Website videos are a snap to produce with today’s smartphones. Savvy retailers, professional service firms, hospitality providers, and personal service firms increasingly use videos on their websites to showcase their products and services.
The Local Search Association (LSA), a national organization whose members are local advertising and marketing specialists, surveyed more than 2,000 consumers to understand their video usage patterns in their purchase-decision process. The survey discovered that of the 2,000 consumers surveyed, 44% said they used online video while searching for local products and services.
Of those who said they watched website videos during their search process, 71% said they ended up making a purchase, with 51% saying they did so during the same day as they watched the video. According to the LSA Study, Local: Online Video’s Next Frontier: “These key actions taken after viewing online video are pushing video usage deeper into local businesses, influencing consumers on the path to purchase.”
The widespread use of video on websites has been made possible by today’s extremely flexible and (surprisingly) high-quality recording features on mobile devices. People I’ve spoken with about their use of cool videos have said while they have created videos themselves, either advertising their businesses or doing a slow 360° shot of their gift store or dental office, they prefer to work with people who specialize in video production. Specialists add special touches like music and great lighting, and they know how to coach and edit so you present your best self to the world.
Either way you choose to proceed with video, know exactly what you want to say and how you want to say it. Keep the message short and straightforward.