Enhance Visitor Follow Through with Online Video

Creating landing and squeeze pages is a common Web strategy used to prompt site visitors to perform a specific action such as sign up for a newsletter or purchase a product. These pages don’t automatically lead to conversions though. The pages must first be discovered by the user, and the pages must be loaded with compelling text. Once the visitor lands on the page, the content must convince the visitor to act. While text can certainly do that, you have another tool available: online video.

You can use online video in several ways. For starters, use online video to help the visitor find the desired page. For example, if you want users to download a trial version of a new program you’ve developed, use online videos on-site as well as off to drive traffic to your free download page. Online video is a terrific medium for demonstrating the features of the program, showing the program in action, and showing how the program can make life easier for its users. Consider video testimonials, onscreen chats with the software developers, a virtual spokesmodel, or a polished production touting the features and benefits of the program.

These videos can be used on your site or off – or both – to drive traffic to your landing page. For example, you could use a virtual spokesperson to talk about the benefits of your new product and then point to the link that users need to click in order to learn more and download the free trial. You could also post videos on YouTube and other external sites.

Now that traffic is landing your landing page, you can put online video to work once again. After all, not all traffic will arrive based on those videos. As the old saying goes, a picture speaks loader than words. So, put moving pictures to work for you! Online videos allow your site’s visitors to get a taste of whatever it is you are selling. In addition, online videos make your site more personable. People like to buy from other people, and featuring people on your landing page’s videos illustrates that your company is powered by real people.

Because you will be featuring an online video on your landing page, make sure that the video features a clear call to action. This isn’t the place for video tutorials; it is the place for marketing video. What do you want viewers to do once they’ve watched the online video? Download a trial version of your software? Fill out a survey? Sign up for a newsletter? Buy your product? No matter what you want the user to do, you must prompt the viewer to do it! This could be as simple as saying, “Download a free trial version today” or “Take advantage of our $20 discount by ordering before midnight.”

Online video has become a powerful tool with many applications. Not only can it drive traffic to your landing pages, it can also enhance visitor follow through rates.

How have you used online video on your squeeze pages? Share your ideas, thoughts, and successes with us!

Using a Video Spokesperson to Deliver Compelling Calls to Action

Your website’s video spokesperson serves many purposes ranging from welcoming visitors to the website and explaining what your site is all about to talking visitors into performing some sort of action such as filling out a survey, signing up for a newsletter, or buying a product. Your video spokesperson builds trust by demonstrating knowledge about your company’s products and services and relating to visitors. In short, a video spokesperson represents your company in a far more compelling way than static text. When strategizing your use of virtual spokespeople, make sure to incorporate calls to action in your scripts.

Soft Selling: Your Virtual Spokesperson is the Perfect Choice 
Prefer to take a soft sales approach on your website? Soft sales techniques can be effective sales techniques. Incorporate “yes” questions into your speech to subtly get your visitors to agree with your pitch. For example, “Do you want to earn more money?” or “Are you looking for an effective way to discipline your children?” are questions that can prompt a positive response in the form of a nod or a verbal “yes.” After all, who doesn’t want to earn more money? Who wants to be an ineffective parent? Let your video spokesperson ask positive questions.

Calls to Action: Put Your Video Spokesperson to Good Use  
While guiding your site’s visitors into a positive frame of mind is good, relying on them to take action on their own is risky. It may not cross a visitor’s mind to sign up for your newsletter unless you prompt with a call to action. Having a friendly video spokesperson prompt your site’s visitors to perform some type of action helps raise awareness that an option exists and can lead to improved conversions.

For example, if you have a “sign up for our newsletter” graphic, link, or other element embedded into your site, it’s easy to assume that interested visitors will do just that. However, what if the visitors never see the link? Web usability and eye tracking studies show that online users tend to scan, with the upper left corner of Web pages receiving far more attention than other areas. It’s entirely possible that your graphics and links may not have been looked at!

Your virtual spokesperson can change that. Not only can a video spokesperson walk onto your screen and visually point to specific areas of the page, she can incorporate calls to action into her delivery. For example, imagine a virtual spokesperson walking onto a Web page that covers parenting issues and saying, “Want to learn more about becoming an effective parent? Sign up for our weekly newsletter by clicking this button.” Can you imagine the site visitor nodding in agreement when the question is asked? Can you imagine the video spokesperson pointing to the button? Can you imagine the visitor clicking the button? That’s the power of using a video spokesperson to create a compelling call to action.

How will you put your virtual spokesperson to good use? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Why Should Your Site’s Visitors Trust Your Virtual Spokesperson?

Deciding to add a virtual spokesperson to your website is exciting. Not only will you soon have an attractive video spokesmodel welcoming visitors to your site and adding a personal touch, you’re expecting to see increased sales conversions as a result. But wait? What’s that nagging feeling in the back of your mind? Could it be trust issues? Are you wondering why your site’s visitors should trust your virtual spokesperson?

The Importance of a Credible Virtual Spokesperson
Whether you’re wondering about this or not, it is vital that your virtual spokesperson builds trust with your site’s visitors. If the spokesperson fails to build trust, you might not see the sales increases that you’re hoping to see. Worse, if you select a virtual spokesperson that is unprofessional or a bad fit for your site, you could lose credibility with your audience all together.

Because building trust can drive sales and losing trust could drive visitors away, it’s important that you choose a professional virtual spokesperson. Professional spokespeople are trained in the fine art of appearing on camera.

Professional virtual spokespeople are actors who can:

  • Quickly memorize scripts
  • Work off of teleprompters
  • Play multiple roles
  • Change their looks to match different roles and moods
  • Appear at ease on camera
  • Relate to audiences
  • Maintain eye contact with the camera
  • Select clothes, makeup, jewelry, hairstyles, and props that look good on camera and enhance the role being played without distracting
  • Add personality

How a Virtual Spokesperson Can Build Trust 
A virtual spokesperson can build trust in several ways including:

  • Having the right look for the website. For example, if your website caters to hip-hop music fans, an urban young adult playing the part of a record producer or D.J. would be more likely to build trust with site visitors than a senior citizen or a traditional businessman. The opposite is true if the site caters to senior citizens or banking customers.
  • Having a natural, accessible appearance and attitude. The more your audience feels connected to the virtual spokesperson, the better. Does the spokesmodel seem like someone your audience members might enjoy being with? Does the spokesperson seem approachable and friendly?
  • Saying the right words, in a natural way. Virtual spokesmodels don’t generally get to say whatever they want to say; their words are carefully scripted in advance. A talented actor delivers these words in a natural way. With a well thought out script and a natural talent delivering the message, you can build trust with your audience.
  • Appearing on screen without causing technical glitches. Web users don’t like websites that cause their browsers to crash, and they’re technologically critical. Strong production values and overlay technologies that do not cause conflicts are a must.

What does all of this mean to you? It means that professional talent, the right appearance, a strong script, and high production values build trust. Invest in these areas and your virtual spokesperson will be a successful addition to your website.

Business Video: Create a Virtual Company Tour

What if you could create a business video that showcases your company, its employees, and its facilities to prospective customers and future employees? You can! By creating a virtual company tour, your customers can see you in action while also learning more about your philosophy, products, and processes.

Why produce a corporate video tour? A professionally produced business video showcasing your organization can personalize your company, satisfy your customer’s curiosity, pre-sell your products, and set you apart from the competition. Consumers are naturally curious about how things are made. A number of television programs such as How it’s Made and Build it Bigger satisfy this curiosity and have proven to be popular with viewers. The How Stuff Works website is also a popular destination. People want to know so why not open the doors to your office and give your customers a peek?

Whether you run a bank, a catering company, a manufacturing facility, or an auto repair shop, creating an online video that takes consumers behind the scenes could be an effective marketing tool. Posting the video online allows customers who are researching similar companies and services to get to know you better. Being able to see your building, your friendly staff, and employees hard at work builds confidence and shows that you’re not a fly-by-night operation with a fancy website.

You can also use the business video tour in your company’s lobby. For example, if your business performs a service behind closed doors, your customers may wonder what goes on back there. You may not be able to take customers out on the shop or manufacturing floor due to safety concerns, but you could take them on a virtual tour.

If your company uses a sales team that asks other professionals for business referrals, having a business video showcasing your company’s location could help build relationships and confidence. These professionals will likely be more comfortable recommending a company that they have seen in action rather than one they’ve simply heard about from a salesperson. A business video can help them to “see” your company. For example, if you run an upscale auto repair shop and your sales team asks local insurance agents to recommend your services to their clients, the agents can personally vouch that your shop has a “clean, comfortable lobby with leather couches and an espresso machine” because they watched your video and saw the lobby.

Other potential audiences for your virtual company tour include attendees at trade shows and job fairs. Use the video tour at a trade show as part of your display, again building confidence and satisfying the natural curiosity people have about how things are made. At a job fair, you can use your business video to show job candidates your facility and how you work.

How long should your business video tour be? Avoid the temptation of creating a documentary about your company because few people are that interested. Instead, keep the video short and professional. If you’ll use the video online, consider breaking it down into individual videos covering different departments or areas such as: reception, call center, accounting, warehouse, and so on. Doing so allows viewers to pick the areas of interest to them. You can also design your DVD with menus for each department, again giving viewers a measure of control over which segments to watch.

Creating a business video that takes customers on a virtual tour of your company serves many purposes including building confidence and distinguishing your company from the competition.

Who Should Star in Your Corporate Video Production?

You’ve decided to shoot a corporate video production and soon thereafter, the panic sets in. What am I thinking! I’m terrible in front of a camera! This is a natural reaction, especially if you’re one of the company’s principals who is expected to lead and therefore expected to be the star of your corporate video. But does this mean that you’re the best person for the job?

When it comes to corporate video productions, the business owner or CEO may seem like a natural choice. For example, if you’re shooting an employee orientation video, your audience will want to get to know about you, your philosophy, and your company and who better to discuss yourself and your vision than you? The same is true of corporate video productions designed to attract investors. However, if you’re extremely uncomfortable on camera, appearing in a starring role could be counterproductive. Instead of inspiring confidence, a poor portrayal onscreen could cause doubt. Because of this, you should assess whether or not you’re the best person to lead the video. And if you’re not the best person, who is?

Define the Corporate Video Production’s Purpose
Corporate videos are made for many reasons ranging from employee orientations, investor relations, and sales videos to company tours and “how to” videos. Ask yourself what purpose the video is intended to serve and who the intended audience is. Now ask yourself how you’re going to use video to get your message across.

For example, if your video is intended to put your investors’ minds at ease and inspire confidence that your company continues to innovate, then your video needs to convey energy, commitment, and strength. While a talking head with loads of bar charts could convince investors that your company is on track, a corporate video production showing your team hard at work may be more effective. Should you stand in front of the camera talking about your latest initiatives or would one of your more energetic employees take the lead? A series of employee testimonials could be far more convincing than a discussion of bank balances in this case.

Similarly, customer testimonials are powerful tools. After all, who better to talk about the wonders of your products and services than the customers who have benefited from them?

Assess On Camera Skills
Whether you’re considering yourself or someone else for the starring role, it’s important that whoever leads the corporate video production is comfortable on camera. Formal acting training isn’t necessary to adequately represent your company in a business video, but whoever leads the video should be comfortable with role playing and speaking on camera.

Consider holding a casting call for the video. For example, if your video will feature an employee giving new hires a sneak peek at what it’s really like working for your company, you could hire an actor to play the part but having a real employee do it will be more effective. Let your employees know about the opportunity and have them submit video auditions or try out in front of a video camera set up in your conference room. Not only might you be surprised at the talent your staff has, your employees could enjoy being involved in your corporate video production.

Consult with Your Corporate Video Production Team
Your video production team knows what it’s doing, so make sure to partner with your producer. If it’s essential that you star in the video, your producer can put you at ease and help you look good on camera. You may be able to appear on camera for a short time, filling in the rest of the video with voiceovers, graphics, photos, images of your company, and testimonials. Your production company may recommend a spokesperson or even a character, depending on the video’s purpose and audience.

Deciding who should star in your corporate video production comes down to who is best equipped to deliver the intended message to the intended audience. It may be you, it may be an employee, it may be an actor, or it may be your customers!

Do You Need a Web Video Strategy?

Adding web videos to your websites and blogs is a terrific way to add value to your sites while also taking advantage of the potential additional traffic from video search engine results. However, there’s more involved than occasionally posting an online video on your site. As with the other elements of Web development, video for web pages should be strategically planned and managed.

First, how can online video benefit your site? The benefits are numerous. For example, having Web videos on your site can result in additional traffic based on search results. Not only do the major search engines list results based on text, they now list video results. While additional traffic is always welcome, video for web pages can also: inform visitors, direct attention to specific areas of the website, convey your message, make your company more personable, and prompt users to act in some desirable way.

With all of the benefits of online video, the decision to move forward is relatively easy. Before you start trolling YouTube for inspiration, it’s important to understand what you want the Web video to accomplish.

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • What is the purpose of the website?
  • How can Web video help you to further that purpose?
  • Which benefit of online video is most important to you?
  • Where does it make the most sense to post video on your website?
  • How often are you willing to post online videos?

The answers to these questions can guide you in creating a Web video strategy. For example, if your website’s purpose is to raise awareness about a specific cause, adding informational videos could be powerful. On the other hand, if your website’s purpose is sales driven, how-to videos or product demos may be a better choice. If you want to attract visitors, inform them, and create a more engaging experience, you may want to opt for a video spokesperson who acts as a virtual tour guide throughout your site.

Where should you post your online videos? Again, it depends on the purpose of the site and the Web video. The home page may be the perfect spot for your cause awareness video whereas individual product pages may be better suited for the how-to videos. Depending on how you incorporate Web videos, you may even want to create a video gallery or showcase section of your site.

Just as it’s important to regularly add articles and blog posts to your sites, regularly adding online videos is also important. Adding fresh content encourages return visitors and aids in SEO. Create an editorial calendar and map out your video for web goals. If you have the resources, adding a fresh online video each week would be an excellent start. Even if you can only handle one Web video per month, you’d have 12 videos working for your site in a year’s time, each delivering benefits and traffic.

Do you have a video for web strategy or are you winging it? What are your thoughts?

Enhance the Internet Sales Conversion Process with a Virtual Spokesperson

Have you encountered a virtual spokesperson on a website yet? If you have, then you know that virtual spokespeople add a new, dynamic element to static Web pages. A video overlay of a real person walking onto the screen and speaking directly to site visitors helps personalize websites. However, there’s more involved than a friendly face; a virtual spokesperson can translate into increased conversions.

No matter what your website’s goals may be, using a virtual spokes model strategically can ensure that those goals are met. For example, do you have a landing page on your site designed to collect opt-in email addresses? While “click here” links and peel away banners entice users to click their way to the landing page, a virtual spokesperson can gently guide the visitor to the desired page. As the virtual spokesperson directs attention to the pages that you’d like the user to visit, she can also explain the benefits of doing so as well as thank the user for taking the desired action after the fact.

One of the most profound effects that virtual spokespeople have on site visitors is that of credibility. Because the spokes model looks, sounds, and acts like someone the visitor relates to, trust is built. Who do consumers buy from? People that they trust. Well written website content, a professional website design, and a real, albeit virtual, spokesperson work together to build trust.

This doesn’t mean that you should simply dress an actor in a lab coat and tell him his name is Dr. Smith. It means that you need to select a spokesperson who can build trust with your audience. Wardrobe choice is important, but it’s not the only priority. For example, if your site sells healthy living books, a number of spokes model characters could be effective such as a motherly type, yoga instructor, or athlete. Consider who your audience is and what type of role models resonate the best with site visitors. From there, select a virtual spokesperson with the qualities that your audience respects.

So, you have a professional website with a credible virtual spokesperson welcoming and guiding your site’s visitors. While you’ve been able to direct visitors to specific areas of the site and build trust along the way, nothing happens until the visitor takes action. If you’ve been involved in traditional sales, you know that the simple act of asking for the sale is one of the most powerful tools in your sales toolbox. Phrases such as “Would you like to place an order?” and “Can I schedule overnight delivery or standard delivery for you?” prompt users to make a decision. A virtual spokesperson can improve the sales conversion rate of your website simply by asking visitors for the sale.

Though some companies will suggest that incorporating a virtual spokesperson into your website is easy and inexpensive, the process is more complicated than cutting and pasting a few lines of code into an HTML editor. Among the many steps are: selecting the right actor or actress for your site, writing a script (or several scripts if the virtual spokesperson will be used extensively), choosing the wardrobe, shooting and editing the video, and overlaying the final composition over your site. Look for a video production company with an understanding of the nuances of Internet marketing as well as high production values.

Virtual spokespeople enhance the sales conversion process by building trust, guiding visitors, and asking for the sale. What have your virtual spokesperson experiences been like so far? Have you made a purchase decision based on a virtual spokesperson’s recommendation? Has your site seen improved conversions since adding a virtual spokes model? We’d love to hear from consumers as well as website owners.

The Benefits of a Virtual Spokesperson

Last week we talked about the evolution of virtual spokespeople on the Web. While it’s interesting to see how virtual spokes models have transformed from animated text readers to full motion video overlays delivering custom messages, website spokes people serve a real purpose and deliver real results.

The benefits of having a virtual spokesperson on your website range from making your site’s visitors feel welcome to prompting visitors to perform a specific action such as “call us today to place your order” or “download this exclusive, free report now.” When a website’s visitors feel welcome, they’re more likely to stick around or return regularly. When visitors are prompted with a solid call to action, they’re more likely to act on that call. In both cases, having a friendly video spokesperson guiding visitors can lead to increased sales conversions.

Using a Virtual Spokesperson to Welcome Website Visitors

Incorporating a virtual spokes model on your website’s home page and landing pages is similar to having a customer service representative or receptionist greeting customers as they arrive at your place of business. A friendly face, a nice tone of voice, and a warm greeting help put customers at ease and let them know that their presence is welcome and appreciated.

Select an actor or actress with a professional appearance that fits in with your business type or customer base. Working with a professional script writer, you’ll then want to create a welcoming message that connects with the audience while also telling visitors what they can expect from visiting your website.

Using a Virtual Spokesperson to Build Trust

In addition to welcoming visitors, your virtual spokesperson can also build trust with users. Use the virtual spokesperson on informational pages, FAQs pages, and other areas of your site where you want additional credibility. Again, you’ll need a solid script presenting useful information to your site’s visitors as well as a virtual spokesperson with the right image. For example, if your Web page discusses preventing sports injuries, the appearance of a virtual spokesperson playing the role of a sports trainer, physician, or nurse can add credibility to your message and build trust with your audience.

Using a Virtual Spokesperson to Prompt Users to Perform Specific Actions

Your website is likely designed with several elements requiring specific user actions in order to be effective. For example, you may have a newsletter or special report that you use for building an opt-in mailing list. You might have specific pages with strong calls to action. You might have a video that educates and inspires your visitors, prompting them to donate to your cause. No matter what you’re trying to accomplish with your website, you’ve got to get your site’s visitors to those specific areas of the site. A virtual spokesperson can do just that by appearing on your site and guiding users to other areas of your website. Far more effective than a “click here” link, a virtual spokesperson can entice users to perform the desired action as well as explain the benefits of doing so.

By using a virtual spokesperson throughout your website, you can welcome visitors to your site, inform them, build trust, and convince them to perform specific actions. This makes for an engaging, informational experience for your users and translates into increased conversions for you. Make sure to team up with a professional video production company specializing in virtual spokes models.

The Evolution of Virtual Spokespeople

Remember when it was fairly common to land on a Web page and find yourself face-to-face with an animated person reading the text on the page word for word? Those early virtual spokespeople have evolved, leaping out of their frames and shedding their cartoon appearances. Today’s virtual spokes models do more than simply read the page’s content. They appeal  site visitors on a personal level.

Early Virtual Spokespeople

Virtual spokes models are not new to the Internet. A typical early virtual spokesperson featured an animated talking head that read the words featured on the website. Web visitors either loved them or hated them. For some, hearing the text read by a robotic voice was more annoying than useful. Annoyed visitors don’t stick around long, and for the most part, these early spokes models have fallen out of favor.

As broadband connections have become more common, so too have video spokes models. At first, these virtual spokespeople appeared in video boxes just as any other hosted video on a website. Depending on how the Web developer set up the site, the videos either play automatically upon opening a page or are launched by the visitor. While it’s not unheard of for a video spokesperson of this type to read the page’s text, most follow their own scripts and deliver additional information.

Modern Virtual Spokespeople

spokes teamWith advanced Flash technology and a new emphasis on video spokes models, today’s virtual spokes person is a far cry from those early incarnations. You may still see the occasional animated spokes person; however, expect a level of interactivity that wasn’t present before. For example, Animotioninc.com’s virtual spokesperson, Bucky Smiles, appears buried under a clump of snow. A brush appears and the user is invited to brush the snow away to reveal the character, chattering teeth and all. Next, the user can drag a cup of coffee over and warm up the poor guy who finally has the opportunity to deliver his message.

As far as video spokespeople go, the actors are no longer confined to tiny frames. These virtual spokes models step across the screen, appearing as overlays on the site. For example, a virtual spokesperson can walk across the website, pointing visitors to specific areas of the site. Depending on how the scene was shot, a video spokesperson can jump into the website, landing on the page and delivering a unique message.

Today’s modern virtual spokes person is far more engaging than previous generations. With video spokespeople, an actor or actress presents a short message which has been scripted with a specific purpose in mind. For example, a video spokesperson might welcome site visitors, highlight specific products, or prompt visitors to perform a certain action such as sign up for newsletters or fill out a survey.

The modern video spokesperson for the Web is also more personable than the animated spokesperson of the past. Most video production companies offering virtual spokespeople have a cast of attractive, versatile actors and actresses capable of delivering any message. If your site appeals to businesses, a professional spokesperson can add credibility to your site. If your site appeals to a younger crowd, a young and vibrant virtual spokesperson can add a touch of fun and excitement to your site. Best of all, today’s virtual spokespeople add value and can lead to increased conversion rates.