Studies have shown that during the Covid-19 crisis more consumers are buying online than ever before. When a consumer visits a site, they want to be able to find the information they require quickly. The most effective way of delivering it to them is by video, as you can say an awful lot in just a few seconds, which is far more likely to hold their attention than a wall of text. Video content is more attractive to viewers, which is why it’s becoming a must when it comes to creating website content.

It’s estimated that by the end of 2020, the average person will be watching more than an hour of video content each day, and that by the end of 2022, more than 80% of all content will be video.

You only have to compare two sites selling similar products, one using video content and one not, to see the difference in views converted to sales. The one using video will nearly always have a far better conversion rate.

The hungry consumers

Consumers are used to going out and wandering around the stores. Although the amount of sales physical stores are making have been dropping for some time, largely due to eCommerce, the pandemic has introduced a whole lot of new consumers to internet buying.

When they have been locked down in their own homes, surfing the net has helped to keep them sane. It has allowed them to search for the items they want to buy at their leisure, to find the best prices for the products they are after and have had something to look forward to. They are not restricted by opening hours and if the site provides an excellent level of customer service, consumers will not be too keen to think about shopping elsewhere in the future.

It’s almost like they have become hungry for content that informs them and solves their problems, and that information is much simpler for them to digest if it’s in the form of a video. From the point of view of a consumer, it is simpler and quicker to watch a video. You can also reach more people that may otherwise be excluded from the written word. Think in terms of people that are dyslexic, for instance, as they would probably not attempt to read written content. Videos are an opportunity for customers to experience engagement and communication that should not be missed during the Covid-19 crisis.

Change the tune!

One of the biggest problems with a web presence during Covid-19 is that consumers are getting a bit tired of constantly being told by everyone that they are doing the best to stay compliant and still operating within government guidelines. Many of the posts regarding this are very similar and you could easily think they have been copied and pasted from one site to another.

The importance of video content for your web presence during Covid-19 cannot be underestimated but you can make yours different. If you want to retain existing customers as well as gain new ones, make your web presence inviting and interesting and leave the thousands of Covid-19 messages to everyone else.

Set yourself a clear goal for your web presence during and post Covid-19

Don’t try to make videos that will appeal to everyone, because they won’t. Do research into your target audience and find out what will interest them the most. This is exactly why when businesses come to Estivus for help with making their content videos, the first thing we do is ask a lot of questions. What is your business all about and who are your trying to reach are just a couple of examples. The more we know about you, your brand, your products and your customers, the more help we can be when it comes to making successful promotional videos.

Part of your goal should be setting yourself a realistic budget for your video production, and this is something else we can help with at Estivus. Traditionally making film of any type was expensive and this deterred a lot of people from making promotional videos. That is not the case now, they are much more affordable and are more likely to be seen and shared on social media than any other type of content. This can result in them being seen by many thousands of people, and it’s not unusual for them to go viral. That makes them extremely good value and a great form of marketing.

This is especially the case if the videos give people hope, contain humour, or have a story in them that people can relate to. Information and support are the key, as well as being engaging and entertaining. Anyone whose videos achieve that will be well on the way to recovery after the Covid-19 crisis.

Post your videos on all your social media accounts as well as your website, as then your presence will be seen on the likes of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Faster data speeds and better-quality Wi-Fi means that viewers no longer have to wait a while for videos to load, and they will appear almost instantly on most devices.

Ensure it works well on mobile devices

All websites should be responsive to all devices, but it is becoming more and more important that they work well on mobile devices. Already, well over half of all internet use is on smartphones or tablets, and this proportion is bound to grow as people become more accustomed to accessing the internet this way. It’s great if your website works as well on a smartphone as it does on a PC, but if there are any glitches, make mobile devices your priority.

If you want to know more about the importance of video content for your digital presence during Covid-19, have a chat to our experts for the answers to all your questions