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 Website video production for software company |
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| Fri 9th April 2010 |
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 Q: We'd like to produce a short web video for our recruitment software website. We've already produced camtasia-style software demo videos and possibly creating more, but we'd like something more professional to act as a teaser for visitors when they first arrive at the site.
What do you recommend?
Director
Software company
East Anglia
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A: Your website video production requirement is probably best met by a Video Ad.
It's commercial effectiveness is underpinned by its concise 30 second format which is designed to ensure you get your business message across crisply and accurately. while the price still remains affordable, especially when compared to the potential gains.
For example, for most sites in any market, an extra 5% on the visitor conversion rate will more than repay its cost inside a few weeks.
You can learn more about different website video production styles here www.rossiterandco.com/webvideoproduction.htm
To help you plan your video ad, here are a number of issues & questions, tips if you like, that any internet entrepreneur needs to consider.
Your Business Goals & Proposition
Ask yourself what your website video production's (your video ad) specific business goal is. For example, do you require visitors to complete an enquiry form, take up the offer for an online demo, download a white paper for reading later, or what?
Once this is clear, ask what is your customer's big problem that your website video production will solve?
For example, do they need faster more reliable information, or an easier or cheaper working method, or maybe they need something to better control costs?
What ever it is, be absolutely clear you understand your objective in relation to the client's need. This is the only context worth considering. Informational or "communication" videos per se, don't convert clients on first arrival which is when you're at your most vulnerable.
Know your benefits
A website video can advertise your benefits message across quicker and more impressively than words on a web page.
So write out your 3 big benefits that can directly solve the customer's need.
For example, we're faster, we're cheaper, our support is world-beating, we offer a comprehensive solution, a paperless office, etc
What is important is not to spend precious video runtime detailing your pedigree or your company story. This is only interesting to the client once they've registered your core benefit message, and are maybe considering buying from you.
Offer a remarkable proposition
Nobody buys anything less than a remarkable proposition online, so be sure your website video production clearly shows this.
Do you offer a remarkable price, best service, best delivery etc? Be certain to include this.
Your website location
Consider carefully where you're going to put your website video.
It should be prominent and unmissable, otherwise there's little point in producing it in the first place.
And it should be on one or all of your landing pages, all set for click-to-view.
Another important feature is to allow for your website video being HD widescreen 16:9 ratio when fitting to your existing banner.
Your web video creativity preferences
Website video production is always based around a client's insight and creative preferences.
For example, do you have any specific images you want to use, such as existing product images, or provide brochure photography?
Similarly with music and audio.
Do you have a style preference, eg, fast, calm, powerful, uplifting etc.
Whatever music style you do prefer, be sure that it's a style with a lot of broad appeal. It's unlikely that urban beatz will sell in a retirement home.
Website video production
With a video ad project (as suggested above) you don't need to worry about filming, as the audiovisual style is based primarily around stills, graphics, music, voiceover and animated caption text.
But if you need to shoot, then allow for this, and hire a camera operator and video director. But this is more likely for a Testimonial video or larger style of website video production, rather than a shorter video ad.
Editing a video ad production in our studio is carried out in Adobe CS4 and After Effects (soon to be CS5 in late 2010).
It's worth pointing out that say in 2008, the level of video technology to do all this was relatively clumsy, and still was throughout 2009, but now since the development of the Microsoft Windows 7 platform, it's looking decidedly easier, so you shouldn't have to pay high prices for your website video production. Most studios today are suitably equipped.
Delivery & roll-out
While you'll want to stream your new website video production from your own site (nothing is downloaded these days), or from a dedicated server, or content distribution network (CDN), you'll also want to upload free to your youtube and vimeo tv channels for wider circulation, and capture a few extra Google search enquiries.
Web videos today are mostly H264 mp4 format (great quality for less bandwidth), but you may also want flash video flv format (though flash video may be in its final years now). In any event your video player will probably be wed to a flash wrapper, unless you're streaming direct from youtube (which btw shows their brand, not yours!)
Summary
Website video production is about establishing precise goals and quickly responding to customer needs. Making the point - fast.
Video production is there to serve your business message. It's completely your call.
Be simple yet remarkable and you'll surely have a successful website video production.
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| © Rossiter & Co 2010 |
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