Does Your Site Need Streaming Media?
By Molly Wright Steenson
Against the backdrop of streaming horror stories—unnecessary and cumbersome Flash intros, MIDI files tinkling Mozart—are sites that make excellent use of streaming technology. These sites use a variety of methods to tell a story, enhance a brand, and develop an experience. But such sites aren't all fun and games. There are strong business reasons to use streaming technologies as well.
Streaming media can help you to construct a compelling experience, and there are three main reasons to incorporate it into your site: to enhance the user experience and highlight your brand, to create a narrative, or to provide immediate content and information. But first you must decide whether streaming media is appropriate for your audience. (For related resources, see the "
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Consider Site Objectives
When you're thinking of incorporating streaming and other broadband media into your online experience, think about the benefit they provide. Streaming media can add interactivity to information-sharing sites, create immersive narratives, and provide immediate information in a way that flat HTML sites cannot. However, it's vital to consider who your users are—and whether they're even able to benefit from an experience that uses plug-ins or requires a lot of bandwidth.
Are your users ready for a narrative, all-encompassing experience, or do they just want to find an address? Are they likely to have the capability to view a broadband site at all, or will their processors and connections wilt under the demand?
If you're creating a barebones information site, using streaming media or creating a broadband experience may hinder your users' ability to find what they need.
