Landing pages are critical aspects of any AdWords campaign.
Even if your ads are generating clicks, your job is still far from over as those clicks have not yet converted into sales. This is why landing pages are so valuable as they inform visitors about the products or services your business offers.
But the challenge is actually getting visitors to stay on the page.
So how can you increase engagement on your landing pages?
By using video.
Video offers a number of advantages that the typical landing page (consisting mainly of text and a form) simply cannot match. Here we outline some of the main benefits of using and best practices to follow.
1. Increases Visitor Engagement
Seconds.
That’s how long it takes for visitors to decide whether to stay on a page or leave.
Data from the Nielsen Norman Group has found that the average page visit lasts less than a minute. So those first few seconds are absolutely critical. If visitors are unable to immediately grasp your value proposition, it greatly increases the chances of them bouncing out.
The graph shows the higher probability of visitors leaving within the first few seconds. But interestingly, the curve starts to flatten around the 30 second mark. So if you are able to get visitors to stay for longer than that, there is a good chance they will stay longer.
Using video is a great way to capture the attention of your visitors.
But it also means that your video needs to get to the point. Most people simply don’t have the time to sit through 10 minute videos. Wistia suggests keeping videos to 2 minutes or less to keep engagement high. Any longer and you risk boring your viewers or failing to convert them.
2. Drives More Conversions
The goal for landing pages is to get visitors to take certain actions such as making a purchase, filling out a lead form, or contacting the business directly. But as mentioned earlier, you only have a few seconds to connect with your visitors or you risk losing them forever.
Using video makes it easier to clearly communicate your value proposition.
One example comes from the explainer video that Crazy Egg, a web app that helps businesses understand how visitors interact with their sites, has used on its homepage.
Here is what visitors were presented with:
The case study highlights how that single video increased conversions by 64%. Your results will vary but the results demonstrate the kind of positive impact that videos can have on sales.
There are different approaches to creating video content for your business. One obvious approach is to use video recording equipment. Another is to use whiteboard animations a.k.a doodle ads which add a bit of fun and creativity to your marketing. Animation shorts are a great way to effectively tell your story and boost conversions.
3. Describes Products in More Detail
You land on a page only to find that you have no idea what the business even offers.
Sound familiar?
Not clearly communicating your unique value proposition is perhaps the quick way to lose a sale. You could include a detailed description with images on your landing page. But the reality is that visitors typically tend to scan rather than read web pages in their entirety.
Using video can help to increase engagement and better explain your products or services, no matter how complex they are. And they can even be used to a highlight different factors that distinguish your business from the competition.
Xero uses an explainer video on its homepage that details how small business owners can benefit from online accounting software:
If prospects are able to clearly see how they can benefit from your products or services, they are far more likely to convert into customers.
4. Builds Trust With Prospects
People buy from companies they know and trust.
It explains why Amazon continues to be one of the largest online retailers in the world. Because consumers trust the brand and know that their orders will ship on time. If visitors are learning about your products or services for the first time, the first step is to build trust with them.
Using video increases trust with prospects as it makes your business more human. Even if you use a voice to narrate it which is what Zendesk does in its explainer video:
Your business may not exactly have the branding power of a Fortune 500 company. But using video can help build trust with your prospects.
Final Points
Using videos on your landing pages can produce incredible results for your business. Here are several tips to get even more out of them:
- Get to the point and keep videos short, ideally in 2 minutes or less
- Show prospects how they can benefit from your products or services
- Include a call to action in the video of steps to take after (e.g. sign up for a trial, etc.)
- Track and measure conversions for “autoplay” and “press play”
- Use quality equipment or consider hiring a professional video production company
Investing in video is easily one of the best business decisions you can make. There is a reason why some of the largest companies in the world rely on this medium for their products and services. Simply because it works and generates results.