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% 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 key considerations as to why you should use video on your business site:

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% of online consumers report that a business’ product or service video helps them make a decision to buy
• 65% of executives who watch work-related videos visit the business’ website afterwards
• 64% 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% 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. In one study, a restaurant increased their sales by 20% just by adding “our most popular items” on the menu next to a few dishes. Social proof is also at work for many TV shows: the canned laughter triggers others to laugh at the same things.

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. Now that you know the importance of using video on your business website, 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! We’d love to support you and your business in creating, engaging quality video content. Please contact Donna or myself, Jeff at 239-878-4641 or donna@visitivitymedia.com to see how you can get started increasing your exposure and gain new customers. Our years of experience in producing award winning video will go a long way in helping you build on your success!