The Future of Video in Web Design
Video is bigger than ever for both internet marketers and web developers. For internet marketers, videos are gaining the most attention – and engagement. They are producing higher click-through rates and persuades users to interact even more.
The same can be said for web design and development. We’re already seeing dedicated video catalogue pages, embedded YouTube videos and playlists and even mobile-friendly HTML5 video players creating a trend. What’s next for video in web design?
Seamless Integration of Video Content
Until very recently, the only interaction video content could offer was the playback control. Users could start or stop video playback, fast forward to a particular part and do other common things with the control. Full-screen and other view modes are also fluidly integrated into websites.
The latest advancements – and the combination of HTML5, CSS and JavaScript – have enabled more immersive video content integration; in fact, the possibilities are absolutely awesome.
Take a look at this Apple page for the MacPro. Watch how video and animation make the page so much more alive when you scroll down; you’ll know exactly what I mean. Video is no longer an embedded thing or an external element on this page. It is an actual part of the page; one that users can interact with. Video has enhanced the Apple MacPro page to a whole new level.
Videos as Content
On the other side of the spectrum, we have better ways to add videos as content of a website. Responsive YouTube embedding is no longer difficult thanks to a recent update. Other video players – even proprietary HTML5 players – are more suitable for mobile devices too.
Animation will also be used more in videos. Studios like Spiel are already making great tutorial and explanation videos using animation and other elements. Since video production is also more accessible to more people, there will be more publishers creating their own videos.
One of the things that has always been a problem with video as a content is delivery. Videos tend to be large (larger than standard web pages) and it takes time for them to be loaded. This too has been solved with technologies like lazy loading, load balancing and better content distribution networks.
High Definition Video Background
One last thing to watch out, especially in the near future, is the use of high definition video backgrounds to make websites more attractive. Combined with other web elements, video backgrounds can tell a powerful story. Users tend to relate better to visual content and their screens now have higher resolutions, which means brands and site owners can use high definition video backgrounds to build stronger relationships with their audience.
The omission of sound when videos are used as a background is seen by experts as a good thing. Not only will videos load more quickly, they can also direct users’ focus on text or graphic contents appearing on their screen. Similar to this year’s parallax design trend, you will see a lot of full-screen, above-the-fold areas being filled with videos.
These are just some of the directions we’re heading when it comes to the way videos will affect web design. It will be very interesting to see more trends, implementation techniques and creative ideas appearing in the near future.
