If you’ve been scouring the web for ideas to use on your website, you might have noticed that more and more sites are now adding videos on their pages. You will see many kinds of videos being added to websites and these include information videos, introduction videos, and how-to videos. There are many reasons why these are becoming a popular add-on for many sites and we will tackle those reasons here.
Before we explain why videos should become an integral part of your website, let us first clarify that we are not talking about those videos that play automatically the moment you arrive at a page. Those kinds of videos are actually seen as annoyances, and people tend to leave the site the moment these videos begin playing. What we are talking about are videos that a site visitor can click to see and to get information from.
Now, back to why you should always consider adding videos to your website. Why should you? Here are 3 good reasons why:
It captures your audience’s attention – not that many people have the time or the patience to read through thousands of words of text to understand what you are offering, or why your company is good for them. Having a video they can watch and listen to can actually help site visitors understand what you can do for them, and without the need to wade through paragraph upon paragraph of copy.
You have to remember that people now have shorter attention spans when it comes to browsing, and if you cannot provide them with quality information and content in the first ten seconds they are on your site, there is a huge probability that they will leave. Capture your target market’s attention and keep it there with high quality and informative videos that they can get what they need from.
It makes what you have to say easier to understand – ever wonder why more and more people read books after they have watched the movie first? The reason is perfectly simple – it is because the movie gave them a glimpse of what the books provide. The movie is usually a summary of what is in the book, and if the person likes the summarized version, they usually look for the longer, more in-depth counterpart to find out more. The same holds true for videos that are found on your site.
If you have a video that highlights key points of your service, your products, or your ideas, chances are, when people find the information in your video intriguing, they will want to learn more. That can lead to them reading more about what you have to offer, or getting in touch with you and asking questions. Getting people interested in what you have to say and what you can offer is the first step to conversions.
It makes your site interactive and personable – while people cannot really talk to the person in the video they are watching, the fact that they are looking at another active human being on your site explaining things to them, makes it seem less impersonal. When you buy something or want to learn how something can benefit you, would you rather read about it or have someone tell you about it? Having a video of someone telling site visitors about what you can do for them is often better than a site FAQ or a wall of copy that people have to wade through to get answers from.
Of course, in order for people to confirm what they saw and heard on your video, you should also provide transcripts at the bottom, if that is possible. This will help give visitors a clearer picture of what you are saying and makes it easier for them to grasp your message. Having a transcript of what each video is about helps to clarify points that your visitor may need to have clarified. In the end, videos are a good idea for your site not only for the abovementioned reasons, but also because videos are cool! They improve website experience, and impress site visitors while providing them with information that they need.
