Now, more than ever, your company is probably looking to maximize its ROI from its website.  But how exactly do you set your site apart from all the others out there?  

People want to see fresh content and will come to your website in different stages of the buying process, looking for something to catch their attention.  In an age of digital media, where televisions blast the latest reality series 24/7, mp3 players can hold almost limitless music, and iPhones can do anything you can think up, there’s a sure way to get people to stop and look twice at your site: video.

AccuStream noted that video stream views went up by 50% in 2005 and another 40% from that in 2006.  As of July, 2009, Youtube reports about 1 billion video views a day on their site and IDC forecasts that the end of this year will see over $1.5 billion in revenue for similar online video services.  There are just over 307,000,000 people in the U.S. as of July, 2009.  This averages out to over 3 videos per person each day!  

People are definitely watching video.  However, just putting a video up on your site isn’t enough to catch the interest of your average viewer.  Comscore reports that the average watcher of online videos watches about 100 minutes per month.  This works out to a little over 3 minutes per day.  Since the average person watches 3 videos a day, we can infer that they prefer shorter videos – about a minute in length each.

Videos show up on Youtube, Google, Vimeo, Myspace, and other sites in order of relevance as determined by that site.  Quality and relevant videos are increasingly catching the attention of viewers and people are watching these videos all the way through.  Not only that, they’re clicking for more information afterwards.

Since video is such a popular way of reaching an audience, we’d like to share five specific reasons that video may be essential to your website:

• People are more likely to watch a quality video than to read a text based article.   In an age where Americans have to have everything, and quickly, attention spans are short.  Video is the way to get your point across quickly while maintaining interest.

• Video increases conversion rates.  Here’s your chance to convey your message clearly with sound and pictures in order to draw your clients in.  But here’s a hint: don’t waste their time.   Remember, people will probably only watch any given online video for a little over a minute before beginning to lose interest.  Stay to the point.

• You can take advantage of Google’s Video Search Results.  Have your video appear alongside your company name to grab attention in the place where the users’ search starts:  Google.

• Video allows you to be personal.  You get the chance to help your clients see you as a person, rather than an entity.  You can display a bit of your personality, engage the client, and get them to really identify with you on a personal level.  The key word here is: trust.

• Social networks will pass your video along virally and increase traffic to your site.  Twitter, Youtube, and Facebook users will pass your video along to all of their friends if they like it.  Word will spread and you’ll be amazed at how fast your views skyrocket.

Harvard University says, “A short video can be worth a thousand PowerPoint slides.”Do you want to attract more viewers to your website? Then don’t bore your audience; engage them.