Adding video to websites

If you need evidence for this, then did you know that on some days youtube.com generates more clicks than Google? Amazing, but true. People love to watch videos – and so do consumers!

Allow us to give you a few pointers…There are many reasons why one would add video content to their website, or sales pages. The main one of course, being pure, unadulterated profit.

That’s right, if you run a website as a business, then there would of course be no point adding anything, unless it increases your conversions, sales, and profits.

Think shopping channels..

If you have never watched one of those shopping channels on sky, QVC for example, then I suggest you quickly scoot over there and have a quick gander at what is happening. The reason being, that such TV shopping channels give you the perfect example of why adding videos to your website business, can dramatically increase your sales – The simple fact is, that people really do love to be presented to.

A few reasons why adding video to your website is almost becoming a must:

1. Consumers are lazy!

Yes, that is a fact. If you have pages, up on pages of sales content on your website, then chances are, that unless you are a serious copywriter, who can grab the attention of your audience inside a few seconds, then you are missing out on a lot of potential buyers. Customers neither have the time, nor inclination to read through page, after page of content. So you WILL lose customers and quickly.

Adding video to your website combats this in a few ways. Currently, video on a website is unique, it has the novelty factor, and consumers would much rather click on a single ‘play’ button, than have to wade through pages of content to obtain the details to what you have to offer.

2. Video enhances the buying experience.

Think about it. A website, well 99% of websites you will come across, are as dull as dishwater, like watching paint dry. If you think this, then you can bet your bottom dollar that potential buyers will, too. Video creates a colourful, and human entry in to what you are offering.

3. Confidence factor.

By using videos, you are showing customers that you are real. Not just another faceless entity trying to take their money. Videoportays that you have taken the effort to show a potential customer why they should by from you. By using human interaction, via video content, you are also tapping into subconscious levels with your buyers; who will use such a medium to consciously switch off and turn the buying experience into a visual advantage – for you. People trust people – video shows people!

4. Increase your search engine rankings.

Yes, by adding video content to your website, will mean that just by the pure fact that something is unique (the video), that most buyers will not have seen before, will increase the chance of that particular visitor staying on your website. What does this mean to SEO rankings? Well, Google now determine the validity of a website, by the amount of time spent on your site. They call this the ‘bounce rate’.

If a visitor spends less than a couple of seconds on your website, then Google and the rest of the search engines, will deem your site as not really being of interest; and if enough visitors do the same, and click off quickly, then search engines will also very quickly listen to ‘their’ results, and class your website as not being of interest to the very people who are using their search facilities. Video creates ’stickability’ – thus keeps people on your website for longer – which in turn helps your search engine rankings.

Food for thought? Absolutely..

The internet is changing, and as has proven with TV, people would much rather ‘watch something’, than read something. It is a fact, and as video, including broadband video becomes much more accessible, then you will quickly see a majority of websites become more animated, rather than the current static state, you see today.

We anticipate, that inside 5 years, website video will have taken over, and become the ‘norm’ when advertising on the internet. You do not have to wait that long. You can take this information, use a little foresight, and capture your market using tried-and-tested methods, that have proven to create interest, and profits – video.

An example of how professional, and inviting video content can look can be found by clicking here.

Here is a video I found which is worth a watch. It has a tips about ecommerce websites from a selection of experts. It is worth viewing a couple of times just to really take the information in, otherwise you can forget some bits within minutes of hearing them.

Here is a short video called GA in 60 seconds. We have posted before about the benefits of using Google Analytics on your ecommerce website. So if you aren’t already check this video out and then head on over and sign in to your G account and access the service (it’s totally free if you didn’t already know).