Don't Be Annoying!

This article could really be about anything, as the solid advice offered – “DON’T BE ANNOYING” – is head on for any aspect of any industry, period.

However, in this article I am specifically focusing on something that I have been noticing recently on too many company and organizational websites.

I am referring to videos.

Videos on your website are great. They can add depth, vitality and personality to your business, your brand and your relevance. Yes, that is a fact, and I encourage every business to utilize video in their larger branding, marketing and advertising strategy.

However…

…Nobody appreciates videos that begin playing automatically as soon as they land on your site’s homepage.

?Visitors to your site -who are potential clients, customers and supporters - want to peruse your site and interact with its content on their own terms, and don’t want to be “pushed” into anything.

Oftentimes, people are at work or in another environment where a loud video playing may be inappropriate or a disturbance to them or others. Having your video launch automatically will cause them to quickly close your page and leave your site (not a good thing for you) and the chances of them returning again at a later time are significantly diminished by their “negative” first experience.

You want visitors to your site to want to engage with your content and build a relationship with you and your brand; pushing content on them too aggressively – much like a pushy salesperson - will invariably annoy and frustrate them and have the opposite, and adverse, effect.

Bottom Line: Letting Them “Click to Play” is The Better Way!