{"id":2482,"date":"2025-06-19T07:45:24","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T06:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/?p=2482"},"modified":"2025-06-11T15:55:40","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T14:55:40","slug":"should-you-use-videos-on-your-website-maybe-not-how-you-think","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/2025\/06\/should-you-use-videos-on-your-website-maybe-not-how-you-think\/","title":{"rendered":"Should You Use Videos On Your Website? Maybe Not How You Think"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 5<\/span> minutes : <\/span><\/span>

Should You Use Videos On Your Website? Maybe Not How You Think<\/h1>\n

So you\u2019ve built a lovely website for your small business. Maybe you sell handmade candles, fix cars, run a caf\u00e9, or offer accounting services. And now you\u2019re wondering: should I add a video to my homepage?<\/p>\n

It seems like a great idea at first, right? Video is all the rage online. Everyone\u2019s watching reels, stories, and YouTube clips. So surely sticking a video on your site will make people love your business even more?<\/p>\n

Well, maybe. But also\u2026 maybe not.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk about the ups, the downs, and especially the risks of autoplay videos (you know, the ones that start playing all by themselves). Spoiler alert: autoplay might not be your friend.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why People Think Videos Are a Good Idea<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s be fair \u2014 there are some good reasons to use video on your website:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • They can show off what you do.<\/strong> If you run a gym, a quick video tour could show your space better than any photo.<\/li>\n
  • They add personality.<\/strong> Seeing you talk to the camera might help people feel like they know you before they even get in touch.<\/li>\n
  • They can explain tricky stuff.<\/strong> For example, if you offer a service people don\u2019t really understand, a short video can clear things up.<\/li>\n
  • They can increase the dwell time.<\/strong>\u00a0 Dwell time is the amount of time that someone spends on your site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Sounds good, right? So why am I being all cautious about it?<\/p>\n

    When Video Goes Wrong<\/h2>\n

    Let\u2019s start with the biggest offender: autoplay videos<\/strong>. These are the ones that start playing the second your site loads \u2014 often with sound blaring, or silently while chewing up your visitor\u2019s internet data in the background.<\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s why autoplay might do more harm than good.<\/p>\n

    1. It Can Annoy People<\/h3>\n

    You click on a website while on a train, in a quiet caf\u00e9, or during a work break. Suddenly \u2014 BOOM! Sound from a video you didn\u2019t ask for. Most people don\u2019t like that. In fact, they might close the tab straight away, which means you\u2019ve just lost a potential customer.<\/p>\n

    Even if the video is silent, the movement can be distracting \u2014 especially for people who find it hard to focus. Some visitors might get irritated and leave before even reading what you offer.<\/p>\n

    2. It Slows Down Your Website<\/h3>\n

    Videos are big files. Even short ones can take ages to load \u2014 especially on slow internet connections. And when your site takes more than a few seconds to load, guess what? People click away.<\/p>\n

    Speed is super important. Google even uses page speed to help decide where your site ranks in search results. So if autoplay video is slowing you down, it could hurt your SEO too.<\/p>\n

    3. It Eats Data<\/h3>\n

    Not everyone is browsing on unlimited Wi-Fi. Some folks are using mobile data \u2014 and every megabyte counts. If your site loads an autoplay video in the background, that might cost them money. It\u2019s not a great look.<\/p>\n

    People might not blame you directly, but they\u2019ll definitely remember if your site made their phone bill worse.<\/p>\n

    4. It Can Be Unfriendly to People With Disabilities<\/h3>\n

    Autoplay videos can be a nightmare for some people who use screen readers or other assistive tech. If the video starts playing on its own, it might interrupt the screen reader \u2014 making it hard or impossible to browse the site.<\/p>\n

    That\u2019s not just unhelpful \u2014 it can also break accessibility laws, depending on where you live. And if you care about being inclusive (which we hope you do), that\u2019s reason enough to ditch autoplay.<\/p>\n

    5. Most People Don\u2019t Watch Them Anyway<\/h3>\n

    This might sting, but it\u2019s true. Most people don\u2019t stick around to watch autoplay videos, especially if they\u2019re longer than 30 seconds. If they\u2019re not in the mood, or they don\u2019t trust your site yet, they\u2019ll scroll right past \u2014 or leave.\u00a0 In fact a straw poll of my friends said that 70% of them will leave a site rather than watch a video, 15% said that they might watch the first few seconds if they were interested and will then scroll past leave the site, and 10% said that videos on sites don’t bother them and they will be likely to watch it\u00a0 (the other 5% said they didn’t care either way – which sums them up I guess).<\/p>\n

    So you might be wasting effort (and slowing down your site) for something hardly anyone watches.<\/p>\n

    But What If You Really Want to Use Video?<\/h2>\n

    Alright, maybe you\u2019ve got a video you really love. Maybe it tells your brand story perfectly. Maybe it\u2019s had good feedback. That\u2019s fair enough!<\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s how to use video on your site without annoying people<\/strong> or hurting your performance:<\/p>\n

    1. Don\u2019t Autoplay<\/h3>\n

    Seriously. Let people choose to click play. That way, they\u2019re in control \u2014 and they\u2019ll be more likely to pay attention. If they don\u2019t click it, that\u2019s okay. It means they weren\u2019t ready yet.<\/p>\n

    2. Use a Thumbnail or Still Image<\/h3>\n

    Instead of loading the full video straight away, use a still image that looks inviting. When someone clicks it, then load the video. This saves loads of data initially, and speeds up the loading of your site until the video is clicked on.<\/p>\n

    3. Keep It Short<\/h3>\n

    Under a minute is ideal. Two minutes, tops. If you\u2019ve got more to say, put it on a separate page (like a blog or FAQs section) and keep your homepage punchy.<\/p>\n

    4. Add Subtitles<\/h3>\n

    Lots of people watch videos without sound \u2014 especially on mobile. Subtitles help get your message across without blasting noise at someone. They\u2019re also helpful for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.<\/p>\n

    5. Optimise Your File<\/h3>\n

    If you\u2019re uploading your video directly (instead of using YouTube or Vimeo), make sure the file size is as small as possible without looking awful. There are tools online to compress videos for the web.<\/p>\n

    Better Alternatives to Video (Sometimes)<\/h2>\n

    You don\u2019t always need a video to tell your story. There are other ways to show personality, explain your services, and keep people engaged:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Photos.<\/strong> A few good pictures of your product, team, or workspace can go a long way.<\/li>\n
    • Clear text.<\/strong> Write in a friendly, human voice (hopefully like this article comes across as). Don\u2019t use jargon \u2014 just talk like you would to a real customer.<\/li>\n
    • Icons and graphics.<\/strong> These can break up text and explain things quickly without slowing down your site.<\/li>\n
    • Testimonials.<\/strong> A quote from a happy customer is often more powerful than a slick video.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      What Do You Think?<\/h2>\n

      So, small business owner \u2014 do you use videos on your website? Have they helped, or do you think they might be slowing you down?<\/p>\n

      We\u2019d love to hear what\u2019s worked (or not worked) for you. Drop a comment below or message us. And if you\u2019re thinking about adding a video, give it a proper think before diving in.<\/p>\n

      Sometimes, keeping it simple is the best way forward.<\/p>\n

      TL;DR (Too Long; Didn\u2019t Read)<\/h2>\n
        \n
      • Videos can be great \u2014 but only if used well.<\/li>\n
      • Autoplay videos are risky.<\/strong> They can annoy people, slow your site, and even cost your visitors money.<\/li>\n
      • If you use video, let people choose to play it. Keep it short, use subtitles, and compress the file.<\/li>\n
      • Don\u2019t forget: good photos, clear writing, and testimonials can be just as powerful.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Your website should help people understand and trust your business \u2014 not chase them away with loud surprises or slow load times.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Reading Time: <\/span> 5<\/span> minutes : <\/span><\/span>Should You Use Videos On Your Website? Maybe Not How You Think So you\u2019ve built a lovely website for your small business. Maybe you sell handmade candles, fix cars, run a caf\u00e9, or offer accounting services. And now you\u2019re wondering: should I add a video to my homepage? It seems like a great idea at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,10,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-advice","category-marketing-2","category-seo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2482"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2482\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}