Long gone are the days when websites were just another form of business cards. Back then, it was enough to have a photo on it, maybe a couple of lines of text saying what you did, your business address, and of course, your phone number. That’s it, believe it or not, people would call you. Oh how times have changed! Today, websites are (or should be) powerful business tools that not only help people find you, but also relate, interact, communicate and buy from you. That means that just having your contact information on your website is not enough to engage visitors and make them want to do business with you. You need something else. You need to show them why they need to work with you, why the need to choose you over the competition. There are many ways you can accomplish this, but right now I’ll focus on one: Videos.
Humans are very visual creatures. Even though we are equipped with 5 senses, our visual sense is definitely our favorite one. That’s why we love movies, television, reading, and yes, youtube! So videos are an excellent way to capture your website visitor’s short attention span. Not sure how to use videos on your website? Don’t worry, here are 5 ways you can use videos to engage visitors and convert them into paying customers:
1.- Video testimonials
It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, or whether your offer products or services. Testimonials show that you have a real business and deal with real people that trust you, and they help increase the confidence of those that still don’t know you. You may already have written testimonials on your website, but videos go a longer way. Some people claim that it’s not easy to get customers to do video testimonials (they get shy in front of the camera), but here’s an idea, offer them a discount if the agree to do one. Hey, everybody loves saving money, right?
See live example:
2.- “What we do” type video
It’s usually a good idea to use videos to explain what you do or what you offer. As I mentioned before, we humans are very visual, and we rather have someone explain something to us, than reading it off the website. This is specially useful if you offer very technical products or services.
See live example:
3.- Work example video
People may understand what you do, but they may need to see how good you are at what you do in order to decide to do business with you. Guess what? Videos will help you with that. Show them your process, and maybe a little before and after action too. Trust me, they’ll love that.
See live example:
4.- Product walkthrough video
Just like when you were at school, do a show and tell! Record a video showcasing your products, explain how they work and the benefits of using them. A little video like the one below may just be enough to tip the scale and turn that website visitor into a paying customer.
See live example:
5.- Infomercial type videos
Do you know why infomercials are so good at making people buy stuff? Because the give people information! Ok, you probably knew that already, but it’s actually more than that. They give the viewer a reason why to buy. They play on the person’s feelings, fears and wants, and that’s exactly why they are so successful. These type of videos are a little more complicated to come up with, but they offer an amazing return. So go see some examples, get creative, and take a shot at making your very own infomercial.
See live example:
Some of these videos, like the infomercials or the ones with animations, will require that you set aside a small to large budget for their production, but others, like the testimonials, can be recorded with your smartphone’s camera and uploaded to youtube at no cost, so there is really no excuse not to try some of these ideas.
If you have a website, and are not using videos, you are missing out big time. So get your smartphone out, and tap the record button. I’ll see you later on your website!
P.S. All of the websites showcased above are SDIM projects.
