You may already know that YouTube is the second most popular… search engine.

For more than a year, YouTube has dominated Yahoo for runner-up status behind Google in the search engine popularity rankings as reported by research firms like Comcast. Partly due to the fact that YouTube videos are now included among the standard Google search results, with Google claiming 65% of search market, nonetheless there is another shift taking place which deserves reflection.

Since learning of the shift, I have started using YouTube as a primary research tool. When I want to see how something is done, I search YouTube. Taking this cue to the next level means incorporating this realization into your own Web design strategies and marketing practices. People now expect to see video included as one of the components in an effective Web site.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you must add the cost of professional video production to your budget. Windows and Mac both include video editing software in their basic installation packages and there are lots of additional, free tools online. With more than 15 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, homegrown video has become a populist media form.

Chad Hurley, the co-founder and chief executive of YouTube explains, “That’s the equivalent of Hollywood releasing more than 57,000 full-length movies every week.”

The hardware isn’t expensive either. The Creative Labs Vado HD 8 GB Pocket Video Camcorder is a bargain at $114.99 on Amazon ($199 list). The HD signifies High Definition, that it shoots in widescreen format (16 x 9 as opposed to the earlier 4 x 3 TV standard) at 720p (image size 1280 x 720) at 30 frames per second progressive scan; recorded as MP4 files.

How would you like to get the camera for less than $15? This particular deal gets even better the deeper you dig. The Amazon fine print says:

Special Offer: Save $100 on the cost of this product when you agree to join Audible.com’s AudibleListener® Gold program for 12 months starting at $14.95 per month.

The base price is currently $20 cheaper than the Flip UltraHD Camcorder – plus the Creative Labs Vado unit has a larger 2″ display screen and a much better wide angle lens. Chris Pirillo rates Creative Vado at the top in this great set of three comparable videos:

The Kodak Zi6 HD Pocket Video Camera would be another good choice based on price at $99, but it comes with such little memory and has poor low light capabilities.

If it’s time for you to begin experimenting and learning to create and upload videos, be sure to watermark them with your Website’s URL and post them everywhere at once using Tubemogul. Check out DesignWise Films and Video Production for more specific articles on video production and marketing.