If you’re looking for ways to make your website stand out from the competition, incorporating a video could be the way to do it.

It’s more important than ever to have the ability to attract and engage with your visitors, as well as ensure they come back to your website, for the success of your business. Like most things, there is a right way and a wrong way to use video on your website.

The proper use of a video on your website can help you capture the attention of your visitors. Our eyes can’t help but immediately go to something that moves. Because of this, make sure the first thing your visitor sees is worth seeing. Keep reading to find out how!

Using video on your website

The video, or videos, you choose to load onto your website should either create a unique vibe, set a tone, or spark an emotional reaction. Like choosing the best image for your website, in addition to the best typography for your website, the video you select needs to have a greater purpose. Let’s break down the most common ways to include, and make the most of, video on your website.

Homepage background video

One popular place to include a video is above the fold on your homepage. The key to this tactic is to ensure that the video provides a clear message, showing the problem your company solves, what your company sells, or in what ways your company stands out.

Don’t let this video distract from the overall message of your page, but let it drive the message home. It should make your website look innovative with an artistic twist -- something that a static image with text will never be able to do.

An example of a brand doing this well is FIAT, as their homepage showcases a slideshow of both videos and static images displaying real people engaging in their vehicles.

Consider page speed

An important aspect to keep in mind when using a homepage background video is that it can affect page speed, which is a ranking factor in the eyes of search engines, including Google. This is because video files can be large and take much longer to load than just regular content.

Think of your own experience with a slow-loading website. To avoid problems with the speed of website loading you can hire dedicated backend developers. I know personally that if a website takes more than five seconds to load, I bounce off and I’m on to the next.

To ensure this doesn’t happen to your website, keep the video short and edit the video file down to be as small as possible. Limit the video to 5-10 seconds long and the file size to 6MB or less. To give your video the appearance that it’s longer than it is, put it on a continuous loop.

Case study or testimonial videos

Case study pages or testimonial pages are both common on many company websites, and they’re both excellent places to incorporate videos as they will show a specific story, instead of you choosing to use big and bulky paragraphs.

While reading all about a case study, or a customer testimonial, it’s just better to hear it instead. It’ll make the message more authentic and tangible than copy will alone. There’s a reason why 55 percent of people pay close attention when consuming video, which is more than all other types of content.

Here at G2, we have incorporated videos of real customers leaving reviews on software they have personally used as a way to be more transparent and helpful to others looking for the right software for their company.

Product videos

If the product pages on your website consist of only photos of text, it may be in your best interest to include videos to show further details of your products.

You want your customers to have as much interest as possible in what you’re selling, and a quality video of these products evokes an enhanced shopping experience. When you use video, you will show, not tell, real people using your product, how they interact with it, and how it performs.

Even if your website isn’t an e-Commerce store, you may still have a “product” that you want your visitors to be interested in. For example, if you’re a restaurant or a hotel, you can use video to show the trendy interior of your bar, the sleek and clean accommodations your guests will enjoy, or even a flashy view of the latest drinks being made at happy hour. The possibilities are endless.

A great example of a brand using video is Old Navy. When you view clothing products, you have the option to view a video of a model wearing the specific item, so you can see it from the front, back, and in motion.

Consider the fact that 80 percent of consumers believe having demonstration videos are helpful when making purchases. Don’t miss out on the chance to turn these consumers into buyers of your product.

Why you should be using video

Now that you know the ways in which you can incorporate on your website, let’s breakdown the reasons why your website should have at least one video.

• It tells a story: When a video engages viewers by telling a story, they can better imagine themselves using the product or service.
• Videos keep people engaged longer: Using a short and informative video keeps those on your site engaged longer than long blocks of text. Plus, this will increase your “time on site” metric from visitors.
• Video helps people get to know and trust your brand: Not only do videos show specific features of your product or service, but they also provide an opportunity for you to put the personality and culture of your brand on display and show how it aligns to the product.
• Videos are fast and convenient: With the attention span of users becoming increasingly shorter and shorter, no one has the time to sit and read all about the ways your brand or company is different. Especially those who make important decisions at a company.

Don’t underestimate the power of video

Give your website that added something special with a short and sweet video showcasing your brand, its products, or just overall company culture. You can’t deny that you find yourself drawn into videos both on websites and social networks. The next time you find yourself stopping to watch a short and sweet recipe video on Instagram, think about how you can apply the same idea to your website.

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