We’ve all heard the adage, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” If that’s the case, an online video must be worth a million. Read on. Watch on.
Doubtless your Web site for your home improvement business already has text, pictures and highlights your latest $$$ saving offer. But does it have video?
If not, it should.
Five years ago, the Internet was like a giant online newspaper, with pages dominated by text and images. From time to time, you might come across a few fancy graphics and maybe some splotchy audio or video. But the technology of that era just couldn’t really support much more.
But the Internet is changing—and changing fast.
With YouTube’s coming of age, video has quickly become a dominant form of content on the Internet. Thousands of Web sites have followed YouTube’s lead, and online video has become the norm. More and more users are now watching the Internet, rather than surfing it. Young professionals regularly bypass television to watch videos that they’ve downloaded off the Web onto their laptops. Hockey fights. Skateboarding. Obscure animated cartoons. There’s no end to it.
Today’s Internet visitors don’t want to read…they want to watch. And the traditional TV networks should take heed. The YouTubes of the world are here to stay.
What does this mean to you?
Simply put, you need video on your Web site. Why? It shows that you are current with an audience that increasingly expects it. Moreover, video makes a personal connection for homeowners with your company and the products you sell. Plus, you get a dynamic means to introduce your selling proposition to the homeowners you’re (hopefully) going to have a chance to sell.
Where do you get your video?
- Your TV Commercials. If your company has ever run a TV commercial, you likely have valuable raw footage around. You can inexpensively arrange to convert that material into a format you can use on your Web site. You’ve already sunk money into creating your commercial in the first place. Why not make it do double duty and help you convince your Web site visitors?
- Your Manufacturers. Most manufacturers of home improvement products have lots of stock video available for the asking. You’ll spend minimal dollars editing down that footage for your needs and converting them for use on your Web site.
- Make it Yourself. Many home improvement dealers have already produced video material that their salesmen show on laptop computers on their in-home sales appointments. Find the raw footage for those sales videos you’ve already paid for, and have it edited and converted for Internet display.
In my next post, I’ll share pointers as to where and how to use video on your Web site, and the potential return from your efforts.
