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A couple months ago Smashing Magazine wrote about a new trend that I have noticed lately in a post called Optimizing Conversion Rates: It’s All About Usability. This trend is putting video on the main page of a site.
I really like this idea, for one main reason… with so many new sites being published on a daily basis, an elevator pitch video on a site’s main page is:
A. a big time saver
B. more engaging than text
What I Like
I personally prefer a quick and to the point video overview that clearly explains the site’s value proposition to me as a user. I know that there are more sites doing this every day, but here are ten for you to look at right now.
My Top 3
Prezi One of the coolest presentation tools on-line has one of the coolest video introductions on the site’s main landing page. I really like how large the video is and that it is prominently displayed in the center of the page. It’s also awesome that I can see the person telling me about the site.
BOXEE I love how simple the main page is and how detailed the video overview is without going overboard. My eye is instantly drawn to the green and white arrow pointing it out and the video itself was really nicely done.
37signals The 37signals main page has a lot going on, but one cool thing that they’ve done is incorporate user testimonials into the bottom left hand corner, right above the fold. Clicking on a video opens up a player that takes over a large portion of the screen, which is nice.
7 More Sites with Video on the Main Page
BookRix Connects writers to readers
Everlater Lets you record and share your travel experiences
GoodBarry Is a solution for small businesses looking to create a web presence
Moof Allows you to search for and listen to any song on demand for free
Redux Is your social entertainment guide to the web
swoopup Puts coupons, discounts and promotions at your fingertips
sig.ma Is a semantic information mash-up
What Do You Think?
So I’ve now stated my position that video intros on landing pages are the way to go… What are your thoughts on the subject? And have you seen great ones that I have missed? Please let me know in the comments below.
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