4 Simple Steps to Create a Great Website Explainer Video

It's no secret that online videos are a great way to explain concepts, processes, and products quickly and easily.

And since you've discovered this post, you are probably thinking that a website explainer video is an excellent way to explain your business to new customers.

And you're completely on the money. 😉

Video marketing is so effective that, of the marketers who currently use video, 78% say it directly increases sales. 

But if making videos isn't your full-time occupation, the entire process can be daunting. Hours spent editing, creating boring powerpoints, going back and forth with explainer video services, and — the worst part — shooting all the videos, so they look professional. 😰

But what if you had a way to make videos that pull all the power back into your hands? A way that was easy (dare we even say fun) to use?

Keep reading, and you'll learn exactly how to make a custom explainer video today. 

What is a website explainer video?

An explainer video is an educational short video that helps viewers understand more about your product or service. It can be used by small businesses and enterprises and improves engagement metrics and conversion rates. 

A website explainer video could take potential customers through a virtual restaurant tour, an interview with your founder, or a quick tutorial on how to use your online tool. It can even be used to explain complex ideas (like "what is cryptocurrency") if your product uses cutting-edge technology. 

Step #1: Define the video’s goal or purpose

Before you start writing your script, it's important to take some time to think about what you want your website explainer video to accomplish. The answers to these questions will make it easier for you to create relevant and engaging content. 

Beyond the basic best practices of goal-setting, consider what page of your website will host the video. The page you choose can have massive implications on the end goal of your explainer video and what CTA you'll use. 

Homepage explainer videos

It helps to improve potential users understand your product function, benefits, and value proposition. A homepage explainer video aims to improve metrics like free account signups and new customer inquiries.  

Features page explainer videos

Provides more detail as to how the product or service actually works in practice. Whiteboard explainer videos are frequently used in feature pages as they're effective in illustrating exactly how something works.

Feature videos help improve metrics like trial signups and purchases. For larger B2B sales, it can provide the trust needed for a potential customer to reach out and book a sales call. 

About page explainer videos

Delivers background information on your company, its ethos, and its employees. Typically videos on the about page are used by non-profit organizations and big enterprises to build trust with viewers.

Instead of character animation, about-page videos are best suited to live-action performances as they feel more authentic. 

Landing page explainer videos

A landing page is a website page visitors first "land on." Sometimes this can be your homepage or features page, but it can also be a standalone page designed to work with a specific marketing campaign.

Videos on landing pages need to work hard to educate viewers on what you do and why your solution is the best. Your advertising campaign goal typically defines the metric. 

Blog explainer videos

Some of your blogs may cover topics that can be assisted or summarized by explainer videos. This genre of video considers engagement and brand awareness as a measure of success. 

Can’t decide between animated explainer videos, whiteboard animation, and live-action? Read this post to learn the pros and cons of various explainer video styles.

Step #2: Use a text-to-video tool like Synthesia 

Synthesia is a text-to-video tool made for business. That means you can literally turn a bit of writing into an actual video with the click of a button.

Check out the video below to see how it uses an AI avatar and voice-over to create professional videos from text. 

Yep, you don't have to find a film crew, listen to your own voice recordings, or even hire a production agency. You can do it all yourself.

Synthesia is easy-to-use and intuitive. You can add your own images, text, and video. Or you can use the stock footage library to drag and drop the resources you need. 

But before we get into all those fancy features, you need to write a script. 

Step #3: Skip the writers block; start with a template

If writing isn’t your strong suit, don’t worry! There are plenty of good explainer video templates out there that can help get you started. 

Templates provide helpful prompts that guide you through the process of creating an effective website explainer video. They are the best way to provide structure and guidance to the pacing of video content. And ultimately, they help you create a professional explainer video that is consistent and organized.  

There’s a huge template library of short videos for you to explore here. Below we’ve included three popular templates for creating the best explainer videos. 

Quick tips

Give your viewer five quick tips on how to use your service or product. 

Your company timeline 

Take viewers on a visual journey of your company’s history. 

Instructional manual

Explain to viewers how to use your solution. 

You can find even more explainer videos templates right here.

Step #4: Customise voices, faces, and visuals

Last but not least, it's time to tweak your video to your personal needs. Here's how you can customize your video. 

Customize your avatar

Synthesia has plenty of avatars available for you to choose from. Alternatively, you can get your own custom AI avatar created in the software. 

Customize your voiceover

It’s simple to change your avatar’s voice, accent, and language.

Add screen recordings 

Record your screen directly within the app to quickly add tutorial footage for your company's product or software. 

Adjust design elements & branding

Upload your logo, set your brand colors, and add any elements you need. Plus you can adjust animations and transitions with an easy-to-use interface. 

Add in free stock assets

Synthesia provides a free media library containing assets from Unsplash and Shutterstock. You can use these assets to add images, video clips, drawings, and even background music to your website explainer video. To create the final product, press "Generate," and you're done.

Create your own explainer video today 

Creating a website explainer video doesn't have to be hard; with these few steps in mind, anyone can create high-quality explainer videos in no time! 

Start by defining why you're making this video in the first place, then find a template that fits well with whatever message you'd like people to take away from viewing it.

Once that's taken care of, use Synthesia's helpful tools and resources for generating a video.

Then voila! You did a great job, and you've got yourself an informative website explainer video. 👏

So go ahead — try making one today by typing some text into Synthesia’s free AI video generator. You may be surprised at how easy (and fun!) it actually is! 

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