Explainer videos help websites communicate complex products or services quickly and clearly. Instead of relying only on text, businesses can use short videos to explain value, demonstrate benefits, and guide visitors toward a specific action.

When used strategically, explainer videos improve engagement, increase time on page, and support higher conversion rates. In this article, we’ll outline the key reasons to use explainer videos on your website and how they can strengthen your overall digital strategy.

What Is an Explainer Video

An explainer video is a short-form video created to market or sell products. These videos are often 90-120 seconds, as they are the best performers on average. Of course, you can also go for just a minute or 3-5 minutes, but keeping your explainer video fluff-free and to the point is essential. People searching for information will not tolerate stalling or repetition. In fact, about 43% of your audience will stop watching just after the second minute. Additionally, longer videos cost more, as the animation, script, and voiceover are usually billed per minute. So, if you decide on a longer video, you must be absolutely sure you simply can’t fit your explanation in 120 seconds.

Usually, explainer videos are not lead-generation tools. Instead, they are most often charged with selling the product or at least pushing the customer further down the funnel. They also give you the opportunity to establish your brand voice and style.

Most companies rely on animated videos to represent a particular scenario in which their product or service will make a difference. This Trendy Buttle explainer video does the job pretty well, although it’s about 30 seconds longer than recommended.

It uses storytelling, humor, and several persuasion tactics, making a perfect blend. Moreover, the entire video, though 150 seconds, is never repetitive. The first 15 seconds are a masterful hookup that covers about 95% of their target audience. Thus, it’s a direct call to the people they are most likely to help.

So, to sum it up, an explainer video is a short-form marketing or sales video that targets a specific audience and explains how the company’s product or service solves a specific problem. They are easy to consume, straightforward, and entertaining. That’s why explainer videos are so effective.

The New Generations Prefer Watching Over Reading

Though Gen Z is bringing back reading as a favorite pastime, they still rely heavily on short-form videos to stay informed. Two-thirds of young adults aged 18-26 prefer short-form videos to deepen their understanding of a particular area. Naturally, this trend translates to their research habits. So, a short-form video is the most effective way to reach this young demographic.

Of course, the video has to be to the point, entertaining, and offer significant value from start to finish. For instance, if you try to stall at the beginning of your video with a long and boring story about who you are, these demographics will instantly lose interest.

So, a great explainer video will ensure you captivate the biggest spenders on the market (the Millennials) and the up-and-coming generation (Gen Z), which is already quite active.

Explainer Videos Offer More Efficient Communication

Using texts to describe a product and its implementation can be tricky. Even when using the proper pictures, something is always missing. In this regard, nothing makes communication with your audience more efficient than a short video. It allows businesses to convey highly complex information in a way that’s both fun and easy to understand.

Moreover, unlike in your text, you can use visual elements to show what your product is capable of.

Moreover, when searching for a product, the user often looks at several tabs simultaneously. This way, a long and complex text can easily lose his attention. For example, a 1-minute video is about 200 words of voiceover. However, with the capability to show, not tell, while the voiceover explains, short 1-minute videos can easily substitute for 500 words of text.

With the video, you can also add a dose of human and your brand personality to the mix, making it far less intensive and much more relaxing for the user.

Unsurprisingly, many startups have used short-form explainer videos with great success. These companies must educate their audience without sounding condescending or turning their websites into study guides. Naturally, explainer videos offer them the perfect opportunity to showcase their product, educate potential users, and enhance brand awareness.

Indeed, explainer videos can be a gold mine for your brand awareness.

Explainer Videos Are Much Easier To Share

Explainer videos can make a huge difference in your brand awareness. They’ll make the entire process of sharing your perfect pitch across channels much more accessible.

Furthermore, this will make a huge difference when communicating with people who are not ready to make the purchasing decision on their own. For example, if a husband is willing to make a nice gesture to his wife but unsure whether your product is the one she wants, he could share the explainer video with her or a close friend. This way, he can get the women’s perspective without altering any aspect of your offer.

This benefit is invaluable for more complex products or services. By sharing your video, you’ll ensure the user won’t forget any important facts when presenting the product to someone interested.

A great example would be wireless shifts for a mountain bike. Now, most people have absolutely no idea how they work or what the benefits are. True, the benefits can be easily remembered, but the way it works is a bit harder to assimilate if you are not a cyclist or a mechanic yourself.

On the plus side, when someone shares your explainer video, you ultimately receive the chance to give a second-hand user your best pitch without outside interference. As you can imagine, this will lead to far better results.

Indeed, explainer videos will increase not only your brand awareness but also your overall conversion rates.

Explainer Videos Convert Better

This is perhaps the biggest benefit of adding an explainer video to your content. Indeed, the conversion rate will skyrocket significantly, as a 2019 study has shown an increase of 80%. Of course, this depends on your pre-video conversion rates, but these numbers are simply staggering for a startup.

This is hardly a surprise, though, as explainer videos will always give your best sales pitch to any user. Naturally, if you have the resources, it’s a great idea to ensure your video speaks precisely to the audience most interested in your product. Before you create, ensure you understand your audience, their needs, desires, and pain points. Ensure you know how to play with their emotions and make your product irresistible.

A professionally made explainer video will lead to a much better conversion rate, especially if it’s in your sales arsenal. However, there are many more benefits, even if the video is not your sales pitch but rather a tool for forwarding your clients down the funnel.

Explainer Videos Reduced Bounce Rate

As we mentioned in our intro, you have 10 seconds to impress your audience and make them want to see more. That’s harder to achieve than it sounds. In today’s fast-paced lifestyle, retaining customers’ attention and making a compelling sales pitch is hard. That’s even more challenging for Millennials and Gen Z, whose attention spans are just under 8 seconds.

However, explainer videos seem to do this job pretty well. In fact, they successfully redirect users to another page on your website. Naturally, thanks to explainer videos, your website’s average bounce rate drops by 34%. This is a massive boost to your overall stats, as a lower bounce rate is associated with higher conversions, better traffic, and much higher revenues. Also, with a lower bounce rate, you will notice higher retention rates.

Additionally, users will spend about 88% more time on your page if you have an explainer video. This clearly shows that explainer videos keep users on your website, which naturally leads to more conversions and, ultimately, better organic traffic.

Explainer Videos Are Good for Your SEO

Indeed, the higher conversion rate, lower bounce rate, and more time spent on your website will give you a significant SEO boost. All of these factors align with Google’s recommendations for improving your website’s score. So, of course, you will enjoy a much better Google ranking for relevant keywords.

One thing to consider, however, is that Google crawlers do not watch or understand your videos. So, if you want to rank it for a specific keyword, you need to add tags and metadata. Otherwise, your video has great potential but lacks practical implementation.

So, make sure your explainer video has a strong, well-thought-out H1 tag (headline) and a clear, keyword-optimized meta description. Only then will you enjoy the vast benefits of an outstanding SEO score and of being on Google’s first page, in first place.

Explainer Videos Bring in Better Traffic

With great SEO and Google Search engine rankings, traffic comes much higher. But your SEO score won’t be the only thing boosting your traffic. A great explainer video will entice people to share it with others who might be interested in your product. It’s common for someone to copy and share a video with a friend they have discussed a problem with. For example, if you offer a product that helps people quit smoking, you can share it throughout all media. Naturally, even people who don’t smoke but are concerned about their relatives or friends’ health will share your solution with them. This will increase your traffic even further.

In other words, a great explainer video will transform your users into your sales agents. Naturally, you need to be persuasive enough and know the precise angle at which to attack.

That’s not just a theory. Several studies have shown that explainer videos increase your website traffic by up to 157%.

Of course, better traffic, combined with lower bounce rates and higher conversion rates, will lead to much better revenue and ROI, since this video will cost only a fraction of what conventional lead-generation campaigns cost.

Explainer Videos Help You Build up Credibility

Monetary benefits are only part of the deal. With explainer videos, you will increase your credibility tenfold. By communicating your goals, values, and, of course, your product’s benefits clearly and directly, you will instantly build your reputation.

Due to the media’s specific nature, videos can break down complex information into much easier-to-digest pieces with the help of visuals, narration, and demonstrations. This can make it easier for visitors to grasp your brand’s message, your product’s functionalities, or the intricacies of your service. Users who feel they understand what you offer are more likely to trust your expertise.

Furthermore, the video gives your brand a face. It is the perfect way to establish your brand personality and brand voice. Make sure they are relatable to your audience. While being funny is trendy right now, it’s definitely not a bulletproof way to become more likable. It all depends on your public and your product. Still, making your video with a lighthearted demeanor will make you appear more human, likable, and relatable.

Best Practices for Explainer Videos on Websites

To get the most value from your explainer video, focus on clarity, structure, and alignment with your page goals:

• Deliver the core message within the first 15 seconds: clearly state the problem, present your promise, and hint at the next step.
• Add a short 1–2-sentence summary above or below the video for visitors who prefer scanning rather than watching.
• Include a brief transcript or key takeaways under the video to improve accessibility and help search engines better understand your content.
• Use one clear call to action (CTA) that aligns with the page’s intent – whether it’s booking a demo, viewing pricing, contacting your team, or learning more.

Following these best practices ensures your explainer video supports conversions, improves SEO, and enhances the overall user experience.

What’s the Catch?

Well, there isn’t really a catch. All you have to do is create an excellent explainer video, put it on your website, and promote it through your channels. Naturally, the video must be of exceptionally high quality, which can be a bit heavy for a website. However, if you want to inspire trust, you can’t afford crashes or slow website load times. You need fast, reliable hosting that ensures your potential customers can access your video at will.

This is where we can help.

We at HostArmada can provide you with unparalleled website loading speed, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and top-notch website security. These features will not only help you fully leverage the benefits of explainer videos but also significantly increase your credibility, SEO rankings, and authority.

So, before you create your video, make sure you have the infrastructure to support it. Check out our offers and ask our support team which plan best fits your needs. We will make sure your explainer video loads quickly, runs smoothly, and stays online.

FAQs