Video captures our attention like no other medium and, if done properly, can be the best factor in engaging visitors at any website. Short videos and clips have been in use for a long time, but full background videos were unheard of around a decade ago. Life of Pi changed that with its intriguing theme.

Released in 2012, Life of Pi was one of the earliest movies to come up with a website featuring a video as a background. The site has since been removed, and you can’t visit it, but the screenshot given below can give you an idea of what it was all about. The success of the movie at the worldwide box office made the website a hit and started a trend of video backgrounds.

Another beautiful example of a video background is When was the last time you did something for the first time. It’s a great concept and made even better with the introductory videos about the top 50, rather unusual activities.

A powerful form of visual communication, full-screen video backgrounds can tell a story about a product in mere seconds. But there are several factors you need to take care of as a slight blemish can make the videos look amateurish or even forced in some cases.

Audio and Length of the Video

Videos in the background are set to auto-play, so they are loaded and start playing as soon as the site opens up. But the sudden audio, or a piece of music you have chosen, can put off some users. So, you need to mute the audio with the option for visitors to listen to it.

The ideal length of the video is anywhere between 10-30 seconds, depending upon the product and the message you want to deliver. For a teaser campaign, a 5-10 second video is more than enough. Else, you can always place an ad of over a minute in duration, describing the features of your product in detail.

Compress the Video

With blazing Internet speed available to most of us, this shouldn’t be much of a concern. But you need to consider all your visitors who may encounter trouble watching a length, full-screen video. So, compress the video as much as you can without sacrificing the quality aspect. It’s always good to compress the video to a low bitrate. Putting up a 4K video is tempting, but a 1080p video will do, with no buffering.

The size of the video is also important. Remember that not everyone will be interested in watching your 1-minute video, and it can take time to download if you are using HD video. For a short 10-second video that loops seamlessly, the file size of less than 10 MB would be ideal.

Contrast with Foreground Text

Sufficient contrast with the foreground text will ensure everything you put is readable. You need to choose the color of the text according to the theme of the video and the dominant colors used in it. Text colors, like black and white, most probably, will clash with the content of the video. So. It’s better to avoid these colors altogether or use them sparsely.

Fade-In Effect

Not all of your visitors would like to watch the video as they may be interested in reading something about the product. The video in the background may distract them, so it’s better to slowly fade in the video element as it starts playing.

You can give the option of pause the video, and fading out of the video can be a good idea here. Try to offer multiple features concerning how a visitor can interact with the video, so it doesn’t look forced at all.

Brighten up the Video

Videos with a black background are always tempting, but, on the web, dark videos are not preferred. Use plenty of light in your videos to send your message across without the viewer having to make some effort to see what’s happening in it. If your video is shot in natural light, it’s the best option for a video. Else, you need to use some software to make your video clear so that every frame is clear, and the video is not dim through any angle.

Avoid Blurred or Shaky Video

Use of a professional video camera is advised when you are trying to put up a video on the web to avoid video that looks amateurish. But nowadays, you can even use a smart camera as a result of some of the flagship phones by Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi are pretty darn crisp. It’s up to the budget you have for setting up your website if you can manage a professional videographer, good enough so that you can avoid a video that is shaky and blurred.

If you don’t have the latest DSLR, use your smartphone wisely. Record the video in landscape mode so that your video will fit in on larger devices instead of just phone screens.

Use of Models, Props and Different Angles

You may want to feature your product prominently, but the use of a model or a prop can enhance the impact considerably. The posture of the model and his facial expressions can make or break the video. Emphasize on this aspect and hire a professional model, if convenient. Else you will need to hire a digital marketing agency who can guide you on how to start and complete the shoot.

The use of different angles in capturing the product and the model can add to the visual interest of the viewer. This is a good technique if you are making a how-to-video or a product demo. Different angles will give you the opportunity to deftly showcase your product. You can also use software to show it in a 360-degree view and add another option for your visitors.

Editing

After all the hard work, sharp editing can make your video look great. Mind you; editing is not something that anybody can do as it requires years of experience in dealing with different software and tools. Canceling of noise and cutting unnecessary information from the video is required to make the video look classy and professional.

Adding music or sound effects is another aspect you can do while editing. Cutting out awkward pauses and silences and adjusting the lighting are just a few of the aspects you need to take care of while editing.

Final Word

The human brain loves to deal with moving objects, and we are naturally drawn to a video. It can also increase the time visitors spend on a website as a stunning video can increase their interest in a product. But don’t just add a background video to your website just for the sake of it. You need to think and research hard for even adding a 30-second animation or video to the background.

If you think you can add something valuable to this blog or want to ask a question, you are more than welcome. For any type of feedback, too, please use the comments section below.