The Do’s and Don’ts of Homepage Videos

Every company tries to attract and hold the users' attention. The home page is the first thing a customer meets when they open any website, and the most important thing here is the first impression. But how can you get the user’s curiosity and tell them about your business? It’s homepage videos. This format of presenting information allows companies to increase the conversion rate and engagement among users. For example, 72% of customers would rather watch a video to learn about a brand than read text.  Also, using a video on your homepage can increase website conversions by 80%. A real boon for both entrepreneur and user, isn't it? But where are the pitfalls? Gapsy Studio knows how to make an outstanding user experience, so, in this article, we've compiled the do’s and don’ts of homepage videos. 

Visual content gets our attention. So don't limit it to text and pictures. An informative and attractive video tells a lot and is more vivid than a full-page text. A homepage video gets the information to the users much faster and more briefly, but it also helps establish emotional contact with the client. For example, if you want to create a video about your brand or production, you can show it visually and let the user get a sense of the atmosphere, which will incline them to your side. Business revolves around the user, and a homepage video is a tool to connect with them.

Another benefit of it — is increasing the users’ stay on your site, raising conversions and engagement with the content, as video requires clicks and additional interaction. User staying on the site increases by 2.6 times if the page has video content. The homepage video is a demonstration of brand uniqueness. With a video review, you can not just talk sparingly about your business but show the spectrum of emotions and convey that passion to your customer, tell them about your achievements and desires, and introduce them to your team.

We approach individually to each project during website design, but there are essential rules to follow, as they are familiar to every business that wants to place a video on the home page.

Do’s: present your significance.

The famous proverb “Good clothes open all doors” means that the first impression should be memorable. A video on the homepage should tell your customers about your business, not in a long, boring movie, but with crucial facts, the company's successes, its goals, and position. Speak your customers' language, don't make complicated content. The video should resonate with every user. Show where the clients can apply your services or how your business works for them. Be short and precise. 

For example, your video might include:

• Do you provide services? Identify the problem you are solving.

• Show customers how you solve this problem. What is your value?

• Tell the audience how you are developing, share your goals.

Here is a great example of a homepage video:

Read also What Is Branding and Why It Matters in our blog. 

Don’ts: be over-detail.

The false assumption is that the more detail you tell, the better for customers. The user wants to see specific actions, and a long video will only tire them out, and they probably will only watch it to the end. Up to two minutes is the optimal length of a video. That's enough time to make an impression and familiarize the client with your services. It is optional to the overabundance of information and information about prices, location, and other details that the user can find on the site. The homepage video is an introduction and the company's business card.

Do’s: make it for the target audience.

The homepage video is the first your new customers see. That means it will be their first impression of your company. Start by showcasing your brand, add testimonials about your services, and involve your actual employees in the video so that they can tell it all from a first-person perspective. Take the feelings and sensations as the basis, and remember to keep it to 2 minutes, describing everything in an exciting and understandable language for your users.

Don’ts: using the autoplay

Don't autoplay the video. Instead, let the user control it. Customers can access your site under any conditions, whether at home on the couch or in a coffee shop. You don't know how loud their speakers are or if they're wearing headphones. Abruptly played music or voice can scare the user and be annoying. As a result, the first impression will be spoiled, and the site's conversion can slide. 

Read more about Conversion Centered Design in our blog.

For instance, Divi put their video at the top of their page. It's small, informative, and has a fascinating story — essential elements for the perfect homepage video. 

Do’s: place the video at the top and center of the page.

The video on the website homepage should be the center of attention. If you put it at the bottom of the page, it's likely the user won't get to it. The video also serves as a call to action, and it should always be in front of potential customers. It's important to remember that if you use video content, you need to reduce the concentration of other attention-grabbing elements to avoid noise and clutter on the page and focus the user's attention specifically on the video.

Don’ts: focus only on the video

The homepage video adds a short and informative story about your company to your brand’s image, so information should support it as printed text—for example, an “About Us” page. However, video review alone won't be enough for the users to answer everything, and they're bound to have questions. So use the video in combination with an extended written copy. In this way, the two types of content will complement each other harmoniously.

Read more about how to create the “About Us” page in our blog. 

Do’s: be multifaceted.

The video presentation is part of your self-presentation and company image creation. You need to show your uniqueness and stand out among your competitors. Learn about new trends and put them into action. 

Read also How much does an explainer video costs in our blog.

Video is one way to make a statement about your brand and present it to potential customers. A good homepage video can create a vivid first impression. However, it's a time-consuming process that professionals must approach thoroughly and rely on. At Gapsy studio, we provide a homepage video design service as we know how to increase website conversion rates and improve the user experience with homepage videos. View our projects on Dribbble and contact us to create a project that would be a leader among your competitors.