Top 3 Things Wrong with the Video on Your Website

Adding video to websites, blogs and social networking pages is booming. With Flip video cameras running less than an iPhone, anyone smarter than a 5th grader can shoot, edit and post video on their website almost in less time than it's taking me to write this article.

As a professional, I applaud the extended use of video everywhere -- after all, the more video out there, the more people who might need my help. And I'm genuinely impressed with the quality of some of the video I'm seeing on the web. The key word there is "some" -- for every top-quality video on the web, there are 10 not-so-good ones.

While shooting a video with a Flip is never going to get you the quality of a professional video production, there are 3 easy things you can do to make all the videos you do look better.

1. Check your lighting. Nothing shouts "amateur" quicker than bad lighting. If you're shooting indoors, add more light than you think you need, fill in those shadows, and never, ever shoot in front of a window. Make sure the strongest light isn't behind your subject or the camera will lock onto that light source and everything in front will look darker. Use multi-directional soft light to bathe your subject in a glow and your video will instantly look more professional.

2. Video is a close up medium. People unused to shooting video have a tendancy to zoom in and out instead of leaving the camera steady. Keep the camera still and make sure you have something interesting to frame your subject. When shooting a person, frame the shot so the middle of their chest is at the bottom of the frame and the top of their head is a 1/4 inch below the top of the frame. Think of the camera frame with a tic-tac-toe board superimposed upon it, and set up so the target is on the line to either the right or left of center and not in the Paul Lynde spot. Your video will be more interesting and more appealing to look at.

3. Cluttered backgrounds. The subject of your video should be what catches someone's eye; the background should be just that -- in the background. You want something appealing and interesting, but not so interesting that it takes attention away from the subject. If you don't have an attractive, uncluttered background inside, shoot outside in good light with a nice backdrop. 

While these tips won't turn you into George Lucas overnight, they will help you to produce better quality videos. Badly done video isn’t noticable just to professional videographers; the visitors to your blog or website may not be able to define good video, but they know what they like and what they don't like. They may associate a low quality video with your company’s products and services in general -- and that's not good for business.