Nowadays, a good website should be not only informative but also illustrative and visually attractive. Smart text and new ideas alone dont cut it anymore. You have to be prepared to visualize your ideas with pictures, videos, and catching animation. Statistics show that around 40% of people will leave your website if it isnt attractive enough. And nobody likes to look at a long text canvas.
The thing is, its always better to think about it beforehand as not all of the Internet platforms allow adding additional pictures and files or may not support some of the formats. So, when creating a web-platform, keep in mind choosing the right hosting provider, content management system, file uploader, website builder, and other tools for uploading files.
Multimedia content types
First, you need to understand that there are different types of content in general. The easiest classification is made depending on the way of how the information is presented. It divides content into two large groups text and media content, which can also be divided into sub-categories.
Multimedia content is an information content of web resources, which most often complements the main types of text content and is perceived by the user visually and/or by ear. It has a much smaller direct impact on a site’s ranking from the point of view of search engines, but can significantly affect behavioral factors and conversion. It can also present information in a more illustrative form, than the text, which works great if were speaking about e-commerce, for instance.
The main media types include images, video, audio, and animation.
Images are used to visualize the text and supplement it in terms of the semantic load. They enable the user to imagine exactly what the text is about. Photos, pictures, graphs, schemes with proper optimization are actively indexed by search engine robots and provide additional ranking points. Such content is used on almost all sites.
Video content is much less common than text and graphic types of content on Internet resources. This is due to the more complex creation process and problems with indexing by search engines. It can be a great additional source of information or illustration to the main concept or product.
Audio is equally popular with the other types of media content on social networks and music portals. But it is rarely used on other types of sites. It practically does not affect the promotion in any way, perhaps indirectly through behavioral factors. However, it adds a few points for the customers loyalty and recognition.
The animation is a rarely used type of content. It works on the pages of all kinds of online stores, as it allows you to consider the product in more detail before purchasing and significantly influences this decision. It also gives that nice touch and makes the user see that you care about your product enough to present it unusually and appealingly.
Top 5 tools to improve your website
To choose the relevant tool you have to decide on the type of content youre about to fill your platform with. If youre more image-oriented look for the specific image tools. The same goes for video/audio and animation content. Here are the top tools you can use for creating different media content.
1. CDN works with most kinds of files. Content Delivery Network in general is comprised of a large number of servers that transfer big amounts of data. They are located globally and provide fast delivery of files. To upload, convert, and compress them you will need a special CDN instrument like the one offered by Uploadcare. Such a tool also helps to process and optimize files and make quality adjustments. Plus, it makes images responsive to any devices size and shape.
2. For images, infographics, and videos you can use Adobe Creative Cloud. It includes Photoshop for working with images, Lightroom for digital photo processing, Adobe Premiere Pro for video editing, and InDesign for creating designs and layouts. Youll also get tips for quick and effective development of all service programs, a set of built-in templates, mobile applications, a collection of photos, drawings, videos, and 3D assets, etc. There are tons of plans for different user categories, which start from $9.99 for individuals per month.
3. Video tool like Vidyard is versatile and works great for making, recording, and sharing videos. Moreover, it allows you to gather data on those videos and learn your audience preferences. It is compatible with other tools, and social and marketing platforms. This instrument is well suited for beginners and can be used for free or you can choose a paid plan. The prices vary from $15 to $850 US dollars for a month.
4. For audio recording and editing there are tools like Audacity. It works for every user level, from beginners to experts, and allows them to create and edit tracks easily. It is totally free and supports all browsers and operating systems. The tool is mostly used for making and publishing podcasts but you can use it for other audio types as well.
5. Animations can be created using tools like Vyond and others. It allows for creating professional HD animated videos. You can simply upload your photos and videos or choose from the built-in library. It is great for beginners as all the tools are simple and user-friendly, and include video tutorials to help you understand the service better. Subscription plans start from $49 monthly (you can save more if you pay the yearly price) and include the creation and placement of an unlimited number of video, and provide direct upload to YouTube and other services.
Starting small
It is hard not to get lost in the world with technology abundance. The general advice will be starting small. Choose a few free or inexpensive tools for your type of media content, and start working with them. After youve done it for some time, youll see what else do you need and then look for instruments to achieve it. Try not to let these new technologies overwhelm you and have good luck!