New Year, New Background – The Next Big Thing for Your Website in 2018

I’m one of those dreaded millenials you keep hearing about. I’m slowly killing the internet with my cat memes and laziness. But for the future of your practice, people like myself matter. We’re tech-savvy and care about things like how your website looks, what you post on Facebook and even whether or not you’re on Instagram!

I’ve worked in the marketing field for five plus years and if there’s one thing that has stayed consistent, it’s that the marketing world continues to evolve. To set your practice apart, it’s imperative to keep up to date with the latest marketing trends. Over the past year, one of the biggest trends we’ve seen in websites across all industries is adding live video backgrounds in place of static image backgrounds.

A live video background turns your website into something more interesting and immersive, which results in a lasting effect. By using motion, you’re able to capture the attention of both prospective patients and current patients, and keep them engaged with your website. If you are more of a visual learner, check out Sesame’s homepage, to see an example of a live video background!

I’ve listed three reasons below that further illustrate why you should consider a live background for your website:

1. Catch Their Eye – The ability to attract and engage prospective patients through your website is critical to the success of your practice. A live background enhances your website by making it more modern and creating a sense of artistry that a static background simply cannot do.
2. Set Your Practice Apart – By having a live video background on your website you are communicating to your patients that you and your practice are digitally advanced and in the know!
3. Boost Your SEO – Google uses time spent on your website as a factor in determining where it ranks in the Google index. When prospective patients watch a live background on your website, it increases the time spent on the page, which results in a higher placement in Google’s rankings.

Are you sold yet? As an added bonus, let’s discuss some things to consider when adding a live background to your website:

1. Video Length – A safe length for a live background is about 15 to 25 seconds. This is the ideal amount of time as it will not be too long (which can result in slow loading times) and it will not be too short (and feel repetitive).
2. Muted Audio – Your live background video should be all about creating a dynamic feel. Having loud, distracting audio play automatically when prospective patients visit your site could cause them to leave your website and pass by your practice!
3. Loop – Research shows that poor website loading speeds can cause patients to leave your website prematurely. By making your video length shorter, and looping the video, it will give the impression that the video is longer and in turn will keep load time down.
4. Video Content  – Ensure that the live background that you choose complements what your homepage is trying to achieve. Making sure your video content is on brand is the key to your practice’s success!

Live video backgrounds are a powerful, cost-effective tool that can help create awesome websites that are engaging and contribute to a positive patient experience. The ever-evolving web is demanding dynamic websites, and so are a lot of its users. These tips are a great place to start, but if you need a little help, our Sesame team is here to help!

—Alexis Mallos, Marketing Manager, Sesame Communications