How to Create an Awesome Video Production Company Website in Less than an Hour
In this quick article I'll show you how to create a great video production company website in only a few minutes.
When it comes to growing a video production company, it is essential for you to be good at production techniques, skilled in working with clients, a master of lighting, savvy with people, and a brilliant marketer. But one essential skill that is often overlooked by video producers is web development.
When I first started developing websites, I had to essentially code them from scratch. The resulting websites were ugly, confusing, and hard to update... but times have changed.
Now instead of creating a website from the ground up, you can use incredible tools like Squarespace, Wix, or Wordpress to craft a world-class website in only a matter of minutes. And the best part is, you don't have to be an expert web developer. All it takes is about an hour of your time.
As a video creator and motion designer, I often have conversations with other creative professionals about how to create great websites. So in an effort to help my fellow artists, here's how to create a great video production company website in less than an hour.
I'm dead serious...
Things You'll Need to Create a Great Video Production Company Website:
Before you can create your video production company website you will need to go on a little scavenger hunt and collect the following assets.
A Logo - If you don't have a logo check out our 'Logo in 5 Minutes' tutorial. A PNG with a transparent background is best.
A Demo Reel - Your reel should be amazing. Here's a great post on how to make a killer demo reel.
Examples of Client Work - If you don't have enough examples of client work, create pretend projects that embody the types of clients you want. This is called spec work.
Professional Photos Of Yourself and/or Your Team - Hire a professional photographer. Try to get some good headshots, studio photos, and set photos. If you don't know of any good photographers, here’s a good service for finding a professional photographer.
Squarespace: Our Web Design/Hosting Tool of Choice
I ALWAYS recommend that people use Squarespace to develop and host their website. Squarespace is easy to use, constantly improving, and lighting fast. There are, of course, other tools out there like Wordpress, but the complicated plugins and outdated backend make Wordpress less-ideal for developing a website for a new video production company.
Your Site's Navigation
Navigation is simply the menu at the top of your pages and the primary way in which people will move around your company's website.
In general, the primary goal of your website is to get people to contact you via a contact form. As a result, I always recommend highlighting your 'Contact' page in a colored button in the far right corner of your screen.
Here's a breakdown of what your video production companies navigation should look like in the beginning:
Home
Portfolio
Our Services - Individual landing pages for your specific services (i.e. Wedding Videography, Drone Cinematography, Explainer Videos, etc.) navigated through a dropdown list.
About
Contact - Highlighted as a button.
As you grow, you may want to add more resources to the navigation like a blog, careers, case-studies, and more. But in the beginning it's best to keep things simple.
How to Create a Video Production Company Website
Here are the steps to creating an incredible video production company website.
Step 1: Create a Homepage
Time to Completion: 20 Minutes
A Home Page is where the majority of the visitors to your site will decide to stick around or jump ship, so it's vital for you to make a great first impression. Your home page should be able to act as a stand-alone page on your website. Users should be able to get an overview of your services, see your demo reel, know your location, location, and contact information all from the home page.
Your video production home page should include the following:
A Captivating Headline
A short explanation of your services
Trust Indicators - Client Testimonials, Logos of Companies You've Worked With, Reviews/Ratings, etc.
Your Demo Reel
A List of Services
Your Service Locations
A Contact Form
Let's go into a little detail here:
A Captivating Headline
A headline encapsulates the goals or desires of your target client. Aside from your demo reel, your headline is THE most important part of your video production company website.
Remember, your website is not designed for you; It's designed for your clients. Here are a few examples of great video production company headlines:
We Tell Incredible Stories
We Craft Extraordinary Explainer Videos
Brilliant Films. Bold Ideas.
Sensational Stories for Inspired Businesses
Amplify Your Message
Elegant Wedding Films
One of the best ways to create captivating language for a headline is to use a power word. This list of words is my favorite list of helpful verbs and adjectives for marketing and copywriting. Don't be afraid to be too dramatic, your headline should really tell an exciting story.
A Short Explanation of Your Services
It's very important to list out the exact services that your video production company offers. Think about how you would explain your entire company to a person in a single sentence.
Again, think about your target demographic. They aren't technical folks. Try to keep the technical concepts to a minimum, and instead focus on what you can bring to your clients. For example:
"We are a professional drone cinematography company based in Los Angeles."
"We create engaging explainer videos through captivating animation."
"We elevate brands through effective commercials."
Don't be afraid to get super specific with it. Being really good at a very specific type of video production is a great way to help your company stand out in the beginning.
A Demo Reel
Your demo reel is THE most important part of your entire video production company website. Nobody is going to hire you if you don't have a captivating reel, so it is vital for you to put your best foot forward when developing one. Be willing to spend a lot of time crafting a killer reel.
If you don't have a lot of work to include in your demo reel, create fake video projects based on the types of clients you want. If you're looking for more demo reel inspiration, go check out this post I put together a few years ago.
Trust Indicators
You don't hire someone without trusting them first. While word of mouth is certainly the best way to bridge trust, you also want your website to help you create trust through design.
Common website trust indicators include:
Brand Logos - Use logo cascades on your website as a way to show you have worked with other brands. This is a powerful way to flex your trust muscles. If you are new and don't have a ton of clients under your belt, you can use the logos of the gear that you use and just say 'Our Gear'.
Reviews / Quotes - Ask previous clients for reviews or quotes. A simple 1-2 sentence explanation of what they loved about their experience with your company will suffice. Include reviews on any page where a user is encouraged to take an action (home, contact, services, etc.).
A List of Services
Create a simple list of your services on the home page. What types of videos do you offer? People are supernaturally drawn to lists. Try to include your services in a list. For example:
Drone Videography
Travel Documentaries
On-Location Vlogging
Your Service Locations
Include information about the areas in which your service. Don’t be afraid to get specific. If you are a video production company in Charlotte, North Carolina, let people know.
A Contact Form
Every major page on your site should have a contact form. Try to ask for enough information to give an adequate quote, but not so much that they abandon the form. In my opinion, you should ask for the following:
Name
Email
Phone Number
The Service They Are Looking For
A Message Box Describing the Project
Keep it simple. You won't regret it.
Step 2: Create a Portfolio Page
Time to Completion: 10 Minutes
A portfolio page is a place for you to organize great examples of your previous client work. Notice how I didn't say ALL of your previous client work. Your portfolio page is an art gallery. As such, it is vital for you to make it the best representation of your services. This is the place to include only the cream of the crop.
The top of your portfolio page should have your demo reel. Below that, include a cascade of the best examples of your previous work.
Try to Include Case Studies
If possible, try to go in-depth on a few key projects. These "case-studies" are a great way to prove that you know what you are talking about. Some companies have dedicated blogs for sharing the stories behind their client work, but for now, a simple paragraph explanation will suffice, along with any reviews or quotes from the client.
At the very bottom of the page try to include a simple gallery of all of the remaining videos.
You should also include a trust indicator (logo cascade, reviews, etc.) on this page and a link to your contact page.
Step 3: Create a Contact Page
Time to Completion: 5 Minutes
It's best to not overthink the contact page. Simply include the following:
A Contact Form - Name, Email, Phone Number, Message Title, and a Message Box.
Your Email Address
Your Location
Your Phone Number (If Applicable)
A Photo of Your Studio or Production with a Description
A Couple Trust Indicators - Logo cascades, reviews from previous clients, or quotes.
Step 4: Create an 'About' Page
Time to Completion: 10 Minutes
Your about page is where you'll flex all of your trust muscles. Include the following on your about page:
A short paragraph explaining the story behind your production company.
Logos of previous clients
Reviews from people who have worked with you.
Professional photos of yourself and your team.
Behind-the-scenes photos of your team on set.
Your location and studio space.
Your about page is where people go to figure out if they want to work with you as an individual. Think about the type of person that your client wants to work with and become the embodiment of that ideal.
Step 5: Create Landing Pages for Your Services
Time to Completion: 5 Minutes Per Page
You should also create individual 'landing' pages for the key services that your company offers. For example, if your video production company does a lot of 'Drone Cinematography', have a page on your site that includes examples of that work and a couple short paragraphs or lists about what types of services you offer in that niche.
[Landing Page for Services]
Try to include as much text as possible on these pages and any great examples of previous projects. Try to include lots of keywords on this page. For example, if you are creating a wedding videography page, try to include lots of terms like 'wedding video', 'wedding videographer', and 'wedding video production'.
Step 6: Create a Blog or Case Studies Page Over Time
Many video production companies like to create blog content about their experience with clients or helpful articles about video production techniques or gear. While I’m a HUGE fan of blogging, it does take time. So instead of trying to create a blog out of the gate, wait until you have a few posts (3+) under your belt, then release them into the world. There's nothing more sad than visiting a blog page with one or two posts.
Various Video Production Company Website Tips
Here are a few other miscellaneous tips for creating a great video production company website.
Include Location Keywords - Try to include the following keyword throughout your website 'Video Production Company in (Your City)'. Clients will typically search a variation of that exact query in Google, so it's important for you to have that specific keyword sprinkled throughout your site. I also recommend eventually creating an entire page dedicated to the productions that you have done in your specific region of interest. For example, 'Los Angeles Wedding Videos'.
Keep Design Minimal - When in doubt, try to keep your design as minimal as possible. Nobody will fault you for a simple design, but a cluttered design will break trust with your potential clients.
Look the Part - Clients have expectations of what a video production 'agency' should look like. While you don't have to wear a suit or dye your hair grey, it's important to be an ideal representation of your clients desires. Get some professional photos. You won't regret it.
Do Paid Ads - Use Google Adwords to bid on terms like 'Video Production Company Near Me'. This will get more people to your website in the early days. It will take some time for you to rank in Google, so for now, paid advertising is the way to go.
Scope Out Other Websites - Don't be afraid to take what you like from other websites and include them on your own. If you like the way in which a certain company designed their page, do the same! One of my favorite ways to design an early version of a site is to simply look for the same type of service in a different city. I'll then typically copy their website navigation, update the design, and change up the wording. No need to start from scratch.
Great Examples of Video Production Company Websites
Looking for some examples of great video production company websites? Here are a few great sites that I recommend checking out.
Industrial Color - The minimal design and organization perfectly blends their diverse service offering.
Kyro Digital - The branding on this site is phenomenal.
Sinema Films - Their laid-back tone drives home their gritty aesthetic.
Learn More about Creating a Video Production Company Website
Want to learn more about how to create a great video production company website? This is a great post from my old boss Danny Greer. It has been THE go-to guide for video production demo reels for about a decade now.
Need Help With Your Site?
If you'd like help with crafting a great video production company website, please don't hesitate to reach out. We love helping folks create great video editing portfolios and websites.
We receive a small kickback from Squarespace when folks build their website using this link. We appreciate your support and hope to see you around in another article soon!
About the Author:
Caleb Ward is a child that never grew up. He likes Disney Theme parks, making food, and teaching folks how to live productive and exciting lives. He also pronounces GIF with a hard “G” and has strong opinions about salt…