If you’re a small business owner, you’ve likely heard the motto
“content is king” to describe the importance of content marketing. And
while written content is effective for many audiences, visual marketing
is an even more powerful tool to increase interactions and actions.
Forrester Research
takes the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” one step further
by adding that a one-minute video is worth 1.8 million words.
Considering that 46 percent of people who watch a video ad on a business
website take action after viewing it, it makes sense to include video
in your marketing strategy.
Here are six reasons why you should use video on your business website:
1. Rank better in Google
One of the factors of Google’s algorithm for search rankings is
“dwell time,” or how long visitors stay on your website. This may also
be referred to as “long clicks vs. short clicks.” The idea is that if
people are spending a lot of time on your website, it must have quality
content. A great way to capture—and hold—visitors’ attention is to
provide a short, compelling video.
Businesses that include video on their site generally see higher
engagement rates, higher click-through rates, and higher conversion
rates. In fact, 80 percent of people who watch a video ad will recall it
even a month later, and
12 percent will purchase the product from the ad.
2. Showcase your brand’s personality
In today’s digital world, more and more people shop, work, and
communicate online. While this is convenient, it means that we aren’t
putting faces to names as often. To humanize your brand, use video to
connect to your audience with as close to a face-to-face interaction as
possible. Our emotions are what tend to motivate our decision-making and
the actions we take, so the use of both sound and moving images appeals
to all our senses.
Using a video to showcase your brand’s personality helps visitors on
your website get a better sense of who you are and what you stand
for—which builds trust in your
business—and the emotional connection is one of the reasons that keeps customers coming back.
3. Stand out from the competition
There’s no doubt about it: video is an important part of content
marketing and it’s only going to become more essential. Consider these
facts:
• 90 percent of online consumers report that a business’ product or service video helps them make a decision to buy
• 65 percent of executives who watch work-related videos visit the business’ website afterwards
• 64 percent of people who visit a business’ website are likely to buy their product after watching a video
• real estate listings that include a video get 403% more inquiries than those without video
But because only half of businesses
currently use video in their marketing—a number that is predicted to
rise to 64 percent in the near future—you still have the opportunity to
stand out from the competition by making use of this powerful marketing
tool. Use it to introduce your brand to newcomers, answer your website
visitors’ questions, or just to make ‘em laugh—not to mention create a
favorable and lasting impression.
4. Provide video testimonials
Credibility is a crucial element for any
business, no matter whether you’re a startup or an established brand. A
great way to impart credibility is straight from the mouths of real
people who have purchased your product or service and are genuinely
happy with it. This is also called social proof, which is a shortcut to
trust and believability that happens when a peer—either someone you know
personally or someone with similar needs—recommends a product.
5. Include mobile users
If you’ve ever tried reading a long article
on a relatively small Smartphone screen, you know how slow-going it can
be—even on websites with responsive design. Receiving the same
information via video can make the process much easier for the average
person, especially in this day and age of short attention spans. Since
viewing video on a mobile device has
increased 532 percent in the last two years, and
40 percent of people prefer to get their information visually rather than plain text anyway, it makes sense to give consumers what they want.
6. Demonstrate your product
Sometimes your product requires a slightly more detailed explanation,
and a demo video can be much more ideal than a written description. A
great example of a product demonstration video is for
Buff’s multifunctional headband. Because their product is so versatile, it makes sense to let potential customers know all the ways they can use it.
Now that you know the importance of using video on your business
website, finding the right company that will guide you along the way is
very important step in the process. And before you ask, it is highly not
recommended to create your own video, unless you have a background in
video production, graphics and sound.
Comelite’s video production specialists have the right equipment and
knowledge to produce a high quality video that will be appealing and eye
catching to your website visitors. Take a look at our recent projects
in
our YouTube channel. Finally, keep in mind that you’ll want to upload your videos to
YouTube,
Vimeo, and all your social media platforms to get as much exposure as
possible. Make sure to include clear titles and keyword-rich
descriptions to help them get found and you’ll be well on your way to
better engagement, click-through, and conversion rates!