A fun fact that is also mildly terrifying: in Sandvine’s 2024 Global Internet Phenomena Report, video is the largest downstream traffic category across regions (41%-48%), and in the Americas it sits at 48%. That’s not like “well…people just like video.”
What this means is that “VIDEO IS THE HIGHWAY.”
I’m Gio Toninelo, producer and cinematographer at Rocket House Pictures in Denver, and I’m here to tell you something simple. Your website video isn’t a decorative add-on. It’s the moment your site visitor decides if your Denver organization looks legit. And yes, it can absolutely backfire if it’s slow, vague, awkward, or sounds like it was recorded inside a laundry basket. So let’s do this the smart way.
What a website video is really doing (and what it is not)
A website video is an informational + trust-building shortcut. It can include custom footage, stock, animation, voiceover, and music, whatever best delivers the point without wasting anyone’s afternoon.
- It’s not a short film.
- It’s not your life story.
It’s a clear answer to the question your visitor is already asking:
- “What is this?”
- “Is this for me?”
- “Can these people solve my problem?”
- “What happens next?”
That’s it. That’s the whole game. Nice and simple. But it should look good and legit.
The numbers that actually matter
Let’s start with adoption and behavior, because it explains why your competitors keep posting videos like it’s their job (because it is):
- 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, and 93% of marketers say video is integral to their strategy.
- 82% of video marketers say video helps increase web traffic, and 82% say it keeps visitors on-site longer (dwell time).
- 89% of consumers say video quality impacts their trust in a brand. Translation: shaky, noisy video can quietly cost you money while you sleep.
And one more that affects how we build videos for websites: Facebook viewing behavior helped popularize this reality: a huge share of video gets watched with sound off (Digiday reported “as much as 85%” back in 2016). I mean… captions and clean visuals are super functional.
Types of website videos (and how we use them)
- Trust-Building Videos - Talking head. Interviews. On-location. The human stuff. This is what you use when trust is the obstacle. Examples we make in Denver all the time: Founder/leadership welcome videos, Company overview videos, Testimonial and customer story videos, Recruitment/culture videos, Nonprofit impact videos (mission + proof).
- Clarity Videos - Demos. Tutorials. Product walk-throughs. Slides/webinars. This is what you use when confusion is the obstacle. Examples we make: Product demos, Training and onboarding videos, Help-center how-to videos, Feature releases and update videos.
A quick reality check: video takes time, we estimates about 1 hour or more to produce 60 seconds of usable video. That’s a great argument for planning, scripting, and batching production instead of winging it every month.
The types of website videos out there
Here’s the menu, with blunt guidance on where each one belongs.
✓ Homepage and hero videos - Goal: “I’m in the right place.”
You can go bold (visual montage) or clear (a 20-45 second positioning statement). If you do autoplay, do it silently and make it lightweight.
✓ Brand or company overview videos - Goal: fast trust.
Usually 60-120 seconds, built around what you do, who you help, and how you work, supported by real footage.
✓ Service videos - Goal: reduce bounce and pre-qualify leads.
One video per service page beats one “mega video” that tries to cover everything.
✓ Testimonials and customer story videos - Goal: proof without bragging.
We call out customer stories as trust accelerators on-site, and we see that constantly in real life: people relax when someone else says the thing.
✓ Product demos - Goal: help buyers picture themselves using the product.
Short demo on the product page; deeper demo for the “Book a demo” flow.
✓ Explainers (live action or animated) - Goal: simplify the complex.
Wyzowl reports 96% of people have watched an explainer to learn about a product or service.
✓ Help center / FAQ videos - Goal: fewer support tickets, happier customers.
And yes, Wyzowl reports 57% of video marketers say video reduced support queries.
✓ Recruiting / culture videos - Goal: attract great people and repel the wrong fits politely.
This is huge in Denver right now because hiring is competitive across nonprofits, healthcare, trades, and tech.
✓ Blog videos (embedded in articles) - Goal: increase time on page and clarify steps.
This is where “personal” and “screen” videos shine.
Where videos work best on a website (steal this map)
- Homepage: quick positioning + vibe check
- Landing pages: one clear promise + one clear next step
- Product pages: show the thing working, not just talking about it
- Help center: reduce confusion at scale
- Case studies/customer stories: credibility without the chest-thumping
- Pricing / “How it works”: A simple “here’s what happens after you contact us” video can cut friction like a hot knife through.
Embedding: don’t set your website on fire
Embedding usually beats uploading giant video files directly to your web server, because video hosting platforms are built for streaming and performance. Here are the most common embed styles (and when to use each):
- Inline embed: lives on the page; best for demos/how-to
- Lightbox embed: click thumbnail → video pops up; great for testimonials and “watch the story” moments
- Full-page / hero background: dramatic, but risky if it slows load
- Widget video: small helper video (FAQ, quick intro, lead capture)
Now the performance part people forget: Google’s Core Web Vitals treat the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) element as a big deal, and that element can be a video. If your hero video is massive, it can hurt perceived speed and user experience. So here’s the practical approach: Put the visual in the hero (poster image, short loop, or lightweight embed) and put the sales deeper on the page where visitors who care will watch. If you need autoplay on modern browsers, Chrome’s policy reality is simple: autoplay works best when muted, and you should give people a clear way to unmute.
Website video best practices (the stuff that wins projects)
Let me turn this into an actionable checklist.
- Pick one job for each video: If your video is trying to: explain + recruit + sell + educate + do your taxes… it will do none of those.
- Keep most website videos under two minutes: Aim for 2 minutes or less, and it aligns with what Wyzowl found: 71% of people think 30 seconds to 2 minutes is most effective.
- Start fast: Show value immediately, keep the intro short, and cut the dead air. We do this by scripting the first 10 seconds like it’s the only 10 seconds anyone will see.
- Audio quality is the sneaky trust signal: The laptop mic “screams amateur,” and they’re not wrong. A clean mic + controlled room tone makes your brand feel expensive. Quietly. Instantly.
- Captions are not optional: Sound-off viewing is real. Also: captions help accessibility, comprehension, and skimming. Everyone wins.
- Thumbnails matter more than you want them to: Thumbnails are the gatekeepers. Test them. We usually shoot thumbnails intentionally (not a random paused frame that makes your CEO look mid-sneeze).
- Test across devices and browsers: Your iPhone is not the whole internet, and it saves pain.
A sane production process
- Pre-Production & Story Development: Every strong video starts with intention. In pre-production, we take time to listen, ask the right questions, and understand your goals. We help shape the story, clarify your message, and develop scripts, outlines, or interview approaches that feel natural and true to you. This stage sets the foundation for everything that follows.
- Filming & Production: On set, our focus is creating a comfortable, focused environment where real moments can happen. No matter if we’re filming interviews, events, branded content, or documentary-style stories, we bring a cinematic eye and a thoughtful production process to every shoot. We use professional gear, experienced videographers, and a calm, organized approach so you can stay present and confident on camera.
- Motion Graphics & Visual Design: Sometimes a story needs a little extra clarity or visual support. We design and integrate motion graphics, titles, lower thirds, and animations that complement your brand and enhance the message, never distracting, never overdone. The goal is to help your audience understand, remember, and connect.
- Post-Production & Editing: This is where everything comes together. We log and organize footage, shape the story (again) in the edit, refine pacing, color grade, mix sound, and deliver polished videos in the formats you need, from a main film to shorter social cuts. Throughout post-production, we keep communication clear so you always know where things stand.
“Will video increase conversions?” A more honest answer
You’ve probably seen the famous claim that landing page video can boost conversions a lot. HubSpot’s landing-page article repeats the “up to 86%” idea. Here’s the nuance: Unbounce analyzed a large dataset and argues video is not automatically a win. It depends on industry, execution, and page goal. So my advice is boring, but it works:
- Put video where it clarifies the decision.
- Add one clear CTA near the video.
- A/B test pages with and without video when stakes are high.
Simple. Slightly annoying. Very effective.
Rocket House Pictures: Your partner for your Denver website videos
If you want your Denver website videos to load fast, look sharp, sound clean, and actually help your site do its job, my team at Rocket House Pictures would love to help. We’ll map the right video types to the right pages, batch production so you get a library (not a one-off), and deliver edits that feel human, because your clients or donors are human. Ready to build your “this is the right place” moment? Let’s use video production to make something that earns attention.
