Video: Your Website Needs It…NOW
“How will adding video to my website help my company?”
This is a question we hear quite often and this is how we typically respond:
“Search engine optimization,” is usually one of the first answers given by video providers to potential clients. However, some people will argue about the validity of this statement. Nevertheless, it is indisputable that video streaming directly from your website is helpful to SEO in terms of the additional tags it forces you to add on your site. If you really want to expand your prevalence on the web, then you should be taking all of your non-confidential video content, and plastering it all over the internet, particularly on YouTube. You can then link your YouTube channel to your website.
More important than SEO, however, is the fact that video is probably the best type of content that you can feature on your website. Print and images often take up considerable space on your webpage, and probably require the site’s visitors to invest more time and attention than they were planning to devote to your site. The same point can often be made with a 1-3 minute video, which quickly engages the visitor with little effort on their part: click “play,” watch, done. All of this can be accomplished within the confines of a small player that’s no wider than 400 pixels.
Videos can also strengthen the testimonials you feature on your site. The savvy reader will approach all testimonials with a healthy dose of skepticism, but video testimonials allow your site’s visitors to actually see who is singing the praises of your company. This gives visitors a chance to identify with the speaker and hopefully consider how the speaker’s needs are similar their own. And of course, video presents evidence that the testimonials are legitimate!
Aside from your products or services, your website is probably the primary means through which you distinguish yourself from your competitors. Video can showcase your company’s identity, and demonstrate what is different, exceptional, and attention worthy about your business. Just as all the elements of a movie combine to create a unique universe that can potentially make a strong impression on the viewer, the same holds true for short videos.
I’ve created over 50 videos for salons in the Boston area, and most of those salons offer comparable services and ambience (this is often the case with restaurants, gyms, contractors, moving companies, etc). Their videos, however, are original, and highlight the distinctive qualities and special details of each salon, that move beyond the typical features. Whether it is the inviting atmosphere at the facility, the extensive experience of the stylists, or the exclusive clientele – these features are communicated quickly and effectively through video.
At least one of your competitors is probably using video on their website. Try this experiment: search for a service or product in Google, and browse the top 10 websites the search yields. How many of them have video? How do they compare to the websites without video? Chances are that the websites without video pale in comparison with those video-equipped websites. Without moving images and sound, the old websites look outdated and sometimes just plain lifeless.
If you decide to use video, as you should,rest assured that it will elevate your website into a powerful new dimension that is rapidly becoming as mandatory for websites as websites are for businesses.
Tags: Media, Online Marketing, SEO, Social Media, Video, Websites, Youtube
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