Five Questions: Shopping for Video Hosting

Providers tend to have their own reporting system, so comparing one to another requires some effort and hands-on time with their solution. For starters, if they don’t offer a web-based system where you can go and see your reports at any time you choose, they are not interested in being a serious provider. Some providers will email you a copy of a WebTrends report or raw logs if you ask, but that is insufficient unless you specifically want to parse your own raw logs and generate your own reports.

When evaluating reporting, get a login to the provider’s system and test it out. Do not base your decision on screen shots, a marketing document, or what someone else tells you. Get a demo account, make sure the demo account has all the functionalities enabled, and make your decision based on seeing what it can and can’t do.