Now I'm a Believer...In Web Video

Using video on the web isn't a new idea, but historically, it's been very problematic. Bandwidth used to be the biggest problem. It used to be that in order to put video on the web, you had to compress it until the picture was barely recognizable, and the viewing area had to be the size of a miniature post-it note.

As bandwidth becomes less and less of an issue, more clients are deciding to use video on their sites. I used to be a bit skeptical as to whether or not this was a good idea. Because of the conflicting platform standards out there, it's still possible that if you put video on your site, some people might not be able to view the video, which can mean that the viewer is prompted to download software and/or there's a gaping hole in your site. That can hurt credibility, and certainly means that, more than likely, someone who encounters these problems is going to leave your site and find the information they need elsewhere.

Having said all that; having presented the worst case scenario, it's now safe to say that the matters that made video risky in the past have settled enough to make video a worthwhile venture for a dental practice marketing itself on the web. The Internet has grown to embrace video, and some suspect that the Internet and television will eventually merge to the point that a website without video will seem archaic. But let's focus on the present.

Video can do so much more for you than just making your site look more high-tech. By adding more types of media to your site, you increase your exposure on the web. There are entire sites on the web that are dedicated to people looking for video. So, if you have a video about sedation dentistry, you could submit your video to all of those video sites in hopes of getting more incoming links, and therefore more exposure. Search engines like Google and Alta Vista have entire pages of search results dedicated to serving up video, audio, and images as search results. Those results won't likely generate new patients directly, but indirectly, this diversity in media can make your site more successful in the eyes of the search engines.

Video also increases your credibility. The public perception of video on the website is definitely that video is technically impressive, but it also sends the message that you know what you're talking about. Like it or not, if you say it on video, you're message is more convincing.

Lastly, video increases the time that the average person spends on your site. Not everyone will watch your video, and those that do watch your video are not likely to watch the entire video unless it's very short, but that's not crucial. A longer visitor session is more likely to generate an email than a brief, thirty second visit. If you can extend your average visitor session to four minutes or more, you'll find that you're getting more emails.

So, if you have a video that you send out to potential patients, consider putting it on your website. For example, if you're featured on the news, be sure to get that video out there. If you don't have any video, don't worry. Page 1 is now offering custom video production that will bring your practice to life on the web. Contact us today for more information and don't let a web marketing resource go to waste.

Jonathan Fashbaugh
Page 1 Solutions