Website Video: the Right and the Wrong Way to Do It

The data is clear: website video is fantastic for traffic and engagement. For instance, landing pages with video get up to eight times the conversions of landing pages without video. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to do website video.

Wrong: Bury it at the bottom of the page.

Right: Put it above the fold.*

Back in the day, website visitors were strongly resistant to scrolling, so placing important content below the fold was a big no-no. Today, especially with mobile use so widespread, users have no problem scrolling.

But they still pay more attention to what’s above the fold. In fact, above-the-fold content gets anywhere from 66-102% more attention than below-the-fold content.

Plus, having attention-grabbing, quality content above the fold can make visitors more likely to scroll. Google’s ranking algorithms also reward above-the-fold video placement.

So if you’re posting video on your website, make sure it gets pride of place. You’ll grab visitors’ attention faster, hold onto it longer, and encourage them to read or watch more of your content.

Wrong: Make it long.

Right: Make it short and sweet.

Visitors are not coming to your website to watch a movie. Whether they’re sellers or buyers, they want to find the information they need, and find it quickly.

The ideal length for a website video varies by content and viewer motivation. The more important the information is to viewers, the longer they’re likely to watch.

Generally speaking, however, people are more likely to watch a short video all the way to the end. And once you cross the 10-minute mark, viewing and engagement drop sharply.

Community and listing videos are the two most popular types of real estate video – in other words, viewers are highly motivated to watch them. A good rule of thumb is to keep them in the 2-5-minute range.

Explainer/educational videos should be a bit shorter, preferably no more than 2-3 minutes. And agent bios or testimonials should be the shortest. Viewers have a low tolerance for just watching someone talk, so 90 seconds is the longest you should go (30-60 seconds is even better).

Wrong: Listing videos are all you need.

Right: Lay out a smorgasboard.

As I mentioned last week, listing videos are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to real estate video. They’re not even the most popular type – that distinction goes to community videos.

So post a variety of website videos. Your homepage should include a “hero” video – something big and dramatic that draws visitors into your site. It can be an agent bio, or maybe a community video about the area where you work. Include a few videos of your latest listings (the ones you most want to sell).

Consider separate landing pages for different types of video, or organize your videos by audience. However you do it, provide a variety of information to establish yourself as the expert, and make it easy for your website visitors to find the information they want.

Do your website video right, and you’ll reap the rewards: more visitors, more engagement, and more listings and sales.

*Above the fold: the area a website visitor can see without scrolling.