Web 2.0 Pioneer Attracts Customers and Saves $15 Per User in Support Costs with Demo Video
Benefits realized:
- Attracted new customers
- Oriented users to innovative online application
- Saved $500,000 per year on support costs
- Aided in technology licensing deals
Swiss company futureLAB launched snapmania, an photo-editing and -management online application in 2004, well before Web 2.0 became a buzzword.
Snapmania offers the same feature set found in many desktop photo editors...as an online application.
Pioneering an Online Application
As a Web 2.0 pioneer, futureLAB needed to show off its innovative product while educating users on how to interact with an online application that supports double-clicking, drag and drop, and other interface elements normally associated with installed software.
“A two-minute Camtasia Studio software demonstration is a remarkably effective way to introduce consumers to a new application.” –Matthias Aebi, CEO, futureLAB
The company also wanted to license the snapmania photo management technology as a turnkey solution to other companies such as photo printing suppliers, Internet service providers, or mobile network operators.
Attracting and Keeping Customers with Online Video Demonstrations
After usability and beta testing, it became clear that online video demonstrations would be the most effective way to attract new customers and show them how to benefit from the product’s features and functions.
The biggest technical challenge in creating the videos would be to ensure they communicated product features in their truest form. Videos had to accurately convey details of interaction, dragging motion, and subtle color changes.
Crystal-Clear Flash Video with Camtasia Studio
After testing nearly a dozen software programs, futureLAB found that Camtasia Studio provided the visual quality, output formats, and ease of use they needed.
“We needed a video product that could present a lot of information in a straightforward and customer-friendly way. We achieved this with Camtasia Studio," said Bill Harshbarger, business developer, futureLAB.
Unlike dedicated Flash-authoring tools, Camtasia Studio produces great-looking Flash videos quickly and simply—with next to no training required.
"Camtasia Studio produces quick results. And blending in new material whenever necessary is familiar and seamless," said Harshbarger. "It’s very easy to use, no need to read the manual, and with its small footprint, it runs very well on a laptop for maximum portability.”
The first snapmania videos were created in house, in minutes, by people with no programming or multimedia expertise.
And because Camtasia Studio records screen activity in real time, every mouse click, hue change, fade-in, and keystroke was rendered with crystal clarity. Just take a look at this snapmania video to see the results.
Powerful First Impressions, Deep Savings on Support Costs
The demo videos are prominently linked from the snapmania homepage and range from a high-level product overview to how to upload, edit, and share images.
Viewed thousands of times each month, the Flash videos shape customers' first impressions of the product.
"Consumers see, hear, experience, and learn why snapmania is such an innovative online photo management product before they even subscribe to it," said Matthias Aebi, CEO, futureLAB.
The videos are also linked from the product's help menu, helping to head off costly support calls.
The company reports that more than half of new users watch the online demos before subscribing, and nearly 70% of subscribers re-visit the demos monthly. This saves the company $15 per new user on support costs, which runs to some $500,000 annually.
Video Demonstrations are a Deal-Maker
The screen capture video demos have also been instrumental in helping futureLAB partner with organizations to offer privately branded versions of snapmania.
While customer support issues could be a deal-breaker in technology licensing deals like this, futureLAB was able to offer potential partners ready-made demonstration videos that are proven to reduce support costs while attracting customers.
To date, every one of the company's 17 licensing partners has requested Camtasia video demonstrations to serve their combined hundreds of thousands of users. futureLAB partners consider the videos to be absolutely essential and have attested to how effective they are in educating customers.
The bottom line: an inexpensive screen recorder makes snapmania look great, attracts new customers, reduces support costs, and builds strong partnerships. All in a day's work for Camtasia Studio.
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