23 Benefits of Using Videos on Websites
Reading Time: 4 minutes
A recent study released by Animoto states that online product videos boost purchase likelihood.
This had us asking the question “Does the average business and website owner know all the benefits of putting videos on their website?” In case the answer was “no” we sat down and created this list of benefits of videos to help our readers understand the effectiveness of videos on websites.
SEO Advantages of Videos on Websites
- Can extend your reach. Having videos on your website that are hosted on YouTube can extend your reach in a huge way. Did you know that YouTube has more than 1 billion unique visitors each month and that YouTube reaches more US adults aged 18-34 than any cable network?
- Optimized videos get you rich snippets. Attract extra attention to your Search Engine listing with a video snippet preview beside your website. These have been proven to increase click through rates to your website.
- Provide link worthy content. People are more likely to link to and share your content when it has multimedia content like videos. Having these natural links from other websites sharing your content is very important in the eyes of the Search Engines.
- Increases Page Quality. The Search Engines like to see videos on a website because they know that videos increase a viewer’s time on page, which is an important indicator of page quality.
User Experience Advantages of Videos on Websites
- Increases time on site. In 2010, Comscore found that retail visitors who viewed video stayed 2 minutes longer on average than other site visitors.
- Engages visitors. Videos can be interactive and create an emotional connection with the visitor.
- Gives the visitors what they want. Visitors are used to seeing rich media content on the internet and may not be as engaged with just text content.
- More effective content. Generally your visitors can digest information that they see and hear faster than they can if they read the information.
Putting Videos on Websites to Increase Sales
- Engagement leads to sales. As user engagement and time on site increases, videos can also help increase the number of conversions of visitors to paying customers. Did you know that Dropbox.com was able to increase their conversion rate by over 10% by adding an introductory video to their homepage?
- Aid in buying process. Animoto found that 96% of consumers find videos helpful when making purchase decisions online.
- Builds buyers’ confidence. 52% of consumers say that watching a product video makes them feel more confident about going ahead and making a purchase.
- Upsell your products and services. Interactive videos give the visitor all the information they need without having to move from page to page.
- On demand sales. A visitor can watch your sales pitch (video) anytime they want and not just when your salesperson is working from 9 to 5, Monday to Friday.
- Better showcases products. Videos can show visitors how a product or service works much more in depth and more effectively than any amount of text could.
- Help visitors make purchase decisions. Animoto found that 73% of consumer say they are more likely to make a purchase after watching an online video that explains the product.
- Increase in-store sales. Mediapost found that online media influences more than 50% of in-store sales.
Branding Benefits of Using Videos on Websites
- Gives your company a personality. Videos are your chance to be creative and showcase your organization’s flair and uniqueness.
- Showcase your employees. In general people like to buy from people that they know. By adding videos showcasing your employees you create a personal bond with your visitors.
- Differentiate yourself. Use a video to describe what sets your company apart from all of your competitors.
- Makes you memorable. Not all websites use video and by putting video on your website you will stand out.
- Makes a positive impression. Animoto found that 71% of consumers say that a video leaves a positive impression of a company.
- Increases trustworthiness. Animoto found that 58% of consumers will consider companies that produce online video to be more trustworthy.
- Makes you appear engaged. Animoto found that 77% of consumers believe companies that create online videos are more engaged with customers.
More Videos on Websites Statistics
- 1 in 2 consumers claim that YouTube videos have influenced a purchase decision (WalkerSands, 2014)
- 57% of consumers say they are more confident when they watch a product video in advance of making a purchase online (Invodo, 2013)
- Over half of 25 – 54 year olds share video online (EMarketer, 2013).
- 51.9% of marketing professionals worldwide cite video as the type of content with the best ROI (EMarketer, 2013).
- Mobile and tablet shoppers are 3x as likely to view a video as laptop or desktop users (NPD, 2012).
Note About Using YouTube Videos on Websites
Part of our SEO process is helping you to optimize videos so you get the most out of using YouTube videos on your website, or whatever video platform you have chosen to embed your video. We help point out the best ways to use videos on your website to increase traffic, conversions and sales.
Do you know if your website videos are “SEO” optimized? Can the Search Engines understand your videos and give you credit for the work you’ve put into making the video.
Call us at 1-877-563-0459 to learn more about our customized Search Engine Optimization campaigns and how we can help you optimize the videos on your website.
