Category Archives: Web Development

How to optimise your website video for search rankings

4 Ways to get your website video to the top of the search rankings – FREE guide

OK, so you’ve got some awesome website videos and now you want to drive loads of lovely traffic to your website. You know that videos are indexed well by Google but how do you actually go about getting your video in the rankings.

Here’s our quick guide to how to do it.

1. Use YouTube

It sounds obvious but it’s amazing how many people forget to use this free platform. Basically Google gets information from thousands of different places on the Internet. These are compiled into the results that you see when you do a search. The great news is that YouTube and Google seem (albeit denied) to have a special relationship with each other in terms of favouritism. This means that videos on YouTube are 85% more likely to show up in the rankings than other platforms.

So definitely use YouTube but also don’t exclude the other channels such as Vimeo and Google Video.

2. Optimise your video

Again, this seems obvious but many people simply upload their videos but don’t bother optimising them. It’s vital that you optimise your video titles, description and tags. And you don’t forget to optimise the actual title and file name as YouTube look at all these factors. It’s always a good idea to do some keyword research so that you use tags that are relevant and not too competitive. Long tail keywords work well, especially ones that are geographically based (such as a town / county).

3. Video sitemap

If you have a video hosted on your own website then you’ll need to create a video sitemap. While videos are indexed by the search engines on the platforms such as YouTube automatically they’re not on a ‘normal’ website. This means you’ll need to create and upload a site map with meta data about the video title, content and running time.

4. Compelling thumbnails

When you upload your website videos make sure that you pick a thumbnail that’s going to make the viewer hit the play button. Think about what will draw the user to the video and select the thumbnail accordingly.

If you’re considering website video production then talk to us first. We help loads of businesses like you achieve huge online success and improved conversion rates with stunning explainer videos and website videos. We back this up with making sure all the techie stuff (as above) is done to ensure maximum exposure.

Give you friendly video production company a call today on 01527 910050.

7 Ways to Boost Business with a Web Video

Boost business revenue with a Web Video

More and more businesses are investing their marketing spend into web video production. This is no longer the domain of ‘big business’ – now, more than ever start-ups and SMEs have switched onto the power of online video.

If you’re thinking of getting a web video or explainer video production then make sure you read our essential FREE guide first.

First the amazing statistics

Websites that have explainer videos are 55% more likely to rank on the front page of a Google search.

Start-ups and SMEs that use explainer videos on their websites receive over 32% more clicks, 20% more calls and (critically) 25% more sales.

A person is 85% more likely to buy a product or service online if it has an accompanying video.

So, basically an online video will improve your SEO and get you more sales. Period. But before you rush out and become the ‘Steven Spielberg’ of your business here are some essential things to consider.

1. Planning is everything

It’s all in the planning. The most common mistake that we see is that businesses jump right into making a video without any planning. This can result in unprofessional or sloppy videos that can alienate an audience instead or engaging them. Every single video you produce should be thought through and considered as part of an overall strategy.

You should define what the aims and goals of your video is and how you are going to distribute the content. Decide on the type of video you’re going to make, for example do you need an explainer video, instructional video or demo video.

Map everything out from the start. This will help to make your video a success.

2. Know your audience

Lot’s of business owners are too close to their business. We’ve all heard the saying “can’t see the woods for the trees” and this can be very true when it comes to actually knowing what your customers want. It’s really important that you put yourself in your customer’s shoes and think like them.

Just remember that your customers only want to know one thing – “What can you do for me today?”

If you don’t answer this question with your website video in the first few seconds then your viewers will switch off. Think along the lines of telling a story and how your customer reacts to your messages. Tell them what you can do for them and how it will positively affect their lives and solve their problems.

Here is a great checklist:

Present a problem

Present a solution
Explain how the solution works
Summarise and call to action

If you stick to this formula then you will always have a good structure. This approach also helps give you a framework for the script.

3. Quality counts

The web is an unforgiving place and videos get shared – this is great if your video is good, but not so good if the video is bad! So think quality – your video represents your business and should positively impact it in terms of message and the overall quality of the production or animation.

Invest in a good quality video camera with HD capability

Buy a tripod – there is nothing worse than shaky, amateurish footage
Remember the importance of sound. Good microphones are worth the investment
Consider investing in some good quality editing software
Plan, plan, plan

4. Don’t give it all away – leave them want more info

Videos that are crammed with stats and detail turn viewers off. Get your main proposition over in the first 30 seconds and keep the video to a maximum of 90 seconds. The longer the video – the more viewers will switch off.

This is not saying that you can’t make a longer video, but be sure that the audience wants the info. For example, if you are showing someone ‘how to decorate a room’ then you’ll probably need more time. BUT, keep it concise and short.

You want them to contact you so leave them wanting more.

5. Boring is not allowed

Talking heads tend to turn people off. You need to be engaging and interesting. Explainer videos that use animation are a great tool for businesses. They tend to include subtle humour and be no more than 90s. A bit of creativity often works and can make a real difference.

Think about using animation

Connect with your viewers on an emotional level
Think about what you can do for your customers
Plan your story
Pick a thumbnail image that compels the viewer to click

6. Check out your statistics

The great thing about online videos is that you can check the viewing statistics using your analytics. This will allow you judge the success of the video, engagement and if it’s been shared.

7. Don’t forget your call to action

It sounds too simple, but your audience wants you to tell them what to do. They want a clear call to action. In addition to contact details you can now include clickable links on a video that allows you to direct your audience to an action.

Online video is here to stay and the best way to boost your business. We help lots of businesses like you achieve huge success online with marketing and explainer videos. We have lots of FREE guides that you can use to help you create a killer video.

If you’d like to get a video produced then we’d love to help, we’re based near Birmingham and work all over the UK… please feel free to call your friendly experts today on 01527 910050

 

Essential Web Video Statistics

Essential web video statistics – and how they affect your company

Are you a business start-up or SME? Or do you manage the sales strategy for a business? If you answer yes then have you considered video marketing? If not then maybe it’s time you did as there is a lot of compelling evidence as to why this is one of the most powerful ways to boost sales.

In all likelihood if you don’t use video online then you’re probably missing out on a great opportunity. If someone watches an online video (such as a marketing or explainer video) then they are already interested. This means that it’s just a short step to turn that lead into a sale.

Here are some amazing statistics…

Make your web video effective – Here’s the stats.

Did you know that you only have 10 seconds to grab the attention of a viewer of a video? And around a fifth of these will be lost in the first 10 seconds. It get’s worse… you’ll also lose around 30% of your audience by 30 seconds, 50% by around a minutes and 61% by the two minute mark.

Mobile viewers however, seem to have a better attention span. Apple phone users will watch videos for around two and a half minutes and Android user will get to three minutes. The ones with the longest attention span are the iPad users with an attention span that hits 5 minutes. (Incidentally, this is why you should always have a mobile website as well as your main site).

Explainer videos and marketing videos have to be effective from the get-go. The rewards are huge, you could be missing out on over 400% of profit (which some of your competition are enjoying). So to make sure you get a video that works then you’ll need a professional video production company to help you. We have lot’s of FREE guides to help you with a range of things from how to write a killer script though to how to structure your video.

A Picture is worth more than a thousand words – it’s official

According to Forrester Research, one minute of video is worth 1.8 million words. So the saying ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ is true – well, it should probably say ‘a picture is worth 1.8 million words’.

Even if you can be bothered to actually write 1.8 million words it would take you around 160 days. This is the effort that’s needed to get the same impact as 1 minute of video. So, as you can see, video is by far the most effective way of marketing your business.

How big is the web video market?

In a survey that measures user engagement almost 46% of Internet users watch at least three videos per month. In fact, every day over 120 million people watch web videos.

Ninety five percent of visitors to a retail website stated that they find video useful when making a buying decision. Retailers using video on their website to explain a product or service report that the products or services with an accompanying video sell more than those without.

In terms of B2B then 80% of executives (in a survey by Forbes) said that they watch videos related to their business or associated services at least once a week. And 70% of these will visit the related website after seeing the video. If this was your site then this means driving relevant traffic that’s ready and interested in buying what you are offering.

In fact, 59% of company executives stated that they would much rather watch a video than read text. You can now see the opportunity that a website video brings.

What will I get from a web video?

Over 85% of people using the Internet remember watching a marketing video or explainer video on a website that they visited in the last month. Of those, then 30% visited the company website featured in the video and 16% actually purchased the product or service. According to another online survey then 85% of your website visitors are more likely to buy a product or service if accompanied by an explainer video or sales video.

Make your e-mail marketing more effective

It’s not just websites that benefit from online videos. By simply adding a video to an introductory e-mail can increase the click through rate by almost 97%. Amazing.

If you ignore the power of using explainer videos and sales videos on your website you’re missing out to your competition who do use them. Companies that use online videos experience vastly improved click through rates and sales. So, for just a small investment you could be taking advantage of all that missed revenue.

If you’d like any help and advice on video production then we’d love to help you. We produce compelling explainer videos and website videos that work. Contact us today on 01527 910050.