Professional videos are a business investment, because high-quality website videos communicate the quality of a business’s products and services. Here you’ll find Sky Media’s helpful guidelines for identifying website-worthy videos for your site.
To get high-quality videos for your website, you really have 5 different options. You may use 1, or all of these options to create a high-quality site.
- Utilise your best existing videos.
- Take some top-quality new videos.
- Hire a professional videographer.
- Ask suppliers for product videos.
- Use professional stock videos.
Whichever option/s you choose, you’ll want to ensure all your selected videos include the video essentials listed below. If they don’t, they’re simply NOT website-worthy.
How to Take and Select High-Quality Videos for Your Website
If you’re considering DIY videography (or using existing videos) it’s critical to consider clarity, balance, lighting, orientation, background, size, and file type, if you’re to achieve website-worthy videos.
Clarity
The video you’re considering must be 100% crystal clear. If the vidoe is fuzzy, blurry, pixelated, or unclear in any way at all, it’s not website-worthy.
Balance
If the object of focus in the centre, or the image itself is not aligned with the video’s outer frame, it’ll look wonky. In addition, a steady hand is essential when filming. Editing tools can adjust some videos to create balance (we charge extra for this), however it’s best if balance and focal points are considered before videos are taken.
Lighting
If images, products, people, or spaces look dark, or hard to see, you’re not placing your offer in the best light – literally. D.I.Y lighting is best achieved outside on an overcast day.
Orientation
You’ll need to ensure videos are fit for purpose in terms of orientation. Most website videos are landscape, so that’s your best bet, but on rare occasions portrait orientation is suitable.
Background
The background of an image matters. It’s important that product videos or office videos have a clean clear uncluttered background. Attention to detail creates a high-quality look and feel.
Size
All videos need to be a minimum 1920×1080 pixels (1080p, also known as Full HD or FHD) in MP4 file format. When the size isn’t right, videos may look blurry, pixelated, or warped once they’re uploaded to your website. Find out how to check the size of a video on Mac, iPhone, PC and Android below.
File type
All videos need to be submitted as MP4 files. In most cases, your videos will already be MP4’s but it pays to check. If they’re not the right file type, you can often use a file converter online to get the right file type. Find out how to check the file type of a video on Mac, iPhone, PC and Android below.
Quality Control Checklist for Website-Worthy Videos
- Clarity – Crystal clear.
- Balance – Centred and steady.
- Lighting – Well lit.
- Orientation – Landscape.
- Background – Clean and clear.
- Size – 1920×1080
- File type – MP4’s.
If your selected videos tick all 7 boxes, then congratulations, it’s highly likely they’ve met Sky Media’s website-worthy quality control standards.
How to Check a Video’s Size and File Type
All videos need to be in MP4 format and a minimum of 1280x720px. To check the size, or file type of any video, follow the instructions for MacBook, iPhone, PC and Android below…
MacBook Instructions
Choose a video > CTRL + Right Click > Get Info > Kind (file type) and Dimensions (size)
iPhone Instructions
Choose a video > Click information icon (i) > Get Info > Kind (file type) and Dimensions (size). Simply pull up the video you’re interested in, click on it, then hit the little i for information button at the bottom of the screen and you’ll see the size and the file type. Easy.
Microsoft Desktop and Laptop Instructions
Choose a video > Right Click > Properties > Details > Kind (file type) and Dimensions (size).
Android Instructions
Open the video > more settings > then tap ‘Details’ to view video details.
How to Hire a Professional Videographer
Anyone can take a video, but a professional videographer knows how to take high-quality videos. Professional videographers are often specialists in one, or more of the following areas:
- Product videography.
- Property/real estate videography.
- Commercial/industrial videography.
- Landscape and/or aerial (drone) videography.
- Food and beverage videography.
- Event videography.
- Fashion videography.
- Action and sports videography.
If you’re interested in hiring a videographer, it’s wise to ask for examples of their previous work to ensure they’re able to deliver top-quality videos suitable for your business.
Looking to invest in professional videos? At Sky Media, we have access to professional videographers and drone operators starting at $400 + GST per hour, plus travel. Get in touch with our team to discuss.
How to Source Product Videos from Suppliers
If you’re an e-commerce store owner who sells products made by others, then it may be possible to source product videos from your suppliers? Many suppliers and manufacturers provide professional product videos to sellers for free because they know it’ll boost their sales too. If you’re able to source products from a supplier, then it’s best to check that those videos meet the standards outlined above.
Essentials for Product Videos
- Product videos are best when they’re in the required video format MP4 with at least 1280x720px resolution.
- Products sell best when the video is well lit.
- Product videos should be muted, to have no sound, unless the product makes a sound, then that should be the only sound on the recording.
- Product videos provided from multiple angles are more likely to sell online.
- Products look best when placed in the centre of the video in front of a plain white background.
How to Select Professional Stock Videos
We can source a range of professional stock videos for as little as $50+GST per video. As an example, if you sell bathrooms, we can source stock videos of bathrooms. Sure, they’re not videos of what you’ve done, but they’re videos of what you do. In many cases, that’s enough to get your website live online.
Our web design and development team know how to select the right images for the right position on each website for a clean look and feel site wide. For this reason, sometimes it’s best to leave stock video sourcing to us, but if you’d like to select your own videos, here’s our top spot for high-quality stock videos:
Deposit Photos https://depositphotos.com/
If you find a video you like on Deposit Photos, be sure to save the Clip ID and send it to us via email, so we can source it for you at a discounted rate or as part of your package.
How to Submit Videos to Sky Media for Your Website
At Sky Media, you can submit your website-worthy videos via the following 3 ways:
- Google Drive Folder https://www.google.com/drive/
- Dropbox Folder https://www.dropbox.com/
- Microsoft OneDrive https://www.microsoft.com/en-ww/microsoft-365/onedrive
Before submitting, please be sure to label your videos appropriately for easy identification e.g.
- OfficeInside_HomePage.JPEG
- OfficeOutside_ContactUsPage.JPEG
- CompanyVehicles_AboutUsPage.JPEG
- TeamAerial_AboutUsPage.JPEG
- Bathrooms_Bathtub_ServicesPage.JPEG
With properly labelled videos, we’re able to save a lot of time and ensure all images get to the right place on your website. When you submit your videos to us, you’re confirming that all key decision-makers on your team have approved all the videos for use on the site.
By agreeing to Sky Media’s Limited Terms of Business, you agree that we may charge an additional fee for any time spent reorganising poorly labelled videos that are not fit for your website.
Google Drive Folder
Google > Google Drive > + New > New Folder Upload *Here you can upload a folder from your desktop
Dropbox Folder
Dropbox > Upload Folder (from your device) > Copy link > Share with Sky Media
Microsoft OneDrive Folder
https://www.microsoft.com/en-ww/microsoft-365/onedrive
Click the ‘Upload’ button, then select the files/folders you want to upload to OneDrive.
Important: Be sure to add one of our team member’s email addresses to the folder with full permission to edit and then send us an email to be sure we’ve received your videos, as the system may not notify us automatically.
Now, you’re all set. We’re looking forward to creating an up-to-the-minute website that showcases your business in the best light online. Thank you for choosing Sky Media for your website’s design and development.
