Are you posting video content on your website? If you aren't, you are missing out on a great opportunity and maybe lack some dynamic content your competitors are using. Research shows that 86% of marketers use videos as a tool for marketing.

As of 2022, internet users spend approximately 100 minutes per day watching videos. This statistic tells us it's a favored type of content. But, it is more than just the popularity of it as a form of content that should convince you to create some for your website. It's also the success it's shown over the years.

Over half (52%) of marketers report that video has the highest ROI rates compared to all other forms of content. People love getting information in this format. It's more engaging, easy to understand, and efficient. 

While this certainly doesn't mean that you should fill your website entirely with videos, it does mean you should invest time into exploring how video content can enhance your website user experience. 

How video content improves a website's UX

The idea of user experience (UX) gets tossed around pretty loosely these days. While most people think of UX design in terms of how pleasant a user feels while interacting with your website (in this case), it can generally be summed up like this:

"User experience is about what users both think and feel. Humans are both rational and emotional; both sides play a significant role in how users think about a product." (Source)

How then do we tie video content into improving the user experience on your website? Sometimes it can be a direct tie, like your videos providing all the information your user needs to decide. Other times, it can be more indirect, like videos increasing the time users spend on your site, which leads to better search engine rankings.

Let's look at four primary ways video content can improve your website UX:

Enhance your SEO ranking

Video content has great potential to improve your search engine ranking. Research shows that quality videos can increase traffic by up to 157%. By creating more engaging video content and giving your audience a reason to visit your website, your SEO is likely to improve through increased traffic and increased time spent on your website. 

Help your audience grasp information faster

The human brain responds well to visual content, often much faster than with only text. By using engaging video content for tutorials or how-to explainers, your user will likely grasp the context more quickly and retain the information longer. 

Motivate users to share and engage

There's no reason why you should limit your social media video content to your social channels only! When you bring those videos to your website, you're driving traffic to your highest-converting pages and inviting users to engage. 

By including social media share icons near the video player, you can also visually encourage users to share the video link with others, increasing on-page engagement. 

Improve customer service

Getting creative with video content might feel daunting, but the medium gives you ample room to experiment with content you might traditionally feature in only text format.

For example, create an FAQ explainer video instead of using an accordion for your FAQs. Or, include a welcome video on your contact page and encourage users to get to know you a little before reaching out via a generic form or email. 

By changing up the format and delivery, your user will likely stick around and explore what else you offer. 

Best practices for using video content to boost your site's UX

Learn more about video design first

There are two essential components to creating good content - knowledge and experience. If you rush into video design without knowledge of UX design, you risk turning off potential clients with poor-quality videos or hurting your website's ranking. 

A great way to start and master video design fast is through the UXcel crash course to learn about the foundations of design. During the course, you will learn the basics of UX design and gain experience creating digital products. 

Use videos to introduce your business

One smart way to upgrade your website's UX is to create introductory videos about your business. Greet visitors and introduce your company and services with a mix of professionalism and a friendly approach. 

Whether you'll talk about your company and its history, the people behind the scenes, or the transformations you help clients experience, the video is an excellent addition to your homepage or about page and offers an untraditional website experience. 

Create promotional content to sell your products or services

Video marketing has influenced 84% of consumers to make a purchase, according to Optinmonster.  Record short and compelling videos that cover how to use the product, feature user testimonials, or give the background behind why you created the product. 

Include these mini videos on your sales page to offer users another chance to get to know and trust you before buying. 

Build trust with video testimonials

People rely more on a company's reputation and others' feedback when purchasing than on pricing and features. And, two out of three people are more likely to buy something after seeing a video testimonial from an existing customer. 

Capture attention with a background video

Sometimes, the video doesn't have to be front and center – you can use it to create motion and visually-appealing design instead through background video. 

While there's definitely a risk of "too much" in this category, when used sparingly and aligned with a website's overall brand, background video can add just enough visual appeal to increase your user's experience favorably. 

Help people understand your brand with tutorials and video guides

People are unlikely to buy a digital product they don't know how to use. Video guides and tutorials are a great way to invite potential buyers into your inner circle and give them a behind-the-scenes look at how the product works, how they'll access it, and what to expect once they purchase. 

Create videos with different functions

You could add all sorts of videos to your website, but before you create anything, ask yourself: what function do I need it to serve? 

Here are a few examples of video functions that might inspire you:

• Entertainment - your goal is to engage the audience with content that is more about fun than it is about information. Entertainment video is a great way to build relationships with your audience.

• Information - informing the user of how your products or services can solve their problem or enhance their current situation.

• Explainers - demonstrate to your audience how your products work or how to use them.

• Storytelling - walk them through a narrative that connects to their deep desires, combining music, imagery, and text-based content in one video

There are endless ways to improve your website’s UX but starting with video provides a significant return on investment. Creating video to market your business has the potential to help you attract your ideal clients faster, build a larger social media following, and meet your conversion goals - all in one strategy. 

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