It’s widely known among Internet professionals that adding video to Websites enhances the user experience, improves search engine rankings and prolongs site visitation. Web video also offers a much-needed alternative to text and pictures when presenting certain information to a potential client or target audience. To illustrate, we’ll take a look at the Website www.insightscollection.com
Tony Michaelides spent over 30 years as one of the most influential record promoters to come out of the UK. He worked with artists such as David Bowie, Genesis, Peter Gabriel and U2. He now writes a popular blog, councils upcoming bands and has assembled a series of presentations and books based on his “Lessons Learned from Rock and Roll” concept. While Tony’s blog, Website and Facebook pages all enjoy significant traffic, Digital Media Services recently suggested that Tony add an introductory video to his Insights Collection home page to improve Website popularity and better present his brand.
Much of Tony’s success is due to his energetic, outgoing personality and that just doesn’t fully come across via words and pictures alone. Using video allows Tony’s Website visitors to gain a much better feel for who Tony is and what they can expect from him should they choose to hire him as a counselor or for a speaking engagement. Viewing the video also encourages visitors to spend more time on Tony’s site learning about his background and how his services might benefit or entertain them. And, since adding the video on his home page, Tony’s page rankings and Web traffic have both increased.
But there are a few details to consider when adding video to a Website. If you host your own videos, make sure you assign the actual video file a descriptive, keyword-based file name. Search engines pick up on the names of video files. “video_01” is not a very good file name. “tampa_bay_video_tour” is much better. Also, be sure to include descriptive text about your video on the Web page on which it appears. If you don’t host your own videos and have no control of the file name once it’s been uploaded, be sure to include an accurate and detailed description of the video and offer relevant keywords wherever possible in the text fields offered by video hosting sites.
Keep Web videos short. Two or three minutes is usually about as long as most surfers are willing to devote to watching a video unless it’s a lecture or narrative presentation on a topic they’re researching or find particularly interesting. Also, don’t overlook production quality. While most consumers are used to seeing home movie-style videos on YouTube and Facebook, businesses are usually not represented well with low-quality video productions, no matter how small the business might be. If budget is a concern, looking into a production like our Express Web Video that offers professional results at affordable pricing.
OK, now for some fun. Anyone know what the very first video uploaded to YouTube was? Me at the zoo was uploaded by YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim on April 23, 2005. What about the first live Internet broadcast? Way back in August of 1995, the audio of a Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees baseball game was streamed via a system by Real Networks.
Including video on a Website has multiple benefits. Don’t overlook this valuable tool for your Website marketing.