Streaming websites have become the primary way for people to enjoy movies, videos, and music. Over the last decade, the industry has become a powerhouse. According to a report by Grand View Research, video streaming revenue is expected to rise to almost 125 billion dollars by 2025.
Platforms like Netflix allow people to watch movies and series on a whim, while YouTube is a place where hundreds of millions of people enjoy and create video content.
Are you considering starting a Video Streaming Business website? Read on and we will outline the steps you need to take to create a successful streaming website!
Action Plan for Creating Your Own Streaming Service
Let’s have a look at all the steps you need to take to create and run your website.
- 1. Get a domain & find a hosting solution
- 2. Create the website
- 3. Find your content niche
- 4. License your content
- 5. Monetize your website
- 6. Optimize for mobile devices
- 7. Make sure your website is safe and secure
Below, we will go through each step and explain it in detail.
Get a Domain & Find a Hosting Solution
The first thing you should do is think of a relevant name and buy the corresponding domain. We recommend going with a .com extension, however, you can experiment with custom ones and see if anything works.
When it comes to hosting, you should not settle for a free hosting solution. A video streaming site needs high bandwidth, secure servers, and reliable customer service. Otherwise, your users might experience streaming issues, which will adversely affect their experience.
This is why we recommend going for an offshore hosting solution. Such providers offer the best in speed and security while ensuring excellent customer service.
Create the Website
When it comes to creating your Video Streaming Business website, you have two possible choices. You can build it from scratch, or use a premade theme or script.
The former will take you a considerable amount of time and money. Your expenses might go up to the tens of thousands, depending on the level of functionality you want.
Using a ready-made theme is a low-budget option that produces excellent results. For example, you can install WordPress and pick one from the many available Netflix clone themes. You will be able to easily achieve the look and functionality of the popular platform. You don’t even need to have coding knowledge to use a theme!
If you do have coding experience, you can try using a video streaming script. There are plenty of excellent YouTube clone scripts, for example. Both themes and scripts have customization options, so you can make your website look the way you want it to.
Find Your Content Niche
Next, you need to define your audience and select your competitive advantage. Are you going to stream TV shows, movies, videos, or all of the above? Will you stick to a specific subject matter or set up a place for people to create and share their video content?
The best way to approach this is to find a specific niche and stick to it. Using topical content, you will be able to quickly form a dedicated visitor base and gradually grow your business. Shooting from the hip and posting anything and everything from the start will not give you the same results.
Content Licensing
Content is what will bring people to your site and keep them returning for more. Of course, if you create content yourself, your expenses will be limited to production costs. However, if you want to stream a movie or a TV show, prepare to deal with licensing.
You will need to get in touch with distributors and creators and discuss licensing fees, which can be enormous. This kind of investment is usually impossible for up-and-coming streaming websites, so you might want to put a pin in it for the moment.
A great way to get started is to have users generate the content for you — similarly to what websites like YouTube do. Make sure your Terms and Conditions section is set to properly protect you and the content creators your website hosts.
Monetize Your Website
So, you want to make money off your Video Streaming Business website? Then you need to design and implement a revenue model. Here are the three most popular monetization methods:
- Ads – Allow ads to pop up on your website
- Subscription – Charge users a monthly fee for access to the content your website hosts
- Pay-per-view – Users pay for the ability to watch a single stream
All those revenue models are tested and known to generate significant revenue. Choose one that suits your business model and website type.
Optimize for Mobile Devices
Handheld devices are more accessible than ever before, so making sure your website runs flawlessly on them is essential. A good first step would be to create a mobile version of your website — many WordPress themes and scripts include such an option.
Once you have a big enough user base, and the cash needed, you can invest in developing a separate mobile application.
Make Sure Your Website is Safe & Secure
When it comes to streaming websites, security is paramount. Naturally, you want to protect not only your data, but the data of all your users as well. One good way to achieve that is to use a content delivery network (CDN).
It locks all your content to your domain, ensuring it cannot be stolen. Furthermore, it increases your website’s speed and optimizes your resource usage to meet the current demand.
Conclusion
Starting your own video streaming website is not impossible. If you put your mind to it and invest some time and resources, you will have it up and running in no time.
First, start by getting a domain name and reliable hosting. Second, decide how you will create the website itself. Next, define your niche and competitive advantages, and decide how you will generate content. Afterwards, set an appropriate monetization method. Finally, optimize your website for mobile and make sure it is safe and secure by using a CDN.
Good luck with your video streaming website!