We received a panicked call from the client moments later. After some sleuthing, we were able to determine that the videographer they had hired went out of business, and removed everything they could from the internet - their website, their social media channels, everything.
Unfortunate for the client, they had used the YouTube link the videographer had uploaded on videographer's channel for their website. The client wasn't even sure if they had a copy of the video anywhere, and it had been over 10 years since they had worked with the person. They didn't even know how to communicate with them.
In other words...things looked bleak. With videos and images - this happens more than you would believe
Don't be cheap with your video and image production
This sounds like such a 'duh' statement, but wen it comes to pictures and video, small businesses tend to look for the cheapest outlet possible. You probably have heard or even said this yourself - "My nephew is great with a camera!" "I have a cousin who takes amazing videos." The inclination for many small businesses is to save money from someone who does it for a hobby/interest. Yet imagery is arguably the most important element on your website!
One of the best online researchers out there, eMarketer, found that images were the most important factor in influencing online product purchases. Second to images were the actual product description and specs. See the chart here:
So skimping on your videos and photos, while might save you some initial money, is not something recommended. It can leave your site lacking the professionalism that most people expect, and will lose potential customers. Unfortunately, people will judge a book by its cover.
Unfortunately, people will judge a book by its cover.
It's not just the online product page where image matters - it's your entire online presence. There's actually a psychological reason for this called the "aesthetic-usability effect." In a nutshell, it means that if people like the layout and imagery of your website, they will view their interaction with it more favorably even if there are things that might be issues with the website. This article from NN Group gives a great review of this principle. So it pays to pay for professionalism.
Now back to our client's dilemma. Luckily, they were able to find a copy and upload it to their channel. Never again will they have to worry about a video disappearing. Hopefully, this will be lesson-learned not only for them, but for a lot of you out there thinking about saving a few bucks by using that cousin of yours who's good with video.
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