4 Tips to Maximize the Impact of a Background Video on Your Homepage

They say the first impression is the last. And rightly so. In the online world, the moment a user lands on your website could be a decisive moment -- he/she will either explore more and convert, or leave and never come back (sad ending).

In such cut-throat competition, your website, and ultimately your business, can only grow if you render a top-notch user experience. And the page where this user experience begins is the ‘Home’ page.

The content you display here is a sales pitch; at the least, it entices visitors to visit other pages too. There’s no better way to instantly grab your prospect’s attention the moment he lands on the page than to show a video.

Statistics tell us video content is 1200% more successful than other content. To reap the numerous benefits associated with video marketing, so many websites are using a brand story video on the ‘Home’ page.

So if you want to incorporate a video background on your home page, here are a few useful tips to maximize the impact.

4 Tips to Maximize the Impact of a Background Video on Your Homepage

1. Video Must be Original, Featuring Real People

The two primary objectives of this video are engagement and credibility. A video taken down from paid or free platforms might engage visitors but it will never build credibility. Therefore, your first priority should be a video featuring people behind the brand.

It doesn’t make any difference how impressive the shoot location is, or how small your office is, the originality will make your video stand out. So don’t hesitate to pull the curtains and give people a sneak-peak behind the scenes.

If you are an ad agency, you can show a video featuring your employees. Likewise, if you are a physical business, your video can feature your shop and the items you sell. 

2.  Fancy is Not Always the Best, Simplicity Wins!

Simplicity paired with creativity can imbue a soul into the video you will be using on your Home page. Don’t go too fancy, don’t clutter your videos with emojis, effects, and artificial elements.

Your video should uplift the mood of your audience, tell them who are the people behind the brand in a simple way. Too much fanciness can be distracting, and you will never be able to convince your visitor to take the desired action.

I’m not asking you to post a raw video; do hire a video editor and add a bit of glamour to it. But keep in mind, it should feel original because people have had enough of those videos taken down from a platform and displayed on hundreds of websites. Your audience has sharp memories and can easily identify those.

3. Don’t Autoplay

You’re itching to get your brand story out in the form of a video. And you want each of your visitors to watch the video from start till the last second. But is it wise to force them to watch it, even if they don’t want the video to autoplay?

Let them decide if they want to watch it or not. Make sure if they wish to ignore the video, the background still remains pleasant. 

Autoplay can be distracting as well. With small attention spans, you don’t want people to sway away from the main message, or the real offer. So let them stop it, or don’t keep auto-playing it so in case people are scanning the text content, they can do so without getting distracted.

4. Keep the Video Short, Under Two Minutes

Do you know that today, an average human’s attention span is even shorter than a goldfish’s? It’s only eight seconds -- let me repeat it, you have only eight seconds to convey your message. So the shorter your video is the better; don't’ waste your time and resources in creating long-form video content.

Once again your creativity will be tested here. You should be good enough to wrap up the same message in a one-minute video that you planned to do in a video having double-time duration. Pay special attention to the copy/script and create custom visuals.

Should You Use a Video Background?

Anyone can use a video background, but these are particularly important for visual brands. Visuals can convince a human mind to take the desired action; they make the offer irresistible.

Say you are selling clothes, will text ads ( emails or long-form sales letters) work here? Won’t it be absurd to create an offer without even showing the product?

Even web development company today use videos to maximize the impact of their offer. Even if they are selling a digital product, they still have to evoke positive emotions that trigger the desire to convert.

Wrapping Up…

Gone are the days when people had enough time to read lengthy ads and web text to learn about the offer. Today, they expect quick information about anything and make decisions on a whim. Therefore, online businesses have to constantly innovate and keep up with the latest trends.

A video background is one of those trends you should capitalize on if it feels appropriate for your brand.