About this episode
As a business owner or marketing leader, you’ve likely experienced the frustration of low form submission rates on your website. You’ve crafted compelling offers, optimized your landing pages, and yet potential leads seem to slip away at the last moment. What’s missing?
The answer might be simpler than you think: landing page videos.
In this episode of the Endless Customers podcast, Alex sat down with Lindsey Auten, Content and Video Trainer at IMPACT, to discuss the often-overlooked power of landing page videos. This simple concept is easy to do, and will earn the trust of your website visitors and bring you more form submissions.
Let’s dive into why landing page videos matter and how you can leverage them to build trust and drive conversions.
The Trust Gap: Why People Hesitate to Fill Out Forms
Before we explore the solution, it’s crucial to understand the problem. As Alex points out, “Most of the fear for me, it’s about spam. I don’t want to have my inbox full of just junk and stuff that I don’t need, want or care about.”
This sentiment resonates with countless potential leads who land on your forms. They’re interested in your product or service, but the fear of being inundated with unwanted communications often outweighs their desire to engage further.
This trust gap is where landing page videos can make all the difference.
What Exactly is a Landing Page Video?
Let’s clarify what we mean by a landing page video. Lindsey defines it as “a video that lives on a page that has a form associated with it.” Specifically, it’s a video placed next to your form, preferably above the fold, so visitors see both elements immediately upon landing on the page.
So, why are landing page videos so effective? Lindsey explains: “Having a video makes people more comfortable, builds trust.” By addressing potential concerns and clearly explaining what will (and won’t) happen after someone submits the form, you can significantly reduce hesitation and increase form submissions.
Alex adds, “It definitely sounds like it’s critical to have a video with a form fill. So whenever someone’s on your site or whenever you’re trying to gather information from a potential client, it sounds like it makes it easier or more welcoming for somebody on the user end of the spectrum to see a video and to start to build trust.”
The Three Essential Elements of an Effective Landing Page Video
According to Lindsey, every successful landing page video should include these three key components:
What will happen after the form is submitted
What won’t happen after the form is submitted
What information is needed for a successful interaction after form submission
By addressing these points, you’re proactively answering the questions and concerns that might prevent someone from filling out your form.
Best Practices for Creating Compelling Landing Page Videos
Keep it Short and Sweet – Lindsey emphasizes that landing page videos should be concise: “If they’re more than two minutes long, you’re doing it wrong.” Remember, the goal is to quickly build trust and encourage form submissions, not to provide an in-depth product demonstration.
Be Authentic and On-Brand – Your landing page video should reflect your company’s personality and style. As Lindsey notes, “Figure out what is your vibe, what is true to your brand. What do people love about working with your company and portraying that in a landing page video?”
Don’t Overcomplicate It – Many businesses hesitate to create landing page videos because they think it needs to be a Hollywood production. Lindsey dispels this myth: “Don’t over complicate your landing page videos. I see how you can over complicate a lot when it comes to video, but at the end of the day, everyone has to start somewhere.”
She cites the example of River Pools, where the owner simply walked around with a camera, talking casually. This approachable style can be just as effective as a highly produced video.
Make It Engaging – While keeping it simple, you can still add elements to make your video engaging. Lindsey shares an example: “I saw once, a landing page video that was for a company newsletter… where their content manager was fake publishing an article… It was funny. Like they made it funny.”
Optimize the Surrounding Elements – Remember, the video itself is just one part of the equation. Lindsey advises: “The thumbnail has to be optimized. The copy around the video has to direct people to watch the video.” These elements work together to ensure your landing page video gets viewed and drives action.
Measuring the Success of Your Landing Page Videos
To gauge the effectiveness of your landing page videos, Lindsey recommends looking at several key metrics:
Audience Retention: What percentage of viewers are watching the entire video? Lindsey suggests, “If you notice that, let’s say 80% of people are making it through 80% of the video, they’ve likely watched most of it.”
Form Submission Rates: Has there been an increase in form submissions since adding the video?
Bounce Rates: Has the bounce rate on your landing page decreased after adding the video?
Video Play Rate: What percentage of visitors are actually clicking to play the video?
Lindsey strongly advises against using YouTube for landing page videos: “I would avoid using YouTube on a landing page video… If you are using HubSpot and you’re creating HubSpot forms, put it on a HubSpot video, because we’re going to get better data for our content, for contact information, or for contacts than we would using a YouTube video.”
Real-World Success: How Landing Page Videos Drive Results
While the concept might seem simple, the impact of landing page videos can be significant. Lindsey shares an example from Fire & Ice, an HVAC company serving Columbus, Ohio:
“They would get a lot of outside of the service area traffic. So in their landing page videos, they are very specific to say, if you’re in Columbus, then you should fill out this form. If you’re not, then go to our learning center.”
This simple addition helps qualify leads, saving time for both the sales team and potential customers who might be outside the service area.
Getting Started with Landing Page Videos
If you’re still reading, then you’re probably excited about creating landing page videos for your business. Here are some key takeaways to get you started:
Start Simple: Don’t let perfectionism hold you back. Your first landing page video doesn’t need to be a masterpiece.
Focus on Trust: Address the key concerns that might prevent someone from filling out your form.
Keep it Brief: Aim for a video under two minutes that quickly delivers the essential information.
Be Authentic: Let your brand’s personality shine through in the video.
Optimize the Surrounding Elements: Ensure your video thumbnail and accompanying copy encourage viewers to watch.
Measure and Iterate: Use analytics to track the performance of your landing page videos and make improvements over time.
By implementing these strategies and creating compelling landing page videos, you can bridge the trust gap with potential leads, increase form submissions, and ultimately drive more conversions for your business.
Your future customers are waiting to hear from you – it’s time to give them the assurance they need to take that next step.
Connect with Lindsey
Lindsey Auten is a content and video trainer at IMPACT with a background in broadcast journalism.
Learn more about Lindsey from her IMPACT bio
Connect with Lindsey on LinkedIn
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