming big year, Viddler has tapped an unlikely group to redesign its home page: college students.
The company has partnered with Sandie’s alma mater and first investor, Lehigh University, for a program that allows eight college students to work part time at Viddler and offer consulting services. After sending the students out to do research on the company, they surmised that the messaging on the site’s home page was “so bad.”
Viddler is taking their advice and will field a proposal from them in three weeks.
“[To design our front page] I’d rather get the guys that live this next generation.”