Nowadays, trendy images aren’t enough to keep people engaged. In a world where attention means everything, businesses must find a way to hook their customers instantly, while communicating their services without being too forceful. In this case, an image may speak a thousand words, but a great homepage video gets the message across ten-fold .

In fact, we’ve learned that homepage videos can improve conversion rates by 20%. Just imagine, something as simple as a short intro video or homepage video background could be the deciding factor that transforms a site visitor to a converted user.

With that in mind, if you’re wondering how to keep customers on your site long enough to subscribe or make a purchase, then here are a few things to consider when it comes to making a stunning homepage video:

Nail Down Your Primary Objectives

Uploading a random video for the sake of filling an empty spot on your homepage won’t do you any good in the long-run. Instead, it’s best to go over your business and nail down your primary objectives .

For example, does your business offer a particular service that you can showcase? Is it centered around a specific product that you want customers to engage with? Maybe you even want to focus on a specific industry that your business is associated to.

Once your goals are in place, you’ll be able to share an experience with a viewer that surpasses a written explanation. The human brain processes videos and images 60,000 times faster than reading text , so why put yourself through the hassle of mindless copy when it’s practically irrelevant?

It’s like choosing between reading the book or watching the movie version. Of course you might love the story and keep reading, but the movie will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. You’re inviting someone to have direct access to the adventure, and that connection will lead to wide scale growth.

Establish Your Brand Identity

After your objectives are clear, your next step is to infuse your homepage video with your brand’s identity.

Now, some people are particular about the differences between a brand and a business , but in the sense of setting a personae for your site, branding allows you to setup a tone, style, color, and image for visitors to interact with.

Take Nike, for instance. Their brand identity is the “swoosh” checkmark pasted on the side of a runner’s shoe  as they sprint down a track.

Starbucks has a two-tailed mermaid emblazoned on a white cup as a barista in a green apron happily serves hot coffee at a busy counter.

These two companies have simply established their identity through a visual that takes no more than 30 seconds to understand, and it’s within this simplicity that your brand must carve out its own unique presence to make a solid impact.

Here are a few questions we like to ask that can get the identity aspect of your homepage video  started:

• Are there any logos or trademarks to implement?
• Do you have specific colors that represent your business?
• Is there an activity or task that explains your business?
• Is there a particular setting that your business operates within?
• Is there a specific industry that your business is tackling?

Your answers can be used as an outline for the kind of homepage video you want. On the other hand, if you’re only looking for a homepage video background to give your site a face lift, then you should have no problem choosing a clip that quickly represents your services or products.

Keep Your Homepage Videos Short and to the Point

Now that you know the basics of what makes a stunning homepage video, the last thing you need to consider is the length.

Nobody wants to sit through a 5 minute video as soon as the site loads, so don’t hold them prisoner any longer than you have to. The average running time for most homepage videos  is between 1–2 minutes long, and studies show that videos exceeding 2 minutes generate a 20% drop off rate.

In our experience, the best homepage video length you can shoot for is between 10–15 seconds. A looped video with subtle movements is way more powerful than just another hero image, and videos that run any longer are at risk of being forgettable. On average, a 60 second video keeps a viewer engaged for nearly 47 seconds, so if you can keep everything concise, you’ll no doubt start generating some memorable buzz.

Stock Homepage Videos are a Great Alternative!

Unlike the world of stock images where sites like Unsplash and Shutterstock reign supreme, stock videos are a relatively new frontier that have quite a few interesting resources, both paid and free.

If you’re not quite sure what kind of homepage video you need, take a look at our site  , Coverr.co , and explore free videos of different activities and settings. Even if you’re searching for a placeholder to engage with visitors until your custom homepage video is ready, stock footage is always a better option than a boring image with over-zealous models.

Authenticity is what our platform is all about and we feature free HD videos submitted by filmmakers all over the world. Even though it’s considered stock footage, it doesn’t have that “stock” look , which stifles a visitor’s attention. On the contrary, people doing real things in real places, making real connections is what keeps the world turning.

Are you ready to start downloading? Click here  to browse our free homepage videos!

Didn’t find the video you were looking for? drop us a note, we’re always happy to add on-demand videos by our community of users and readers.