More and more, businesses are using video on their websites.
Why? Because they can.
There are several developments over the last two years or so that have made it extremely practical to add video to your website.
First is the very high percentage of people who now have broadband Internet connections. Video isn’t practical with a dial-up connection, but when 80 to 90% of one’s visitors are on high-speed connections, that isn’t much of a concern.
That trend was followed by the explosive appearance of YouTube which made video commonplace on the Internet. People are used to clicking on those arrows and watching a video, so it isn’t anything weird or unusual to them.
The ability to embed a video in Flash (YouTube videos are in this format) means that nearly everyone has the capability of watching them on their computers. Also the video starts right away (so-called “streaming video”) rather than having to wait for the whole video to load. And the video file size isn’t excessive, so the hosting service’s bandwidth limitations aren’t strained.
All these factors make it extremely practical and useful to put video on your website. But the real point is what this gains you. The immediacy, impact and “aliveness” of a video can contribute greatly to the effectiveness of your site in achieving its marketing purpose. Just consider the difference between a written testimonial, a copy of a testimonial on a customer’s letterhead, an audio (sound recording) testimonial, and a video testimonial. Each of these is more real and impactful and effective.
The same goes for the words of the Owner or President of your business.