Pros and Cons of Using a Full-Screen Video Background for Your Website Design

Are websites with video backgrounds worth it?

Andy Zenner
5 min readMar 1, 2023

Full-screen video backgrounds have been used in web page design before and have either been praised or disliked. Designers can’t agree on whether they are good or bad and whether they should be used.

Web design choices such as full-screen video backgrounds have pros and cons, and we are here to tell you what they are. We want to give you tips about full-screen video backgrounds so you know when you should use them and how they should be used.

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

Why You Should Use Full-Screen Background Videos In Web Design

You can find answers easily if you want to know why full-screen video backgrounds should be used on sites. You should use them for many reasons; that’s why even top web design companies integrate them into their web designs.

You Can Showcase What You Have To Offer

Many companies have used full-screen video backgrounds to showcase their products and services to customers. What better way to show users your products immediately than with a video covering the entire screen if you want people to see what you have to give?

You can edit the video, so people see everything you want them to see. You can include all the critical information they might need to read when scrolling through your website. If you have a product you know customers will love, use a full-screen video background to showcase it.

Grab The Customer’s Attention

If you want to keep people on your website, a large background videos will help you do that. As soon as it starts playing, it will grab people’s attention. It would help if you ensured the video content would hold their attention. They will stop the video or leave the website if it doesn’t.

People decide to stay on a website within a few seconds. If you cannot convince them to abide by them, they will click off and not return. A full-screen video website background can be convincing, so website design companies use them when working for clients.

Photo by Kaleidico on Unsplash

Create A Connection With The Customer

Videos make it easier to connect with the customer because you can express more information, ideas and emotions through a video than you might use the regular content on your website.

You can talk directly with the target audience and tell them everything you want them to know, why they should be interested in your product or service, and why they should choose your business. This direct communication through full-screen background videos will help you improve your customer relationship and build customer loyalty.

Grow Your Sales

If you need to be convinced why you should use a full-screen video background, it can help increase your conversion rate and sales numbers.

It is a tried and tested method of increasing sales numbers. If you have a landing page and add a full-screen background video talking about the product, you will increase your conversion rate and get more people interested in your product and willing to buy it.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

The Disadvantages Of Using Full-Screen Video Backgrounds In Web Design

Full-screen video backgrounds have advantages but disadvantages, and you should know what they are before you decide to add this video background feature to your website.

Compatibility Problems

Only some people use the latest version of their browser, which can cause compatibility problems with full-screen websites with video backgrounds because people cannot see the video being played. This takes away from the customer’s experience, and they will have a worse user experience when visiting the website.

Slower Website Speeds

A fullscreen video background will slow down your website, affecting the user experience. People prefer fast websites; if a website takes a long time to load, people will click off and find another website. That’s why website design companies choose when to use background video.

Photo by Mike van den Bos on Unsplash

It Might Not Be Available For People Using Mobile Devices

The full-screen video background might not work for people accessing the website using mobile devices. You will need to change the experience mobile website visitors have when they visit your website, which can confuse people as their expertise could be more consistent. You should hire a website designing company to help give your customers a consistent experience if they are still waiting for one. This will help your site increase brand recognition and improve user experience.

Tips To Use a Background Video In Web Design

If you want a full-screen video background on your website homepage, follow these tips to ensure your video work and it is used well.

Choose The Right Video

It would help if you ensured the video you will show to people visiting your website is excellent. It needs to communicate everything you want to tell the customer and do this well. It should help your story and build a connection with the person watching it.

It Needs To Be Brief

The video should get to the point quickly. People will stop the video and leave the webpage if it is too long. You need to tell the person everything they need to know soon. Ensure the video can hold the person’s attention, so they don’t get bored while watching it. Top web design companies know how to integrate a high quality video to keep customers’ attention and make them want more.

Thanks for reading!

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Andy Zenner
Andy Zenner

Written by Andy Zenner

Seasoned UX designer and amateur writer – andyzenner.com

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