How to Engage Visitors with Video on Your Website

Think about how you can get the most out of your efforts

We’re seeing more and more videos on websites, and it is getting easier and easier to create good quality videos for very little money.  So how can you use video on your website to engage your visitors?  Like everything, the trick is to think strategically.  Don’t make a video simply for the sake of keeping up with a trend.

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For most sites, you need a good mix of written content, images and video.  Don’t try to replace all of your written content with video.  Some information is best communicated with the written word.  Think about when and why your visitor would be searching for a particular type of content.  Are they looking for quick information at a glance?  Do they want to know more about your company behind the scenes or how you make a product?  Are they doing general research on an issue?  Do they need to know more about how your product works? When are they visiting and where are they when they visit? These are the questions to ask when you are deciding if you should present information in a video or with the written word.

Three Times to Use Video

Video lends itself to certain types of information.  Here are a few instances where the video is clearly the best way to engage your visitor.

• Tutorials: Video is brilliant for any kind of how-to content. It is ideal when your product needs to be assembled or you need to provide instructions on how to use it.  Be sure to show what is happening from more than one angle so people can really see clearly how to do it.
• Virtual Tours: If you have a venue, people want to see it. Photo galleries are good, but videos can be great.  You can include a voice-over with more information.  For example, if you are promoting a hotel as a venue for wedding receptions, include footage of the function room and say how many people it holds and how it can be decorated.
• Showing Your Process: People want to see exactly what you do before making the leap from visitor to customer. Video lets you show them.  They can see exactly what you do, whether you provide a service or make a product.  If you make a high-end artisan product, people really enjoy seeing how you make it – but you don’t have to give away all of your secrets!

When you include a video on your website, include written content to reiterate what is being said.  Sometimes, people can’t have the sound on.  Perhaps they have seen it and just want to check something quickly without watching the whole video.  It’s all about giving them the best user experience you can when they visit your site, so always think about what they need when they are visiting a specific page.

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