Sitting in a hotel conference room with a room full of dentists, the last thing I thought I’d learn about was the effectiveness of online video promotion.
Truthfully, the speaker from the SW Institute for Emotional Intelligence never uttered the word “video,” but she couldn’t have given a more powerful testimony as to why small businesses and dentists would be amiss if they told themselves, “My website looks decent compared to my competitors—it’s fine, and I don’t need video.”
In that four-hour lecture, the speaker shared one thought that dismantles the idea that a website without video is “effective, fine,” or actually doing a competent job in differentiating the small business or dentist, as well as attracting customers or patients.
Moving past the spirited discussion on EQ, the neocortex, amygdala, and how our brains process information, the speaker stated, “An emotional connection needs to be made before having an influence over someone.” Okay, that statement isn’t as awe-inspiring as splitting the atom, but think about it for a second as it relates to getting sales, getting customers, and getting patients—how do you personally make a genuine emotional connection with your potential customers or patients?
Without absolute certainty, it can be guessed that the answer most of you gave is “By talking with someone face-to-face.” What is certain is that no one answered, “By looking at my website.” Why not?
If you’re honest, you already know the answer: your website (even with some clever content and professional still pictures) is just designed to inform potential customers—not connect with them in a meaningful way. Really, how often did you truly feel you knew someone (you made a personal connection with them) by just reading their bio and seeing a posed picture? The truth is, if your website just contains are words and still pictures, your visitors will not feel like you’ve connected with them.
To be fair, you might know all about this connecting stuff, and you’re thinking that you can connect with potential clients or patients on a more emotional level when they call or meet you in person, right?
Uh oh, but there’s the challenge to that kind of logic: remember, in order to have “influence over someone,” (i.e., having them choose to purchase from you rather than from a competitor) an emotional connection needs to be made. Also recall that you admitted that your website informs your visitors but really doesn’t connect with or influence them (you do that when they call or meet you). The trouble is, what if one of your competitors features videos on her website that allow her to emotionally connect with potential customers or patients while they’re trying to decide who to work with? She has a head start over you by connecting with visitors on her website rather than having to wait to connect with them in a meeting or a phone call. The result, she’s going to bring in a lot more sales, customers or patients than you.
The bottom line is that websites that feature authentic, compelling, and professionally-filmed videos have a tremendous advantage of not only emotionally connecting with potential customers or patients, they’re able to connect much earlier in the decision-making process. The result? They’re going to get more business. Period.
Going back to aforementioned statement that you “don’t need video” on your website. You don’t. You don’t need to emotionally connect with your website traffic who are trying to decide whether to choose your or your competitors. But if consumers need to feel an emotional connection with small businesses and doctors before choosing them, and you don’t have video on your website, the smart money is that you’re losing sales / revenue and don’t even know it.