Good and Bad Website Smackdown: YouTube vs Vimeo
What's in a good website is such a complex topic, I wouldn't be able to cover it all in one short smackdown video. Generally speaking, the 4 pillars of website design are: A clear purpose, visually appealing aesthetic, good content, and clear site navigation. I would also add a 5th pillar: available for free.
Paywalls often impact the user experience by frustrating the user. When I mean paywalls as a negative experience, I'm not talking about Wikipedia asking you to donate to keep the lights on or a YouTuber making a call to action for their viewers to become a monthly supporter on Patreon. I mean paywall experiences that negatively impact a users ability to use the actual website. "What do you mean I need to pay for this now? This used to be free!" is a common complain I hear about news media sites when they give you half the article but you need to sign up for a weekly subscription to view their articles. Or more relevantly, "Twitter Blue", the paid-for verification system Twitter rolled out under Elon Musk so that users can get to the front of the algorithm. These paywalls are often UI hostile to both desktop and mobile users, and can be entirely useless. That is today's crux of what makes a good video hosting site: YouTube vs Vimeo.
Good Website: YouTube
YouTube was started in 2005. It's gone through many UI updates, but the most important part is that it's free. Because it's so free and accessible, it's become the de-facto video hosting site. It has solid navigation for finding the content you want.
Bad Website: Vimeo
Vimeo was started in 2004. It used to be a solid competitor to YouTube, until recently when it began putting the site behind a paywall to upload. However, the paywall is easily bypassible and content is free to watch. Through backpages, you can completely bypass the website forcing you to make an account or paying.
Smackdown Video
Thanks for watching and reading,
Shaun DiGiovanni
Hi Shaun, I totally agree with you that Youtube is a very good website, and of course well known. The fact that it is free and has so many famous people on it that use the platform daily is incredible. I think Youtube will stick around for years.
ReplyDeleteHi Shaun
ReplyDeleteI just saw your presentation of Vimeo versus youtube which makes it obvious how Vimeo falls under the example of bad website. Until now, I wan not even aware of Vimeo in comparison with youtube which is so well known, so easy to use that toddlers can use youtube for watching cartoons.LOl
The aspect of bypassing is good but why bother to bypass instead of using easier and less expensive option of youtube. The free version of a Vimeo membership allows omly 500MB in uploads a week, which is very less if someone up;oads frequently.
Hey Shaun,
ReplyDeleteI liked your good/bad website smackdown presentation and how you explained it. I think everyone uses or used YouTube before and for me I use it all the time. I have never used Vimeo before, and I did not know that it was a competitor to YouTube. YouTube is an awesome app I think, and if you are a content creator it is great as well. I think Vimeo is an ok app, but it does not compare to YouTube especially in today's world. Very Well Done!
Hi Shaun,
ReplyDeleteI loved YouTube, I literally watch it almost every night when I go to sleep. YouTube has a clean and stylish design. It also customizes your experiences based on the videos you watch. When you search or repeatedly watch the same type of videos, YouTube begins to show you on the homepage videos you might like based on your previously viewed videos. I have never heard of Vimeo before watching your video. The navigation is a little confusing as well as the design choice. Overall, greta job!
Hi Shaun!
ReplyDeleteI really liked the comparison of two majorly used websites! I go to Youtube for a lot! I use it for extra help and diy projects! Youtube does a great job at recommending videos after I have watched specific topics! I personally have never used Vimeo but I know a couple people who have. It seems to difficult to use honestly. Good Job!
Hey Shaun,
ReplyDeleteYoutube is such a great website and it is used almost daily. Vimeo on the other hand is not as great of a website as Youtube. Youtube is very easy to use and free, while Vimeo makes you pay for an account and is not as easy to use. Even in your video, Vimeo brought you back to the front page instead of logging you out. Youtube seems like the better option when watching videos. Good Job.
Hi Shaun,
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said about these websites! Vimeo is levels below youtube in terms of the website. Vimeo is much harder to navigate, its slower loading, and it seems like Vimeo just makes your life much more difficult when you're just trying to watch videos. Youtube is very simple, right when you get on the website you're recommended videos that you personally might like which makes it so simple to use!