If you've been hesitant to start using video on your website or blog, just check out YouTube's statistics:
- Over 2 billion videos are viewed every day
- In 2010, there were over 700 billion video playbacks
- 100 million people watch video from their phone each day
- 4 million people shared a video with another social network last year
As the second largest search engine, YouTubeTM has found one effective way to drive traffic to their site: video.
Based on those numbers, it's obvious that using video on your website can be extremely profitable. When it's used correctly, video can reduce your bounce rate meaning people not only stick around longer but they view additional pages. Used incorrectly, your video could chase your visitors away and keep them from coming back.
By following these Top 4 Rules, implementing this new marketing strategy and utilizing video effectively on your website should be a breeze!
Rule #1 - Make it Look Professional
Have you ever watched a video that looked and sounded awful? The camera was shaky, the sound was muffled and the color was off? I know I have and rest assured that I wasn't coming back to watch more! The good news is for about $100 you can purchase a high quality camera that will make you look and sound like a pro.
There are also multiple video editing software programs that have all the bells and whistles the pros use. My personal favorite is Camtasia by Techsmith. There is a learning curve though so be prepared to put some time in figuring out the system.
Another great alternative is the creative suite of Vegas products from Sony. Vegas Movie Studio not only offers a powerful video editor but you can also select from hundreds of professional 2D and 3D video effects, titles, and filters to enhance your video. Plus you can upload directly to YouTubeTM.
Rule #2 - Don't Autostart Your Video
Nothing is more irritating than visiting a website with a video on auto play. Consider the fact that your visitors may be checking out your site from the office and don't want everyone to hear what they're viewing. Give your visitors the choice to turn down their speakers and view it at their leisure rather than chasing them away. It's often easier to click out of a site than fumble for the speaker volume.
Rule #3 - Be Prepared
Once you've written your script, practice out loud. I like to stand in front of a mirror or talk it out to my husband to get comfortable rather than just reading it word for word. If you're practicing in front of someone, make sure they can offer constructive feedback. You also need to make sure that you are speaking to your audience and not over their head. For example: If I'm talking about why pre-approval is so important, I always ask whoever I'm practicing in front of - "if you were a first time homebuyer, would this make sense to you?" You will quickly turn off your audience if they can't understand your industry lingo.
If you do need to read the script, then use a free tool like this online teleprompter.
Rule #4 - Test, Track & Analyze Your Results
Don't just throw a video on your website without a way to analyze its performance. Simply adding video to your website isn't going to bring traffic in droves. First you need to test it out. Ask your visitors, friends, and family to give you their opinions and then do split testing.
With split testing or A/B testing, you determine traffic differences between two or more web pages and gauge which has the best conversion rate. Once you've added your video to a page, you need to figure out if there is an increase in conversions. There's no way to know if your video message is helping or hurting your website without a way to measure your results both before and after you've added it.
After all - it's not just a website we want, it's a website that actually converts visitors into clients!
Top 4 Rules for Using Video on Your Website was written by Rebekah Radice.
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