When you are designing a new website for your business, video content should not be an afterthought. Here’s why new websites should plan for video, how you can incorporate video into the design, and the types of video you should be including for maximum engagement.
Why does video matter on your website?
Using video on your website matters for a number of important reasons:
1. Consumers love video
In today’s highly competitive online marketplace, it’s harder than ever to stand out. This means you need to give consumers what they want in a format they enjoy. Consumers love video – 72 percent of people would prefer to watch a video about a product or service than read about it.
Because of this, video content is now more popular than ever before. Research predicts that by 2021, 82 percent of all consumer internet traffic will be video. This means that if you are not using video, you run the risk of being ignored by consumers and losing out on valuable business.
2. Your competitors are using video
A huge 81 percent of businesses are now using video in their online marketing. Of those remaining, 65 percent want to start using video this year. This demonstrates that using video on your website works as a marketing technique. It also shows that if you are not already using video, you are in a minority of just 19 percent, so your website will not stand out against your competitors’ sites.
On average, consumers spend 88 percent more time on a website that includes video than one that doesn’t. Your competitors have a huge advantage if your site does not currently include video. The longer a user spends on your site, the more time your brand message has to sink in, making it more likely that they will make a purchase.
3. Websites with video are more visible online
One of the key ways to boost your leads and sales from the internet is to increase the amount of organic traffic coming to your website. This means people need to be clicking onto your site directly from search results pages.
Research shows that including video on your site can increase your organic traffic by a huge 157 percent. This is because users are more likely to click onto a site which includes video. This increases awareness of your brand and leads directly to conversions and sales.
Director Josh Rockman with Camera Operator
Which types of video should you include on your website?
Many different types of video can work well on your site, especially as many sites now include a video section that links directly to the social media pages for the business, encouraging sharing. However, there are a few types of video which are essential for creating engagement with your site and encouraging purchases:
1. Home page video
Your home page will instantly be more appealing to visitors if you include a video. This could be an overview of what your company does or a guide to the website itself, explaining what people can expect to find on the site and how to navigate it.
This creates a friendly and engaging introduction to your business and your site, which viewers will find more memorable than reading written text.
2. About Us videos
Video works extremely well on an About Us page and there are different options you can use here. You could include a video detailing the working practices and ethos of the company, behind-the-scenes shots of the staff at work, or some footage of the founders or chief executives explaining the company’s history.
Video is also a great way of introducing key staff members by including short profiles and interviews on your site. This creates an emotional connection with your business as viewers can see the real people behind the product or service.
3. Product videos
Video is a highly effective way of explaining how a product works. It can make difficult concepts easy to understand by using graphics and animation. It can also show the product being demonstrated so viewers can see for themselves how to use it. This is why 90 percent of consumers now use video to help them make their purchase decisions and 81 percent have been convinced to buy a product or service after watching a brand’s video.
4. Testimonial videos
Reviews of your products or services are hugely important on your website. Online reviews are now trusted as much as recommendations from friends and family by 84 percent of people when they are making purchase decisions.
Video testimonials are even more effective than written ones because they show real people speaking about your product or service. This means potential customers can see and hear people’s body language and tone of voice, which makes the testimonials more authentic, convincing and easy to identify with.
5. Landing page videos
The whole point of landing pages is to encourage people to click through to your website. This means your landing pages have to be as visible as possible in search results.
Video is helpful here. Including a video on a landing page makes it 53 percent more likely to show up on the first page of search results and can increase its conversion rate by 80 percent.
Want help planning video content for your website?
As all these facts show, it is essential to plan for video content when you are designing a new website for your business. If you would like more help or information, or want to know more about having a professional video created for your website, please contact us.