Web videos have the potential to build your brand, increase enquiries and conversions, provide self-help customer care and keep visitors longer on your website.

No longer the preserve of corporates and those firms with big budgets, high-quality video is now comfortably within reach of smaller companies. But why would you think about putting video on your website?

Pretty much every piece of evidence about online video tells the same story:

• increased conversions

• longer time spent on site

• increased brand recognition

• measurable return on investment

Online video responds to the way take in information. Just like TV we can sit back, watch and learn. The difference is that the internet viewer is just a mouse click away from getting in touch with you. This interactivity makes all the difference.

What is the objective?
Like any marketing activity you need to know why you are putting video on your website. How will success be measured?

It simply isn't good enough to make a video and ‘plonk' it on your website and hope it works for you. You must know what you want the video to achieve. For many, the number one objective will be to turn more site visitors to enquiries. Other objectives would include newsletter sign-ups, downloads of documents, surveys and so forth.

Where are you going to show your video?
The very best place is prominently on your website. This could be the homepage or a specifically designed landing page to support an online marketing campaign. There are also popular sites like YouTube and Facebook that are making it easier for businesses to package videos and play from within their own websites. With planning it is possible to have both.

Who is going to make your video?
You can buy a £300 video camera and get a video up on your own site via YouTube. In addition to the filming you must write the script, find a presenter (is that going to be you?), edit the footage, add graphics, create and upload the video.

Consider a professional video production company. What work have they done? Is it relevant to you? What about the design, website and technical skills required to implement a video seamlessly into your website? Do they understand your marketing objectives? What do they add from a creative perspective?

Scripting
Scripting can make or break a video. It should talk directly to your marketplace, set out your story and provides the reason (the call to action) why people should get in touch. Videos need scripting with the viewer experience at the forefront of your thinking: both words and visuals.

What you say and how you say it depends on the subject matter and the duration you need to get your message across. Shorter is better. Aim for a minute on introductory and marketing messages.

In our experience the shorter the script, the harder it is to write so you should definitely consider using the services of a scriptwriter.

Presenting
Presenting is skilled work. Always use a professional presenter who will represent your business in the calm and authoritative manner you would want.

That isn't to say that you can't use your own people in the videos, but an edited interview is going to be much easier to make and watch, than someone unprepared talking to camera. Lights, make-up, stops and starts all add a pressure that can put off even the most confident person.

Interactivity
A big part of the effectiveness of a video is due to the interactivity that can be provided by the videoplayer (the surround, with controls like stop/pause) and within the video. For example, in the video the presenter might conclude with a call to action, such as use the form to get in touch and voila, a form appears. They respond, get a thank you email and you now have a new relationship.

Implementation
The technical issues around websites can trip up even the best organised company. For many smaller companies they can seem like a hornet's nest of mystery and cost. When it comes to video there is often a learning curve required that can lead to misconceptions.

In 2008 here is only really one format you should implement your video in and that is Flash, which 99.8% of computers are enabled to view. That's why YouTube, The BBC, in fact most sites, showing video use Flash.

Summary
Online videos work when they are short, straightforward and get to the point. They grab attention with simple well-crafted messages that talk to the viewer about what they are interested in.