First video frame as a temporary image
In the CMS you can place the link to your Vimeo Pro video. A video always needs 1 or 2 seconds to load. It is therefore possible to place a temporary image, which will be shown before the video has loaded. Here we recommend using the first frame of the video (what you see at second 0:00), so that the transition from the image to the video is smooth.
Limit video length
A video is buffered. As a result, the speed of your website remains almost the same after posting a video. Make sure the video is not too long, so that the video starts quickly. Don't make the video too short either, because then the 'loop' (the restart after the end of the video) stands out too much.
Long quiet scenes
This is a background video, which should not distract too much from the website itself. Therefore, use a video with little camera movement, preferably with a fixed shot. Think for example of a shot of the beach, a shot of a building or a fixed shot in a restaurant. Always use a stabilizer, such as a camera foot to prevent shaking and think of good lighting. Use unobtrusive transitions and preferably do not use filters.
Slow motion
To radiate calm and keep the focus on the website, it is also a good idea to play the video in slow motion. You can also make existing videos slow motion.
Maximum 3 subjects
Not a hard rule, but "Less is more" in this case. It should not be an instructional video or an explanation of all the facilities of the hotel. A video with all the facilities of the hotel, would be better in a video that you place in the content.
Separate videos per page
Use separate videos per page. For example, use a video of the property for the home page, a video of people eating at your restaurant on your restaurant page, and a video of the beach, town, nature, or surrounding area of the hotel on the environment page of your website.
Enough air, enough sidewalk
Some of the top and bottom of your video is not visible. Therefore, for a video of the property, for example, make sure the video shots include enough air above the property and enough sidewalk below the property.
No text
Do not use text in the video. The video should not distract from the other content of your website. You may want to place one short sentence in the CMS that will be displayed on top of your video. Limit that text to about 3-5 words.
Atmospheric image, not informative
The background video is meant to be an atmospheric image of your hotel. If your hotel is on the coast, show calm images of the beach or dunes. If your hotel is in a city, show a pleasant street or the city skyline, but not much else. Also, check out the background videos on hoteliers.com. Every day there is a new video there. These videos do not distract from the other content on the website.
Start now, start simple
The video you have now doesn't quite fit? You can always post that video now and a few weeks later post the final video you want. Don't have a video yet? Use your smartphone to shoot a steady calm video of a few seconds and post that video until you have a full professional video. In any case, pick it up incrementally.