Introduction
The hero section of your website is often the first thing visitors see, making it a prime location for impactful video content. Follow these best practices to ensure your hero video is engaging, professional, and enhances your site’s performance.
HD Quality
Use videos with a resolution of at least 720p. Higher quality clips can be used if they are very short (less than 3 seconds). Always aim to keep the file size as small as possible to maintain quick loading times.
Subtle and Non-Distracting Content
Avoid videos with fast-moving content or jarring edits, as they can distract users or even cause discomfort. Opt for clips with subtle movements, slow motion, or timelapses to enhance your page without overwhelming visitors.
Keep It Short
Hero videos should be concise. Aim to edit your videos down to less than 10 seconds to maintain user interest and page performance.
Darker Videos for Better Text Legibility
Hero videos are typically darkened by default (35%) to ensure overlaid text is readable. If using a brighter video, consider editing it to appear darker for better contrast and legibility.
Remove Audio
Strip any audio from your hero videos to reduce file size and prevent distractions. Audio is unnecessary for hero videos and can impact the loading speed.
Save as .mp4
Export your video as an .mp4 file. This format is widely supported and efficient for web use.
Compress Your Video
Utilize a compressor to minimize your video’s file size, ideally keeping it under 5MB. Smaller files load faster, improving the user experience. Handbrake is a recommended free tool for video compression.
Seamless Looping
Hero videos should autoplay on a loop. Use video editing software to trim the beginning and end, or duplicate and reverse playback, to create a seamless loop that doesn’t jar the viewer.
Use a Fallback Image
Since videos do not display on touch or mobile devices, provide a fallback image (recommended size: 1280×720). Use a screenshot of the video’s first frame or similar content to ensure a smooth visual transition on slower connections.
Optimize for Web
Ensure your hero videos are optimized for the web to enable seamless playback. Video editors like Handbrake offer a “Web optimized” setting that can be utilized to prepare your .mp4 video. This setting helps prevent delays when the video loads.
Conclusion
Implementing these best practices will ensure your hero video not only looks great but also enhances your website’s performance and user experience. For more tips and resources, visit Handbrake’s article on Web Optimization.