Month: October 2017

Digital Videos in NYC

Posted on by Peter Mendez

The global expenditure for digital videos is estimated to be worth around $10 billion and in the next five years, it’s expected to triple. The growth in digital videos has been phenomenal and rapid. Businesses are finding it extremely hard to play catch up. However, there is no way but forward. Businesses have to jump on the digital video bandwagon if they intend to stay alive.

So, why is digital video such a big deal?

Well, it all boils down to what it can offer. Digital videos are highly interactive, allowing marketers and advertisers to connect with audiences in a variety of ways. Digital video can be accessed via gaming consoles, social media platforms, and mobile applications. The ease of access, combined with the proliferation of mobile devices, allows marketers and advertisers to also customize their messages.

For example, businesses can create personalized videos that highlight how it feels too use a certain product. Add in a few interactive elements and the viewer can even configure the video to their liking. This allows them to have a far more relevant and specific experience, which can influence their buying decision.

Today, the focus on content marketing is more significant than ever and digital videos play a key role here. Businesses that leverage digital video content for their marketing are far more likely to stay relevant and ahead of the competition.

Digital video content is part of the larger video marketing trend and this trend isn’t dying down anytime. Several statistical studies have been done and the truth is clear – video will shape the way businesses brand and market themselves in the near future.

Video Marketing: it’s Important

If you have been skeptical about video marketing, it’s high time you changed your mind. There are over a billion people consuming videos almost every month and the numbers are only growing. So, it’s critical for businesses to gain a healthy perception of what digital video can bring to the table. Communicating and sharing information in the form of videos will only get easier as more advanced platforms start to show up. It’s already very simple, thanks to platforms such as YouTube. The modern customer grows hungry everyday for fresh video content.

In the US, it is estimated that over 70 million people view videos each day via their mobile devices. The proliferation of mobile devices has also started to play a key role in furthering video-based communication. The number of mobile users is also increasing on a periodic basis, which means mobile will continue to influence video sharing and video marketing. Customers are more than likely to share a video today than go through a barrage of words and letters.

Digital Video Surpasses All

The other forms of marketing, such as email marketing, aren’t likely to disappear anytime soon. However, their role in the overall marketing strategy will likely become limited in the future. But, businesses don’t have to panic. The solution lies in integration. For instance, all it takes is adding a video link in your email to boost click-through rates. In fact, statistics tell us that doing so can boost click-through rates by almost 96%. This is the power that digital video possesses.

Plus, with video formats such as short-form video becoming popular, integration of this sort only becomes easier. A 5-second clip is all you need today to make an impact.

Videos are also known to keep your website visitors more engaged, which, in turn, boosts your conversion rates. Statistically speaking, it has been estimated that if a video can engage a visitor for even two minutes, the chances of a conversion go up by 64%.

But, that’s not all. Video can also help businesses make the most of their SEO strategies. Video, though very different from textual content, is still a form of content at the end of the day. As you all know, content, of any sort, is king in today’s fast-paced business world.

So, by simply optimizing your digital videos and the respective metadata, you can boost your content’s discoverability.

Now, the big question is, how can a business, that has no experience in creating digital videos, start engaging in video production and video marketing? Well, it can’t and that’s why it needs a digital video partner.

A digital video partner can help your business achieve its goals by providing the right resources and skills needed to dominate the bold new world of video marketing.

Crafted NYC is that Partner!

When it comes to digital videos in NYC, there is only one name that stands out – Crafted NYC. Crafted NYC specializes in creating digital videos for clients, across multiple industry verticals. We have been doing this for a quite some time and needless to say, we’re quite good at what we do. This is exactly why our name stands out among the wide list of digital video agencies in NYC.

Crafted NYC understands the role that digital video plays in today’s business landscape. After all, we are a business ourselves and we stay updated on the latest digital video marketing trends. This allows us to connect with our clients and see things from their perspective.

Whether it’s creativity or technical expertise, Crafted NYC can provide your business with what you’re looking for. We are experts at integrating video into the overall marketing strategy and extracting the intended results.
We are supported by a team of digital video production experts that bring years of experience and knowledge to the table. Our digital video professionals have created stellar work for our clients in the past and continue to do so even today.

We also have the right resources for this kind of work. We follow a thorough video production process, which is executed within a state-of-the-art production suite. We leverage the latest technology in order to turn concepts and ideas into visual information.

We are an end-to-end digital video production services provider, which means we take care of everything – right from creative development to distribution. The only role you, as a client, need to play is that of the reviewer. We leave the more strategic aspects of your business to you, unless called upon to offer our guidance here as well.

So, if you’re looking for experts who can produce digital videos in NYC, Crafted NYC is your best bet. Visit our site or fill up this form to find out more.

What Makes a Good App Design and Development Partner?

Posted on by Peter Mendez

In our last article, “Choosing the right digital partner”, we touched on the different paths to launching a website or mobile application. In this article, we will go in more depth on what makes the agency you choose a good “partner”.

One of the main reasons that businesses choose to hire a creative agency like Crafted is because of the challenges they face when trying to assemble their own internal team for development.

No doubt, the prospect of developing an app in-house can be exciting. Your project is the only one the team is working on and you can make modifications when business requirements change or evolve without changing the scope of your project or contract every time. You also “save” the costs you would have otherwise spent on outsourcing to an app development company. (Note: The cost of hiring a quality developer is significant. Talented developers are often paid above industry standards as a retention strategy.)

On the flipside, it can be difficult to hire & qualify programmers as well as manage and maintain a custom app over the long run. Even after the initial build is complete, that expensive developer still needs to be paid top dollar to stay on board. Otherwise they will likely move on to another project or company and you will be stuck with their code and no one to manage it.

But what if you could get those top end designers and developers while also getting the long-term support your development project requires?

That’s where we come in.

Crafted is an NYC App Development partner that provides support and upgrades to ensure the continuing development and compatibility of your app, as well as its versatility on newer platforms. Our ultimate goal is to eliminate the complexity and time expenditure associated with app maintenance and evolution.

Whether you choose to work with Crafted or another app design and development group, the following tips will come in handy when choosing a partner for development and design.

Create a crystal clear requirements document

Your desire to develop an app likely sprung from certain marketplace insights or personal experiences. Define and deliberate on what your app must do and how exactly it will affect users and the marketplace. Document the technical specifications, features, budgets and timelines. Put together a list of similar apps or other programs that you aspire to model yours after.

The best app design and development partners provide assistance in the planning stages and will help guide you through the steps it takes to get your project live. This is the most complex and important process that sets the roadmap for the design and implementation of the application. The ideas and opinions of skilled app designers will enable you to fine-tune your requirements and expectations more judiciously.

Perhaps your app doesn’t need to do everything you think it needs to at first and it makes sense to split it into two phases… maybe not! This is where a good partner will help you make good decisions based on your requirements, goals and budget.

A good application design partner will always help you put together all the pieces of the puzzle, helping you determine how your mobile app will fit into your business strategy, and advising you on the best solutions that meet your needs. Consult the agency on project feasibility and requirements to inform your own understanding more thoroughly. At the end of this effort, you should have a requirements document that will guide the development, stages and cost of the project.

Put potential partners through the test

It is imperative to vet app development companies properly. Invest some time in due diligence to ensure your project’s success and know as much as you can about the team who is working on your project before starting.

1. What kind of partnership are you aiming for?

Do you want the company’s engagement to end soon after the implementation/integration of the app? If that’s the case, then you’re pretty much on your own if you encounter problems after the app has gone live. It’s the same for app maintenance, costing you time and money in keeping the application updated and troubleshooting issues as and when they arise.

It’s in your best interest to seek out a mobile app design company interested in forging a partnership with you as opposed to helping you manage the project scope and just doing what needs to be done to deliver the product. Crafted, for instance, handles clients’ ongoing app needs, and supports the app’s development into the future. We collaborate with you to chalk out a long-term strategy for your app, enabling you to squeeze maximum business value from it.

2. Create a project-specific Request for Proposal (RFP)

No two iOS or Android app design and development projects are the same. The RFP you create should reflect the nuances of the app development program you want implemented. State the specifics with clarity to give developers the full idea about requirements and expectations. You can always discuss the matter in further consultations, but you need something to start with, and that should accurately reflect the project on-hand.

Also state the role and responsibilities your potential partner will need to assume. This will depend on the extent of your resources, how much time you can spend on the project and the communication model most feasible for your business.

3. Evaluate reputation and service quality

Even as you get responses from app design and development companies, you can conduct your own research to get a sense of their service and customer reviews. Their website is a good place to begin; here you can find customer testimonials, learn if they have received any industry rewards or glowing media mentions, and check out management profiles. Some businesses may be partial to developers with relevant market experience. While familiarity with your market and customer segments is a plus point, it should not be the deciding factor.

4. Gauge them on design and tech capabilities

What kind of design and technology prowess can the company boast of? Do all of their projects look the same or are they all unique? This is a critical consideration that will directly affect the success of your project. Some aspects you want to review include:

  • The approach taken by the IA and UX teams to make the app user-friendly
  • What kind of device and platform experience they bring to the table in terms of Android and iOS app design and development?
  • Will they seamlessly integrate the app into your CMS and other business systems?
  • Do they have a quality assurance team to run tests before taking the product live?

Crafted has dedicated user experience, design and development teams who attack clients’ specifications with precision and skill to deliver a value-focused product. Our optimization and marketing team also brainstorms on strategies to improve the ROI of your app over time, or help you monetize it in today’s crowded, competitive marketplace.

5. Dig a bit deeper

When you hire an app design and development agency to help develop your application, you must enter into a written agreement that assigns the ownership of the app to you. In the absence of a written agreement, the developer will own the app or the portion of the app that they developed. The contract must also state and protect your intellectual property rights, as well as bind the app designers to confidentiality obligations, as appropriate. Talk to potential partners about the kind of legal contracts they enter into with clients.

You also want to quiz them on the ‘big O’ to confirm if they keep development in-house or outsource some of it to subcontractors. If they are indeed outsourcing some tasks, concerns about quality and confidentiality will naturally arise. To be on the safer side, avoid partnering with app design and development companies that lack the expertise to handle all the work in-house. (We never outsource!)

6. Visit the company in-person

As you will be collaborating with the company beyond the implementation of the app, you will need to consider how well their work culture complements your own. Complementary collaborative cultures can go a long way in ensuring smooth two-way communication and proactive responses to queries and concerns.

A good way to assess the company on such softer aspects is to visit them in-person and speak with the app designers who will be handling your project. Do they seem enthusiastic and present their views openly? How do they engage you? What kind of email and phone support can they guarantee? How do they update clients on milestones? See how well they perform on these parameters to determine whether or not they are a good fit for your company.

7. Test them out

It doesn’t hurt to put potential partners to the test, especially if you’ve shortlisted 3-4 companies with dynamic and savvy professionals. You can kick-off with a small pilot project, and depending on performance, choose to go with the most impressive of the lot. Of course, this is better suited for companies with a bigger budget and ability to take the time to go through this exercise, as you will inevitably only choose one partner.

8.Cost

While it’s perfectly fine to reject a prohibitively expensive quote that you cannot afford – especially if it’s not justifiable – cost should be the least of your priorities. Top-notch quality will pay for itself into the future, so focus on leveraging the skill and expertise of your app design and development partner to make the best application possible.

A reliable app design and development partner can serve as your one-stop resource for future projects. Our unique approach to establishing partnerships instead of traditional client to agency relationships is what separates us from other app design companies in NYC.

If you’re looking at a multi-faceted company like Crafted, you can have technology and digital marketing needs fulfilled under one roof. Crafted is one of the top ten interactive agencies in NYC, and has been featured in multiple media outlets. Our senior management has previously worked on award-winning projects for top brands across diverse industries.

Drone Video Company

Posted on by Greg Valvano

Why settle for old-fashioned ground-level videos when you can capture stunning aerial views from a drone? Crafted NYC is a specialized video production company, and we have on board a large team of highly experienced and talented writers, videographers, and editors who can take your ideas and convert them into stunning videos for the world to enjoy.

Crafted owns and operates state-of-the-art drone technology to take amazing aerial shots of events and places. If you’d like to hire our drone video company for one of your events or marketing campaigns, be sure to reach out to a member of our team. Our videographers and editors are highly-skilled, and they will help you get access to the best angles and shots through the drone.

What are drones?

Drones are small, unmanned flying machines that are used to survey places from high up in the sky. They have become quite famous in the last five years, what with absolutely everyone from e-sellers to schools using them for a variety of activities from product delivery to photography.

Ten reasons to use a drone for your new video

  • Drones can get you unique shots and video sequences which are normally not possible to get through traditional cameras and camcorders.
  • Drones can help you capture the magnitude and grandeur of your event or a landscape better than video shots from the ground level.
  • Drone videography services are inexpensive and you can get beautiful panoramic shots at very low costs.
  • Drones can make your company look very high-tech and modern, which can be impressive to many customers.
  • Drones can help you add a stunning cinematic feel to your video in a way that isn’t possible through regular videography equipment
  • Drones can attract the attention of the people or animals you shoot, making the video very inclusive, engaging, and entertaining.
  • Drones can help you record real-life instances, which make your video more realistic.
  • Drones can be used to make 360-degree-view videos, which can make your corporate video very interactive.
  • Drone videos are very popular on social media, and they can help you stand out on the social media platforms.
  • Drones can add value to your entire marketing campaign and can place you ahead of your competitors.

Choose Crafted for drone videography

Drone videography is the newest activity to join the growing list of things you can do using a drone. At Crafted, we offer clients the option to use a drone to capture videos and photos of their events using the latest drone technology.

Using a drone is simple and fun. When we are shooting your corporate video, you will have complete control over the angles and routes the drone will use to capture the sequences you want for your video.

At Crafted, our team of specialists has a lot of experience using drones. They are also very knowledgeable about the legalities of using drones in public too. Our team of videographers keeps themselves updated about the operating requirements, usage regulations, and amendments effected to Part 107 of the rules set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The members of our staff who operate the drones are certified remote pilots who have taken up the FAA’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAS) online training course and they have successfully passed the FAA’s Remote Pilot Knowledge Test. They will be able to advise you about the compliance requirements you need to meet and the rules you need to follow when using the drone to record your commercial videos.

Different types of drones we use at Crafted

At Crafted NYC, we use a variety of drones to power your aerial videography. We partner with the best manufacturers and assemblers to procure state-of-the-art drone technology. Some of the drones we own include:

  • Fixed wing drones
  • Single rotor drones
  • Multi-rotor drones
  • Hybrid drones

Our drones are fast, offer easy maneuverability, work well at both short and long ranges, come in a variety of sizes (which can fit through large and small spaces), and are designed to withstand extreme weather conditions. This will help you capture the bespoke shot you require in the quickest time, with the least effort.

Five tips to get the best out of your drone videography

The talented team at Crafted has been working with start-ups and multi-nationals, helping them produce stunning, premium-grade videos for years. Our drone videography service is renowned across the United States for its professionalism and creativity.

As part of our drone videography, our video company also offers clients personalized advice to help produce the most visually-stimulating and inspiring videos. Here are our top five tips to shooting phenomenal drone videos:

  • Shoot landscapes that have contrasting colors – this will draw the audiences’ eye.
  • Experiment with different perspectives by flipping the images you take from the drone.
  • Seek patterns or go abstract – both make for very visually stimulating videos.
  • Get clear shots of the horizon or panoramic shots of the skyline.
  • Consider compiling selfie pictures from a drone in a video.

These are just the tip of the iceberg. If you need more such quirky and implementable tips and tricks, be sure to speak to our team at Crafted NYC.

Our drones let you enjoy your event

The best thing about shooting videos through a drone – you don’t have to roll up your sleeves too often during the actual shooting of the video.

When you choose a drone for your videography, you can allow the experts to take over the technicalities of the shoot and immerse yourself in the event you’ve organized. Think about it. You’ve organized a product release or have planned a marathon in your home city. What’s the fun in standing at the sidelines and shooting the video? With a drone, you can let our Crafted team do the work while you actively take part in and enjoy your event.

Need re-takes? Don’t worry. We can arrange for those too. The biggest advantage of using drones is how easy it is to re-take a shot without worrying about time and resources. At Crafted NYC, we pride ourselves on our ability to get the perfect shots and produce the most brilliant videos. If you’d like to try our drone videography services, contact us through our online contact form today.