Most digital marketers, web designers, and business owners would agree that a company’s homepage is the most important page on the website. It’s the gateway to the rest of the site, and is where most of the visitors will form their first impression.
The question is: Are you doing enough to maximize the value of your homepage?
The Case for Video on the Homepage
Everyone has his or her own opinion about what makes a homepage great, but it’s hard to argue against the effectiveness of video in today’s marketplace. Although it can be used in any number of formats, homepage video offers a rich array of benefits, specifically:
- Video Catches the Visitor’s Eye
If you put two homepages in front of someone and one features video and another offers only text and images, the viewers are most likely going to gravitate toward the page with video. Simply put, video is eye-catching and grabs attention.
If you’re having trouble engaging visitors, then this could be the solution to your woes. Want an example? Check out the Kettlebell Jess homepage and try not to be captivated by the beauty of the video content.
- Video Educates and Informs
A homepage is designed to inform visitors. You want your visitors to know your brand, what it stands for, and how people should respond to it.
The problem many brands encounter is that their message can’t be easily summarized in a sentence or two of text. Once again, video is a viable solution.
Take the David E. Gordon website as an example. Instead of trying to explain a bunch of complex topics on his homepage, Gordon uses a series of videos above the fold to connect with his audience.
It’s a far more effective approach and doesn’t clutter the page or grey it out.
- Video Simplifies Web Design
As intimated in the previous argument, it’s easier to communicate large amounts of information to an audience with video than write everything out, word for word, in a traditional text-based format.
In today’s Internet age, when minimalism is preferred by most people, video’s ability to simplify web design is highly appreciated.
- Video Means Longer Sessions
While there isn’t necessarily concrete data to support the idea, there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that video on the homepage produces longer sessions. This is attributable to a number of factors, but largely due to the fact that people are more willing to dedicate time to watching video than reading textual content.
- Video Exudes Personality
One of the biggest benefits of video is that it empowers brands to demonstrate what makes them unique and why visitors should opt for their products and services.
“Video is also the best place to show off creativity and grab your audience’s attention,” marketer Andrew Angus notes. “With clever use of imagery, music, and scripting, companies can really demonstrate how they connect with like-minded consumers. For businesses that are trying to represent their brand using specific images or colors, video can easily be adapted to include these attributes.”
If you’re trying to show off your personality on your homepage, video will enable you to do so much more quickly and efficiently.
- Video is Sticky
Finally, video is sticky. Whereas you might have to continually tweak your textual content and overhaul your site copy on a regular basis, most video content holds its value over time and can even be used in other areas of your site.
Make Sure Your Content Strategy is Evolving
A stagnant homepage strategy is an ineffective one. As time passes, you should be studying the breaking trends and evaluating your analytics to determine what works on your own site and where you can improve design and functionality.
But regardless of what you do, make sure video is a top priority.