Posted 11.02.2025
By Frogspark
Video is everywhere – from social media to YouTube – but surprisingly little of it makes it onto business websites. And that’s a missed opportunity, since video can seriously help to boost engagement.
We understand that businesses might worry about technical considerations, creative ability, or the cost and scope of video production – but actually there’s so much you can achieve with just your phone and a bit of planning.
Whether you’re showcasing your product, explaining a concept, or telling your brand story, video captures attention in ways text and images just can’t. In fact, stats show that video can increase engagement by up to 80%, and increase conversion rates by over 60%. So, if you’re not using video on your website yet, it’s time to roll the credits on boring, static content and add some “ACTION”!
Let’s face it – we all have the attention span of goldfish these days. A well-made video can grab visitors’ attention within the first few seconds and keep them engaged longer than a block of text.
Staggeringly, research suggests that users are able to retain 95% of information from a video compared to 10% from plain text.
Did you know that search engines love video? One reason websites with video content often rank higher on search engines is because video increases the time users spend on your site.
The longer they stay, the more likely they are to convert, and search engines take that as a sign your content is worth sharing. Add in the fact that video is a very mobile-friendly way to consume and share content, and you can see why it’s a favourite for both users and search engines. To learn more about optimising your site for search, check out our SEO services.
A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Well… a video is worth a thousand pictures! Why? Video is fantastic for showing your product or service in action: instead of relying on words or images to explain how something works, you can actually demonstrate it! Whether it’s a quick product demo or a service walkthrough, video makes it much easier for customers to understand exactly what you’re offering.
There are a whole variety of ways you can start putting videos on your website, from simple animations using Canva to just setting up your phone and hitting record. Nowadays, you very rarely require any expensive equipment, software or advanced creativity to produce engaging video content. So where can you start?
Introduce your products or services in a simple, friendly and engaging way – keep it short, sweet, and straight to the point – perfect for first-time visitors to your site.
Testimonials & reviews
Let your customers do the talking! Customer testimonials and video reviews are powerful ways to build trust. People are far more likely to make a purchase if they see real people sharing their positive experiences with your brand. All you need to do is ask.
If you sell something that’s complicated to use or has unique features, a product demo video can work wonders. Show visitors exactly how to use your product and the benefits it offers, all without needing to read a lengthy manual. If you’re looking to create an engaging online store that showcases your products effectively, our ecommerce website builds can help.
Want to show the human side of your business? Behind-the-scenes videos give visitors a sneak peek into your workspace, team, and company culture. They help build a personal connection with your audience, which can lead to stronger brand loyalty, and these videos are great for social media marketing and digital PR too.
If you are going to spend a bit of money on video, here’s where it pays off. Hero videos are the big, bold statement reels that automatically play when someone lands on your homepage. A hero video can instantly convey the essence of your brand, making a strong first impression – just make sure it’s not too long or it might drive people away!
If your customers have a lot of questions, why not answer them in a video? An FAQ video is a great way to provide helpful information and accompany your written FAQs. They also make great social media posts.
Keeping your content fresh and up-to-date is a key part of content marketing. That blog from five years ago? Update it and remix it as a video – the hard work and research is already done, so just put your face in front of the camera.
From well-known brands to local businesses, we’ve helped hundreds enhance their online presence and guided them toward success.
Not all videos are created equal, and each will require careful planning and the right approach for maximum impact. To make sure you’re getting the most out of your video content, here are some best practices to follow.
No one likes waiting for a video to load. Make sure your videos are optimised so they don’t slow down your site. Compress the files without sacrificing quality – this way, your visitors can watch your videos quickly and seamlessly. Leave the 4K for movie night.
Not everyone watches videos with sound on (especially in public places). Adding subtitles or closed captions ensures your video is accessible to a wider audience and improves the overall user experience.
Attention spans are short, so don’t overstay your welcome! Keep your videos around 1-2 minutes long (or as long as it takes to explain your concept). If your video’s too long, visitors might get bored and click away before you’ve had a chance to make your point.
You don’t need to spend a fortune on cameras, equipment or microphones. Most modern phones are more than capable of capturing excellent quality footage – whatever your project. And if you really want to add a bit more polish, there are plenty of low cost add-ons you can buy to improve your video, from tripods to lightboxes.
You’ll want to leverage increased engagement by considering how to optimise for conversion. Therefore, every video needs to have a purpose. Whether it’s to inform your viewers about a product feature, highlight your company’s core values, or learn more about your services, make sure your video includes a clear CTA. Don’t leave them guessing!
Most of us browse websites on our phones these days, so ensure your videos are optimised for mobile viewing. Whether it’s the file size, aspect ratio, or the size of your titles and captions, you should always aim to design with mobile in mind.
Autoplay videos can be a great way to grab attention, but they can also be annoying if overused. Consider common sense in every situation, allowing users to play the video when they’re ready, and making sure it doesn’t automatically start with sound.
Really, we could write an entire article on this (and we may do that!) but here you have to decide whether to upload your videos to a third-party platform, like YouTube or Vimeo, and let them handle video hosting, storage, and bandwidth, or host them by uploading to your own site. For full control and better branding, hosting videos on your site might be worth considering – but keep in mind the potential impact on page load speeds. Both options have their pros and cons.
To truly understand how well your videos are performing on your website, it’s important to track key metrics that show engagement and conversions. If hosting on YouTube or similar, you can immediately start checking the view count to see how many people are watching your video. Also take a deeper look at average watch time – if viewers are sticking around until the end, your content is engaging. If they’re dropping off early, you might need to tweak the content length or pacing.
Heatmapping tools (like Clarity or Hotjar) and A/B testing can give you invaluable insights into how users interact with your videos. Heatmap videos can help show if people are stopping to watch, helping you refine video placement. A/B testing lets you experiment with different versions of your video to see what drives better results. For a more comprehensive view, analytical and technical SEO tools like Google Analytics can help you track performance across multiple pages, giving you all the data you need to improve your video strategy and achieve better ROI.
Video is definitely one of the most powerful tools you can use to boost engagement on your website, but leveraging that boost takes careful planning. From increasing user interaction and time on page to helping convert visitors into customers, the benefits are undeniable provided you take the time to get it right.
Start by keeping it simple and following best practices and begin by integrating videos in key areas on your site. As your confidence grows you can start to experiment with new formats, optimisation and testing.
So, what are you waiting for? Start adding video to your website and watch your engagement soar!
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