Do's and don'ts of Web video
Author: Publish

Video on the Web can be compelling or annoying, depending on how it’s handled. Here are some tips to help ensure your Web video clips don’t hinder the business goals of your site.

1. Always offer a choice. When possible, give visitors a chance to click a link and make a conscious decision to view the video. Video that’s streamed automatically when visitors land on the page can be jarringandresult in site avoidance – not the best outcome. This is especially true when the video includes loud audio streams. Anyone who works in a small office with thin cubicle partitions knows how disruptive such streams can be.

2. Keep it low. For the most part, your audience will be viewing your media streams from their office desktops, so audio needs to be clear yet unobtrusive (see #1). This means avoiding large spontaneous crashes, beeps, sirens, etc., and making sure volume controls are obvious and easy to use.

3. Make it short. Web attention spans – especially when it comes to video – are even shorter than those for television viewing. If you really want to get your message across, keep it as short as possible.

4. Make it navigable. When you need to run a long piece of video, simply break it into manageable pieces and let the user navigate among them. This is another way to put the user in the driver's seat and ensure that the video is well-received.