If you’re in the middle of setting up your business’s website and you’re looking for suitable methods of marketing your services, including video may be the way to go. Not only will videos allow you to get creative in promoting your brand, they’re also considered very effective in attracting and engaging prospects.
People tend to enjoy learning about businesses through video, rather than just written content or still photography. According to Forbes, the average internet user spends approximately 88% more time on sites with videos than those without. The Aberdeen Group also revealed in a 2015 report that those who include videos within their sites enjoy 41% more traffic than those who don’t.
Enhanced website traffic and customer experience aren’t the only benefits, as company revenue is also believed to grow 49% faster when using video. (1) (2)
Before putting on your director’s hat, it’s important to understand the best ways of not only scripting and filming your content, but also how to appropriately embed and present it on your website. You may think it easy and effective to hang a white sheet from the ceiling, chuck your product in front of it and speak for ten minutes straight about why people should buy your product. This, however, may not accomplish what you need it to.
Correct levels of planning and preparation are key in order to impress your potential clients rather than bore or irritate them.
7 ways to optimize video for your website
Read on to discover how to optimize your use of video on your website.
1. Ensure your content is inviting and tailored to your target audience
It’s crucial to understand the needs, desires and concerns of your target audience in order to effectively market your product to them. If your content isn’t relevant to your desired consumer, you may risk losing their interest before they even sit through the entirety of your video. Researching not only the level of interest they have within your company’s niche, but also their individual personas is wise in order to thoroughly and creatively draw them in.
In this day and age people’s attention spans are limited. According to a Behavior & Information Technology report your website has around 0.05 seconds to impress your visitors. That’s why it’s crucial to determine whether or not your video is enticing and specific enough to your target audience. If your material isn’t relevant to their needs or your brand, you may be hurting your business more than helping it. (3)
Recommended courses of action include:
- Keep your videos short.
- Ensure material is relevant and engaging.
- Consider including people in your video so that viewers can relate.
- Remain up to date with market trends and fads so that you can adjust your video material accordingly.
- Use a script but leave room for adlibbing. This should keep your message direct and on track, while also feeling natural and inviting to your visitors.
If you’re lost for inspiration on how to reach your audience, you may choose to draw inspiration from other successful companies use of video as well.
2. Use a diverse range of videos
Rather than posting the same video over and over, mixing it up and providing a wide range of diverse content may prove more successful.
Videos may include:
- Business/product introductions
- How-To's
- Testimonials
- Product reviews
- A training video
3. Make sure your videos are high quality
If your video is filmed under poor lighting, with an inadequate microphone and uploaded in low resolution, you may be shooting yourself in the foot, rather than shooting a successful marketing campaign. Instead of attempting to save money and time by cutting corners, it’s wise to use proper equipment to ensure your video is professional and easy to watch.
Viewers are smart enough to notice when little effort has been put into something and can lose interest in not only the video but your company as a whole if innovation and skillfulness are lacking. It would also be disappointing to spend days or even weeks on a video, only to have it embedded incorrectly, causing technical difficulties and incoherence for those who click “play.” Crisp sound and image are important results to strive for.
4. Improve website’s user experience
If your website is poorly built and filled with glitches and bugs, your inclusion of a video may be made moot by your site’s overall functionality issues. If you want your video to stand out, it’s important to ensure that the actual pages it resides on are equally optimized and usable.
5. Avoid autoplay
If you’ve ever clicked onto a website only to be met with a sudden burst of sound and random voices that you’re unable to locate or turn off, you’ve likely felt irritation rather than intrigue. Many people dislike videos that autoplay for this exact reason. It’s important to not give your visitors sensory and cognitive overload when they choose to view your site, but instead let them come your video in their own time. Automatically playing it when viewers aren’t ready to receive it may do the opposite of what you're intending and actually drive them away.
On a more technical note, it can also slow your website’s speed down which can lead to a loss of interest from the audience and ultimately the loss of potential customers.
6. Utilize social media
Social media is a popular and successful marketing strategy for a reason. If your goal is to boost your video’s visibility, showing snippets of the piece on social media platforms—such as Instagram or Facebook—may be an effective way to drive more users to your website to view the whole video.
7. Optimize conversion rates
There are several ways to boost your chances of video views turning into converted customers. One method could be determining the optimal time to publish your video either on your website or on social media outlets. You may think any time of day is the same, however, there are specific spans known for achieving better reach and more engagement. These timeframes do, however, change depending on the platform (YouTube, Instagram etc.). That’s why it’s important to research your specific desired platform and post accordingly.
Other tactics include:
- Including calls-to-action (CTAs)
- Offering incentives to viewers
- Providing interactive content
- Doing basic SEO.
Final thoughts
If your current use of video isn’t receiving the traffic and attention you desire, there may be a few easy changes you can make. Ensuring your content is specific and relevant to your target audience is crucial in order to draw and hold their attention. The same can be said about the overall quality of the content. Poor functionality, sound and image resolution may only lead to irritated or lost customers. Getting creative, showing your brand’s diversity and getting personal with your prospects may prove beneficial.
References
- “Using Video In Marketing: Why Wouldn't You?”, Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2015/09/10/using-video-in-marketing-why-wouldnt-you/?sh=5249dd25697c
- “The Impact of Video Marketing”, Source: https://awesome.vidyard.com/rs/273-EQL-130/images/Vidyard_Aberdeen_Impact_of_Video_Marketing.pdf
- “Attention web designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression!”, Source: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01449290500330448