Corby (UK), January 2009 - The use of videos inserted into web pages is gaining new speed. One example is the use of a virtual presenter that is similar to a TV that guides the user towards specific pages or content. This idea has been professionalised by the company of the same name: Virtualpresenter.
Steve Smith is one of the brains behind Virtualpresenter.co.uk, which films experienced, professional TV presenters and then places cut-outs of them onto clients' websites to guide visitors. Statistics show the video presenter is on average three times more effective at getting clicks than static pictures or text.
Smith says: "This is a really exciting time for web videos. The growth of YouTube and the ease with which anyone can upload and watch videos has made business owners sit up and realise it could be a powerful sales tool."
He adds: "Virtualpresenter.co.uk is as far removed as you can get from YouTube. It is not about putting on a video for the sake of it. The video presenter is there to guide traffic to specific pages, bringing measurable results. This is the future of business video on the web - using video to give measurable increases in website performance."
Smith developed Virtualpresenter.co.uk in a film studio in Corby, Northamptonshire, with business partner Haydn Price. They have spent ten years running a traditional corporate video company. The purpose-built studio uses the latest digital "green screen" technology to record presenters and place them on any background.
Virtualpresenter.co.uk hosts the actual video, meaning clients just insert a piece of code into their website.
