A Website Without Video is Like:
Jell-O Without Whipped Cream:
Do you like Jell-O? It’s okay I guess; I mean it’s not a hot fudge sundae…but if you could get a dollop of whipped cream on it, then you’d have something you could call a dessert. Does your website have that something extra? That little extra that says,”oh baby, let me at it,” or does it just lie there jiggling on your dish while Peggy Lee sings, “Is That All There Is? A disappointing website needs something that provides the ‘eureka factor’. A creative & informative Web-video can do that for you.
The Chicago Bulls Without Michael Jordan:
‘How the mighty have fallen’, in terms of brand personality, anyway. It’s not like the Chicago Bulls suck? It’s just that without the presence of MJ on the court, they’re not… the Chicago Bulls they once were. Michael was the magic that made the game so watchable; his personality gave the team it’s character. No Michael, no personality, no excitement.
Is your website like the new Chicago Bulls, a talented and skilled group of players, but no personality stands out? Developing video, that features your ‘signature brand & character’ will generate excitement and the ‘buy in’ that you need.
Television Without Sound :
So you’re watching your favorite TV show, say CSI, – the phone rings. You need to take the call because you’ve been playing phone tag for a week, so you do. You cut the sound on the show, and just as your friend is launching into why they rang, an important ‘clue’ is discovered; you see it on the screen but you can’t hear what’s going on and this plot point is essential to understanding the rest of the investigation! You need to listen to your friend so you end up watching a silent screen. Frustrating dilemma. Nevertheless, no audio, no information.
Maybe your website has the same effect as watching television without sound? Your website’s there, it’s available, people come and go, but they leave without getting your message. Why not spruce up your presentation by adding a Web-video that tells your story out loud. Just like the TV show, if you involve the emotions of the ‘visitor’, you’ll stand a better chance of converting them into a buyer!
Words Without Meaning:
Have you ever reread someone’s website copy and still didn’t know what they were saying? You didn’t find it difficult to define every word they used, but what they’re selling still eluded you?
Words have meanings, they’re supposed to convey, not conceal the message. A lack luster video script is no better than vague print copy. You’ve seen these videos that are mostly developed in flash templates that are purchased ‘off the shelf’ and then stuffed with a few words and some photos. After viewing it, all you get is that your stimulated… for what!? Buy what? Do what? Go where?
Your Web-audience has no patience for mambo-jumbo masquerading as information. Parading around with “words, words, words”, to quote Hamlet…just to pull in a few bots from Google’s search engines in order to improve page rank is not fair to the end user. In fact it’s useless to both of you. Words should say what they mean and mean what they say. You can still ‘deliver’, even if you get a little edgy; it’s one way to distinguish yourself from the pack. You can still stick to the ‘facts while spinning a flair with a bit of fable. That creativity will work to help you sell your product or service. Entertain while you inform.
The Rumba Without Rhythm:
You’ve probably sat and watched people dance at a wedding; There are the ‘movers’ who know how to use the slightest gestures, eye contact, gentle pressure, etc. to respond and communicate with their partners, while the others shuffle about the floor trying to get rid of the imaginary chewing gum that’s on the sole of their shoe.
In order to communicate with today’s audience, you’ll need to use all the techniques available. Especially the peoples choice! Video. Communication is complex but not difficult when video is employed. It does it all at once! It’s more than copy, its voice, gesture, movement and meaningful dialog. It’s an invitation to get involved. The video can transform your website from a wallflower into a dance partner thus becoming a ‘Cyber-Employee.’ Anyone wanna dance… Cha-Cha-Cha? sorry, I meant, Rumba!
Romance Without Kisses:
Ah … that first kiss, that can seal a relationship or sour it. Your landing page is like that first embrace. Is yours as exciting as it could be, or is it like the guy who spends the first date talking about his double entry booking keeping skills?
A well-crafted, expertly presented marketing message is like a seduction; that’s what imported the word ‘sexy’ into the seemingly unrelated world of marketing & advertising. If your digital presence is not generating excitement why expect to produce sales from it? Boring mission statements that drag on into the dry Sahara, wordy gobbledygook and keyword-laden palaver do not perform the way an enticing video can. An engaging business story, one with at least an ounce of emotion contained therein, like, how did you get to where you are and why did you want to go there, will be that juicy first kiss that promises your audience something to look forward to. Well, kinda-sorta. I’m sure you get the drift here!
A Joke Without A Punch Line :
Everybody likes a funny story. A good joke is nothing more than a short story with a set-up, an escalation, and a twist, but the real key to a good story lies in the telling. Even comedians with second-rate material can get their audience’s howling if they know how to deliver their material. It’s about timing, among other things.
Beware the mantra that’s proliferated these days, “websites are about content,” but if that content isn’t delivered with some style and panache, don’t expect to garner the attention you may well deserve.
A Song Without A Hook:
Hit songs, like effective video commercials, are highly structured stories with verses that function as chapters or acts, and a chorus that provides the hook that sinks and sticks in your head so that you learn it in seconds and sing it for years. Add to this a toe tapping beat and instrumental flourishes and you’ve something that has life!
Does that sound like your website presentation? Are people willing to come back to your site just to watch your presentation, or does your website leave visitors with a ‘been there, done that’ impression?
Information Without Knowledge :
Just because you’re in business doesn’t mean you’ve got to be boring. And just because you dump a lot of facts and figures and bulleted points onto your Web-pages doesn’t mean you’re making a convincing argument for anyone to buy your stuff.
Web audiences demand more. If you won’t give it to them, you can be sure someone else will, like maybe your competition. Video can deliver information that can engage the viewer with memorable emotion. No emotion, no movement.
Interactivity Without Purpose:
I think we need to stop and think about this whole interactivity thing. Let’s all get interactive, why? Play a game, ‘like me on FaceBook, re-Tweet me.. current status, ‘I’m having coffee at Joe’s or I’m driving to see my Mother..! Some of this activity, strategically employed does do something, for sure but let’s face it, what does most of it do? Is it developing a hugely expensive game that people can play on your website to avoid working, or is it getting them to click on the ‘Tell Me More’ or ‘Buy Now’ button?
I vote for the interactivity that leads to opening a dialogue with a potential client and gets visitors to pick up the phone and call you to discuss their needs rather than the one that generates a “Game Over” message.
Frequency Without Resonance:
Someone I knew liked vinegar on their chips, or fries, as we in the USA call them, well, it’s a matter of preference,..the Dutch like mayonnaise on theirs. He once had a chef in a Tucson restaurant come out of the kitchen and confront him: ‘who asked the Waiter for vinegar?’ The diner reluctantly raised his hand. “You must be from Canada,” he said, “I’m from Victoria, where you from?”
Good advertising is all about delivering a message that resonates with your audience. It doesn’t matter how many times you run an advertisement if that advertisement doesn’t make an impression on your audience. You can’t be afraid to be creative, a little edy or even a bit weird.
Humor Without Laughter:
Dr. Max Sutherland in his e-mail newsletter report, “False Alarm Theory: How Humorous Ads Work” describes how laughter is a hardwired residual mechanism that developed while we were apes as an ‘all clear’ signal once a danger had past. The ‘all clear’ message is passed on from one ape to another, until the entire troop is screeching with the ecstasy of survival. That’s the short version of this study anyway. Any one like myself who has written for TV Sitcoms or Stand-Ups will tell you that comedy is the most serious game in the world of entertainment.
A guy steps outside from his warm house into a blizzard. He’s dressed in a suit and carries his briefcase. The car is covered in 14″ of snow. He does not have anything but his hands to clean the windows off with. He struggles… the snow is still falling in bucketfuls. He even uses the edges of his briefcase to try and scrape off the thick ice on the windows. Finally, he thinks, ‘that’ll do, I’ll get in. So far, nothing is terribly funny, except the fact that he has no ice scraper and resorts to using the briefcase. BUT, when he takes out his key and clicks to open the car door, and instead of this car door opening, the car in front of this one opens, and it’s lights are blinking. That’s funny. Humor is based on creating some sense of uncertainty or tension that is ultimately relieved with a humorous punch line or comforting resolution.
Without tension there can be no relief, no opportunity for an entertaining resolution that creates a cascading viral reaction among your audience. Websites are not likely to be passed on to friends and colleagues unless a compelling presentation that offers the opportunity to signal the rest of the world that all is well is on offer. In other words, a website that offers a solution to someones problem. It’s simple when you strip it down: supply & demand.