Did you know users spend over 80% more on websites with engaging videos? Videos don’t just grab the attention of viewers but also help in holding their attention longer. That is why videos are a powerful content type and why video-sharing websites like YouTube are getting popular day by day.

Not just YouTube, most video streaming websites are rising high with lucrative revenue figures, making video streaming a massive industry. More and more businesses are integrating video sites like in their marketing strategy, as videos are the most powerful tools for enhancing customer communication and interaction.

Here are a few examples of growing websites that have the same YouTube business model:

• Vidlii
• Veoh
• DTube
• Metacafe
• Bitchute

That is evident from the increasing trend of YouTube clones to develop video-sharing websites with the same features that any video-sharing website like YouTube has. Such is the popularity of video sites like YouTube. But what are the reasons for this immense popularity? Is it only because of the global exposure and traffic these sites bring it? Let’s look in-depth to understand what makes websites like YouTube popular.

Reasons why websites like YouTube are getting popular

Video streaming has completely revolutionized the way people used to consume videos online. A couple of decades back, users had to download the videos to desktops to watch them. However, today where modern technology is quite advanced, streaming technology makes it possible for anyone to view videos effortlessly. If you are seriously thinking about creating a website like YouTube, there is no better time than now.

Here are some of the major reasons behind the popularity of websites like YouTube and why it will continue.

Easy and convenient access

What can be more convenient for viewers than watching videos on the go? A digital device like a laptop or a smartphone and a stable internet connection is all you must have to watch videos on YouTube. Video platforms make it easy and convenient for viewers to watch their favorite videos.

Rich video library

To gain a competitive advantage in the industry, video websites regularly update their video library with the videos their target audience loves to watch. A rich video library provides extensive video choices for viewers to pick from. Another advantage of video websites is the access to unique content that viewers usually won’t have access to. For example, YouTube hosts a wide range of old classic movies and shows in HD quality. Moreover, there is a broad category to choose from, like how-to tutorials, movies, TV series, classic shows, beauty, travel, politics, and many exciting categories.

Search engines love videos

Videos are not just excellent for improving traffic and driving more significant sales. It also helps in capturing viewer attention and alerting search engines to rich content. More exposure builds trust among viewers and convinces search engines that your site has good content. One reason enterprises increasingly use websites like YouTube is that it helps improve your rank in search engines. To ensure your video content is optimized for search engines, add catch titles and descriptions for your videos before uploading them on video websites like YouTube.

Promotes viewer engagement

As you might already know, videos bring in more exposure and generate significantly more traffic than other content forms. As human eyes are naturally attracted to interactive video content, you can get more clicks and engagement with your interactive videos. Optimize your video thumbnail, titles, and description to achieve the same, promoting engagement by 100%. With better viewer engagement, your conversions increase as well. Over 90% of businesses get new users after uploading videos on sites like YouTube. Such is the power of video-sharing websites that it engages even the laziest customers.

Better ROI on your advertising money

Every efficient brand strategy comes down to ROI, and video marketing also aims for the same. Videos not only improve conversions and increase sales. It also allows brands to run different types of dynamic advertisements. Websites like YouTube allow businesses to add pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll advertisements. With different types of dynamic ads with their advantages for better exposure, you get a good ROI on your ad money spent.

Analytics and reporting

Contrary to common belief, YouTube doesn’t just consider video views alone. Instead, it takes the time sessions of a viewer and analyzes the videos’ level of interaction. So it all depends on the time a particular viewer spends watching your videos and the level of engagement in the form of comments.

Video websites like YouTube feature powerful analytics and reporting tools that give detailed analytics to measure your videos’ impact. The inbuilt analytics in YouTube sites allow you to track the analytics from the first time visitors engage with your videos until they become your customer and beyond. This is why brands use YouTube clone scripts to create their video websites to integrate essential features like analytics and reporting.

Promote live discussions

YouTube or video websites, in general, can facilitate live discussions on a wide range of subjects ranging from politics, religion, philosophy, etc. Sites like YouTube can be used to connect people around a cause and generate attention for social issues. YouTube has its own exclusive live streaming functionality, YouTube Live, which promotes live chats that facilitate real-time interaction and engagement.

Potential to generate revenue

YouTube like video sites, facilitates a digital environment for content creators to generate a significant amount of income by monetizing their videos. For instance, YouTube runs partnership programs that allow content to run advertisements on videos to generate revenue using AdSense. Not just that, there are other revenue generation options like running subscriptions on your channels, sponsorship, affiliate links, etc. Make sure you create unique and interactive videos to generate the right amount of money.

Powerful admin panel

Most video-sharing websites, including YouTube, feature a powerful admin panel that monitors everything that happens on the site. For example, admin controls things including:

● Video management

● User management

● Channel management

● Category management

● Revenue management

● Review and rating management

All successful video websites feature powerful admin panels to manage

every minute detail of your site.

Facilitate embedding your videos on other sites

Every time your content is embedded on some other site, it favors your brand. As the number of users who embed your videos increases, your chance of being ranked in search engines is higher.

Video sharing sites allow you to repurpose the content without having to spend much effort and time. Repurposing your videos will also help you to reach your viewers who love to watch similar content.

Community-building features

Video sites like YouTube integrate social features that facilitate strong community building. Features like commenting, super chat, live streaming, etc., are some of the best features that are streaming sites can have. Leveraging such features, you can encourage your viewers to invite their friends and follower base from social platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to engage with each other, participate in polls, and discuss new videos.

Notifications about new videos and live streams

Today users are always online, and video sites benefit from notifying users about newly uploaded videos and upcoming live broadcasts. YouTube informs users about new video updates from the channels they have subscribed to using a bell icon.

With this feature, you can alert your viewers about upcoming videos so that they can tune in to your channel to watch the same. Timely sent notifications and updates help users not to miss new updates from their favorite creators.

Conclusion

The viewership for video sites like YouTube has increased in the past decade. Over half of the online viewers visit YouTube and similar sites daily. The popularity of video streaming sites has contributed to the number of businesses that leverages videos to grow their business exposure.

Blending a powerful video marketing strategy with the best quality customer experience will help YouTube-like sites stay top in the market. If you don’t focus on video marketing, you might lose a fair amount of potential customers. As the popularity of sites like YouTube won’t be slowing down soon, it is essential to include it in your marketing strategy.