How to Create Professional Short Videos for your Website in 5 Steps

1. How to Create Videos

Idea

When we brainstorm for ideas, we tend to come up with too many options and end up getting confused. If that is not the case, we look for inspiration on websites so that we are able to come up with ideas. The idea is always the hardest step when it comes to creating a video. You either end up being overwhelmed with many choices, or you are struggling to come up with even one. To avoid either scenario, ask yourself what type of video you are trying to make and start from there!
It is always more effective to limit your choices and work towards something more specific. For example, if you notice your customers are having trouble navigating through your website, make a video informing them how to! It's always a good idea to ask for advice, whether that being your boss or your coworkers, just to make sure your idea is worth it.

Script

After spending the necessary amount of time doing research, begin to jot down your main points. After writing down all your main points, make sure you expand on them, but keep it brief. The longer the sentences are, the harder it will be to memorise the points and convey your message to viewers. This is why you should form concise sentences.

Another vital step you should do is revise the script before you record yourself. In this part, make sure you sound natural and don't forget to give your viewers a brief introduction about yourself. During this part, make sure you are breaking up different paragraphs by taking a breath or using transitional phrases such as “firstly” or “secondly”. This will help you slow down your sentences as well and give you breaks between them. Another tip I learned was to read in front of a mirror if you want to learn your script quicker!

Record

With the technology that is available to us now, there's no need to have an expensive set-up. Professional videos are so easy to achieve now on a budget. Let's break it down together; If you want to record a short ad for social media or even a slightly longer one, here are two ways you can achieve that.

1. The first method is by recording yourself on your phone. You can also, avoid the stress of holding your phone by purchasing a tripod. You will be surprised that a phone tripod can cost as little as $15. This will be beneficial to you because it will eliminate shaky footage and provide a stabilised image for your videos.
2. The second option is using your laptop. I would only suggest using your laptop if it has an HD camera. One important thing to remember when recording on a laptop is that the camera has to be level with your face. This is because if you're standing and the camera is facing upwards, it does not appear too professional. So what I would recommend is to place your laptop on a shelf or cupboard. If you can not do that, then the easiest method is to place a few books underneath it!

Now that you have a good set-up, this can make you focus solely on your script. Now, before you begin to record, it is vital to have perfect lighting. It is ideal to have sunlight as your main source of lighting, as it gives a more natural look. But do not worry, you can use artificial lighting as long as you can be seen clearly in the video. Furthermore, keep both of your hands free since 93% of communication heavily relies on the use of nonverbal elements like hand gestures. As a person that probably sees numerous videos a day, I would suggest that it's always better to record against a plain background. Some viewers may find it distracting and will not pay attention if your background is too distracting.

When you're recording a video, you can always keep your script next to you as a reference, just in case you need to be reminded of something. This will help you eliminate all the unnecessary clips of you forgetting any specific point you needed to say. Lastly, when you go over the video you recorded, make sure the audio is clear and understandable. The last thing you would want is background noise disrupting it.

Edit

This part has become fairly simple. Trust me, you do not need to add a lot of animations or even special effects to edit. Videos that are less complicated and more raw only require simple edits like cropping or trimming, which give them a more authentic feel. If you want to take it a step higher, you can add subtitles, as that is a common trend we see in videos now. Lastly, if you do not want to use the common editing tools that you would see in a photo gallery, iMovie is a good free tool you can utilize.

Publish

Now that you have created your own video, you have completed all the hard and tedious work. You have two options when it comes to posting and promoting your video.

The first option is to publish it on your website. When it comes to your website, you can use your videos on your landing page or product page. Obviously, depending on what type of video you record, you will need to place it strategically. For example, if your visitor is on your product page, you can place a pop-up video in which you talk about all the details about the product they are about to purchase. This will help give the potential customer a clearer picture of the product, with additional details that may convince them to go forward and complete the purchase.

The second option for you is to publish this video on your social media platforms. To post on your socials, you can decide between a variety of different content categories, some of which are: making a post on your profile, sharing a story, etc… You also have an option to share your video on a video sharing platform such as YouTube, for example. One thing you have to note when you post on social media is how the algorithm works. You need to learn when is the best time to post and on what day in order to obtain the best results possible.

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2. How to create a video-ready website

Now that we have learnt how to create videos, we need to know how to create a video website so that we can post these. Otherwise, our hard efforts would be wasted, and I am sure we would both hate for that to happen. So let's see how we can create a video website:

Decide on the goal of your video website

When you are creating a website, it is always important to have an aim that you are building a website for. It is vital that you work towards one goal and not get it confused. Otherwise, your website can end up being messy, unclear, and unpleasant to view.
For these reasons, websites are built to cater to a specific goal. Here are examples of what that goal can be:

• E-commerce, with modern video experiences along the customer journey
• Pay-per-view, good to host qualitative video content and run ads
• A membership, good for educative websites (also called LMS)

Each of these video sites would have a different layout, catering to their exact target audience. This is when you have to see what you are going to try to sell to your potential customers. Once you have figured that out, you can then fit yourself in that category and start to think of a design for your own video website.

Choose a video platform

The next step for you is to choose the right video platform for you. At the first thought, you may wonder why you should pick a video platform? These platforms are beneficial for your video content, let's see why.
Video platforms help you stay organised by providing simple tools to help showcase your videos. Not only that, some platforms give you access to a combination of useful elements such as design tools, SEO features and a display of your income. So you will have a seamless process when publishing videos here. One of the intriguing parts is with these platforms you get to see your analytics in real time, like how long traffic is engaging with your content.

We recommend choosing an end-to-end video platform, so you don’t have to handle all the hosting and streaming part yourself. It will be more expensive, but you’ll save a lot of time and resources!

Decide on a website template

This is one of the more fun and exciting things to do when designing your own website. Now you have so many website builders online that you can use to help build your video site for you. Choose a template with an appealing and professional design that complements your brand identity. Take into account the layout, colour style, and general aesthetic to ensure it appeals to your target demographic. Moreover, make sure the template is mobile-friendly and responsive. With nearly all internet users viewing websites via mobile devices, providing a consistent experience on various screen sizes is essential.

Furthermore, the most important aspect when it comes to this is the fact that it should be user-friendly. Your customers need to be able to navigate through the website with ease and find what they have initially arrived for, quickly. If this is not the case, then your bounce rate will increase. So, you can make sure to keep it low if your website is simple to use and really well-organised.

Upload your video

The next step for you, is to upload your video on your video website. Even though your website may not be completed, it will help to see what your new professional video will look like by uploading it for a short period. During this time you can make some tweaks on your website as well if you do not like how it is appearing on the site. This way, you can see how all your content is looking on your new website. If something is not up to your standards, you can always edit your video or site again.

Preview, test, and launch your video website

Finally, you are at the last step! Now is the time to run your website and preview all the content that has been uploaded onto your video website. If you want to make your website looks completely professional, you can add the necessary pages such as:

1. Landing page: this on its own is designed to attract the attention of visitors and convince them to take a certain action, such as signing up or purchasing. It is frequently used in marketing campaigns.
2. Home page: this is one of the first things your traffic comes across. It is also known as an introductory page. This page provides important navigation points, as well as an overview of the content that is offered by the company.
3. Product page: this gives the viewer the exact information of the product they are viewing. It lists all the details about the goods, with pictures and complete product descriptions. This is there to influence the traffic to convert into customers by making a purchase.
4. FAQ Section: the FAQ section is there to clear all your of your traffic’s doubts and queries by providing concise answers to their most commonly asked questions.
5. Backstory: this gives your traffic the complete picture of where you came from and what your aims and goals are. You tend to mention your mission and vision in this section.

When you test your website, do not worry if you see some bugs popping-up. You can just have a look at the code and fix it. It is a lot better that you encounter an issue first rather than publishing everything and your potential clients facing the issue. Ask chatGPT about how to build automatic testing, it will help a lot!

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3. Online Video Content

Online video content is material created and shared in the form of videos that are being consumed through the internet. This is a very broad topic as it covers various forms of video formats such as shoppable videos, live stream shopping, vlogs, and more. Due to the era that we are in, content in the form of videos have gained popularity rapidly. If I asked you when is the last time you saw a video, you would probably say in the last hour or two. Video content has taken the internet by storm, so let's dive further into why that is!

Benefits of Video Content

Firstly, Video content is extremely engaging and has you hooked in seconds. People now would much rather watch a video instead of reading a text or seeing a picture. This is a result of videos being interactive and immersive. I get excited when videos pop-up on my screen, don't you?
Indulging in video content is an enjoyable experience for people more often than not. Given the fact that people are more visual learners, they prefer tutorials to reading. Why do you think that is? Well, video content gives you the option to combine visuals, audio, and other interactive elements. This is all done to create a captivating and persuasive experience.

Secondly, online videos provide convenience and accessibility. By this, I mean viewers can digest information quicker or at their own chosen pace. They can view these videos on any smart device, thereby making them easily accessible. The ease and simplicity of viewing these videos, has massively contributed to the rise of video consumption across every demographic.

Furthermore, online video content provides various ranges of information. From the most specific detail to the most generic, you can count on being able to find it. This is another reason why it is so successful. You can find information on anything you want with just a few clicks. Whether you are seeking information about trends in fashion, gaming, fitness, or even history, you will be able to find it with ease. As it just so happens, your time spent on platforms such as YouTube is studied by their algorithm, which takes note of your preferences.  Once they have gathered this data on you, they can begin to recommend content that is more to your liking, rather than random suggestions. This is all done, so you can have a better user experience on whichever site you are on.

To sum this all up, video content has revolutionised the way we consume media. Creating a rich and engaging experience that appeals to several interests and tastes. It has changed the way information is exchanged, and sold in the digital age, making it an essential part of today's online world.

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4. Embedding Videos On Your Website

As we have previously talked about, embedding videos on your site is really important. Being able to directly show your audience the content you are generating, gives you a great advantage. Now, in terms of content, you have numerous options of which types of videos you can embed on your website. If you want to have a look at all the various videos you can embed to make your own website stand out, check this link out!

How to Embed Videos on your Website

1. Your first option to embed videos on your website is a website editor with native features. By this, I mean, a tool or even a content management system that comes with features that have complete built-in functionalities and capabilities. These characteristics include its own editor in it, and the best part is there is no need for any added plugins. Other features may include SEO optimization, the ability to design your own template, content management, and the capability of tracking all your data.
2. If you choose to host your videos on your own servers. It is going to be a pretty manageable process. All you need to do is ask your development team to publish them on different pages. To put it in simpler words, you will basically rely on a technical team to be in charge of uploading your videos. So, let's have a look at how you would go about the process.
   After you have recorded your video, make sure the file is compressed. There has to be no issue with the video quality. Therefore, for it to upload quickly it must occupy less space, which is achieved via compression. A video that takes too long to load will not be viewed by your traffic and will result in a bad user experience. 
   The next step, is handing off the video files to your dev team. In this step, they will need to access your web server, so they can see where your videos are hosted.
   Next, your dev team will embed the videos onto your website. This will be done with a bit of coding. They may need to edit the HTML code depending on where and how you want the video to appear. This is the most basic outline for how you can embed videos on your website via this method. Check out my previous article where we talk about different types of webpages to embed your videos.
3. Saving the best example for last, Vidjet offers an all-in-one solution for you! You can embed videos on your website without any code! They give you 3 options to embed without codes and 5 options with embedded codes, for which all you need to do is copy and paste. It eliminates the use of third party plugins as it provides a very simple user experience that anyone can understand. This is a super easy solution, and they have a free plan if you want to go and try it out!

It is important to note that you can put in place all three of these options. None of the options exclude the other, so if you want, you can even choose a combination of them.

Where to Embed videos on your website

Now that we have learnt how we can embed videos on your website, it is crucial to know exactly where we need to do this. You can maximise your engagement and boost your conversions by strategically selecting the location of the video . As mentioned in the section under “Publish” the ideal place for your videos to be displayed is on your Landing Page and Product Page. Both of these pages serve a different purpose for you, so take full advantage of them!

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5. Repurposing your Videos

The Ecommerce industry is constantly evolving with new trends. Repurposing your video means taking your old video content and changing it to increase its impact. This is a very effective video marketing strategy due to maximizing the value of your old video content by reaching new audiences.

Repurposing videos from your website to other channels

• A common method that we see is when a business that specialises in live stream shopping starts repurposing their videos. They basically edit and trim the parts in which they discuss a specific product and, for example, convert it into a shoppable video. When you have live shopping content, since your possibilities are endless, you will have numerous videos ready to make into shoppable videos. In just one live stream, you generate so much content because you are streaming for longer periods of time. Whereas, shoppable videos are really short and brief. For more differentiation between the two, head here!
• Another form of repurposing videos for a different channel is using automated emails. You can use welcome videos and email them to your customers. These types of videos give your customer the feeling of being wanted. Also, you can embed informative videos from your website onto social media. Businesses use this method, so they can increase their reach and conversions.

Repurposing short videos from social media to your website

If we can repurpose videos from our website and put them on social media, we can definitely do it the other way around. The first thing is that you point out the right and relevant videos to place on your page. The important part is to choose a really engaging video that will keep your traffic on your website for longer. After you select the right video, you need to make the necessary edits, such as adding CTA's that could lead to your traffic becoming a customer. Hence, by doing this, you can benefit from old content to amplify your website's visual appeal and provide visitors with an overall better experience. Doing so, will lead to better engagement, enhance your reach, and optimize your conversion rate.

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Main image by william f. santos on Unsplash