Advance in technology, increases in storage space and computing power, coupled with faster access speeds through broadband have all contributed to the rise of Internet video.

The viral nature of sharing popular videos by e-mailing links to them has further fuelled the growth in Internet video. According to a comScore Media Metrix report the popular Video hosting service You Tube along streamed 100 million videos per day in the month of July 2006. That is phenomenal growth.

So is there any way that any ‘normal' business with a website can take advantage of this to grow their customer base, increase frequency of purchase, grow loyalty and basically add to the bottom line?

There are some very big benefits of using video as part of the marketing, communication and advertising strategy of your business. Some of the benefits are obvious, but there are a few benefits that can deliver the biggest impact for your business, but are not known or understood by many.

Let's press on and explain the benefits.

First, the obvious benefits.

Video commands attention, as it affects both our visual and aural senses. Have you ever walked into a room where a TV is playing? If you are like most people your attention is immediately drawn to what is playing on the screen. Video will attract the attention of your customers, particularly if you can showcase your product or service and communicate your value proposition in a clear and simple manner.

Video also provides a quick and effective communication channel. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a million words. Rather than reading through reams of documentation or a 30 page sales letter, one can communicate the essence of the offering succinctly and clearly. Your customers who are just as time poor, with limited attention span, will thank you for it.

Internet video can also provide a personal touch. Think about it. Unless your customers know you personally, you are just a name behind a web site. It requires a lot of trust for people to buy from an unknown person. This can hurt conversions. On the other hand, with video if you are the owner or employee in the business and are on the screen, your customers can begin to relate to you.

Think about it. As the saying goes “people don't buy from businesses or website; they buy from people”. Internet video is a great way to have a one to one, person to person connection.

This can also lead to better conversion rates for you. Because after they have watched the video, if they click on a link to visit your web site, they are a more qualified, ‘hot' prospect.

Internet video can also help you stand out against your competitors online. It provides you with differentiation. You do not need your video to be slick and professional. In fact, with the popularity of ‘reality television', it is probably better if your video looks more natural and real.

Instead of looking like every other web site out there, you can stand out by employing video to brand your business and communicate what you stand for, more effectively.

Now for that hidden benefit, that provides the biggest impact.

If you have a web site, you probably realize how hard it is to rank well in the search engines for the competitive key word terms in your industry. On the Internet, key words are very important, as most users type in keywords into the search engines to find the product, service, brands or businesses they are looking for.

One of the big benefits of using video currently is that if you use Internet video and then use the correct keywords, describe your video using keywords and then upload them to multiple free video hosting services, this could in many instances help boost your rankings in the search engines.

There is a case study of a business that was able to obtain a first page ranking for a very competitive keyword in under 48 hours, by using Internet video. You can find the details of this case study in a free video at http://www.trafficgeysermethod.com.

Check out the free video case study there and the resources that can help you get started with Internet video advertising quickly and easily today.