Ultimate Website Video Guide

Ultimate Website Video GuideThere’s just no way around it.

The way many businesses handle website videos… it’s wrong.

A website video is an awesome tool, so let’s do our best to clear-up how they should be used and provide a helpful case study as well.

First Things First

The first thing you need to understand is that if you put a video on any webpage… it’s an eye magnet. 

People are drawn to videos. Whether it’s a video that’s already playing, or simply an image with a play button on it. The promise of video catches people’s eye, and in many cases entices them to click.

So… knowing that… why is it that many businesses make visitors seek out videos? 

How many websites have you been to where they gather all the videos in one place on a “Videos” page? 

A bunch… I’m sure.

Even when the video location makes sense, something else tends to be weird… placement. 

I’ve been to many sites where I’ve clicked on the “About” page to learn more about the business, then found a good video sitting at the bottom of the page as I scrolled through.

Why would you bury the most interesting element on the page at the bottom where someone might miss it?

You Need a Plan for your website videos

What I’m getting at here is you need to think strategically about where you place your video.

Having a video to display is great, but you’re doing your site a disservice if you don’t figure out the best way to use it.

I’ve talked with a bunch of web developers about this and they all agree. You shouldn’t collect all your videos on a single “Videos” page and call it a day.

Analytics tell us people don’t click the “Videos” page! 

They don’t arrive at your site thinking to themselves, “I’d like to watch some videos on Company X.”

On the other hand, if you layer videos throughout your website, pairing a relevant video with a page they’re already interested in… then they watch!

A quick disclaimer

Now, before I go any further, I’m going to assume you like your videos. If you don’t, if you’re not proud of them, don’t display them. 

Remember, videos are eye magnets. There’s no point in drawing attention to something that’s not going to reflect well on your company.

The One Video Every Company Needs

Alright, let’s start with an easy fix… the About Us video. 

If you can only afford one video for your website, this is typically the one to produce. It shows people who you are, what you do, and why you do it. 

It’s the video that starts you down the path of earning that visitor’s trust.

The About Us video is a natural fit for… where? Don’t overthink this… it’s the “About” page. 

In some cases, you might put it on the “Home” page, but for the most part the “About” page is the natural location for this video.

And don’t be shy! Put that sucker up top where people are going to notice it. This is your chance to create a good first impression. We want them to see and click on the video.

Now let’s move on to the really good stuff. 

You know and understand the power of video, and you want to start adding videos to your website. What’s the best way to go about it?

Layering videos throughout your website

What I’m going to lay out for you is a basic website video plan.

It should just be a jumping off point for you. 

You can add different types of videos to all sorts of webpages. What we’re creating here is simply a foundation to build on.

  • produce an About Us video highlighting who you are, what you do, and what sets you apart
  • identify your key business offerings (products and/or services) and produce a video on each of those business offerings
  • display the About Us video on the “About” page and product/service videos on the corresponding pages for each offering

For example, let’s say you’re a website development firm (why not, we’re talking web pages) and you want to add video to the mix. 

You identify three main services you provide… strategy, web design, and optimization… and each service has its own page at your site.

So… you produce four videos.

  • An About Us video… and put it on the “About” page
  • A video highlighting your strategy capabilities… and put it on the “Strategy” page
  • A video featuring how you approach design… and put it on the “Web Design” page
  • An video on how you optimize the site once it’s complete… and put it on the “Optimization” page

Why You Do It This Way

Here’s the strategy behind this plan.

What we want to do is provide a relevant video for every step your website visitor takes as they journey throughout your website.

Let’s continue with our fictional web development company.

Someone searches for a “web design firm” and comes across the company.

The visitor heads to the home page and they like what they see, so they start clicking through the various services.

On each page there is a video at the top featuring that service.

After watching those videos and scanning the other text and images on those pages, they click the “About” page to learn more about the company.

Again, they are greeted by a video at the top of the page.

Do you see how we’re giving them a video during every step of their journey?

Enticing them to stay on these pages longer by offering them videos relevant to the pages they’re interested in?

They’re getting to know the company and the people who work there.

We’re building trust.

We’re not sticking them on a “Videos” page, forcing people to seek them out. 

We’re not burying them at the bottom of each service page. 

Each video is the main element of each of those pages. You can’t miss them. The way they’re displayed screams, “Click me! Watch this video!”

More Website Video Options

These are by no means the only effective videos you can use at your website. 

Here are some more ideas:

  • Testimonials: you just can’t go wrong with testimonials. It’s one thing tooting your own horn, but when your customers do it for you, website visitors take notice. And one of the great things about testimonials is you can use them almost anywhere on your site.
  • Employee/Team Member Videos: we’re more likely to buy from people we know and like. If you have a “Team” page at your website, let your prospects get to know your team members by creating videos that shine a light on each of them.
  • Company Culture: if you’re proud of your company culture, show it off. If it looks like a good place to work, it’s probably a good place to do business as well. Use this on your “Home” page or “Employment” page.
  • Event Videos: hosting events is a great way to drum-up business. Producing a video during the event allows you to share it with people who couldn’t attend. The event effectively lives on after it’s over. Write a blog post about the event and display the video along with it.
  • Community Support: do you give back to the community? These days consumers reward community-friendly companies with their businesses. This could work well on your Home, About, or Employment page, as well as your blog.

Hopefully, that gets you started. Again, if you can only produce one video, start with the About Us video. Then, move on from there.

You’re on your way to a digital platform you can be proud of!

Tony Gnau - T60 ProductionsTony Gnau is the Founder and Chief Storytelling Officer at T60 Productions. He’s a three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, has led T60 Productions to winning 18 Telly Awards for its corporate videos, and is the author of the Amazon #1 Bestseller “Lights, Camera, Impact: storytelling, branding, and production tips for engaging corporate videos.”