(And Why Fast, Simple, Unpolished Videos Are Often the Most Effective)

One of the biggest advantages of using video on a small technical company website is that it works best when it’s done quickly, simply, and without polish.

You do not need professional production, scripting, or editing to be effective.
In fact, trying to make videos look “too professional” often prevents people from making them at all — and reduces their impact when they do.

On the Industrious Growth website, we use short, homemade videos precisely because they are fast to produce, easy to publish, and highly effective. In this post, we’ll share why that approach works — and how you can apply it without turning video into a major project.

Why People Watch Video — and Why That Matters

People naturally gravitate toward video.

When given the choice between:

  • Watching a short video, or

  • Reading a large block of text

many visitors choose the video first.

This is especially true for technical topics, where hearing someone explain an idea conversationally can make it click faster than reading paragraphs of explanation. Video lowers the effort required to engage — which is why it works so well on websites like this one.

Videos Increase Time on Page — a Positive Signal for Search

When someone watches a video, they stay on the page longer.

That increased time on page is widely understood to be a positive engagement signal. While Google doesn’t publish exact formulas, it’s clear that pages where people spend time engaging are interpreted as more valuable than pages people quickly leave.

Embedding relevant video content is one of the simplest ways to:

  • Increase engagement

  • Reduce bounce rates

  • Strengthen page-level authority signals

This matters not just for traditional SEO, but also for how content is surfaced in AI-assisted search.

Why Video Works Well with Google and AI Search

There’s a practical reason video works especially well today:

  • Google owns YouTube

  • YouTube videos frequently appear directly in Google search results

  • Embedded YouTube videos connect your site to a broader discovery ecosystem

This doesn’t mean “add any video and rankings improve.”
It means useful, relevant video adds another strong signal that helps Google understand and surface your content.

Real-World Experience: Video at Phase 4 Engineering

Before Industrious Growth, we used homemade videos extensively at Phase 4 Engineering.

We published:

  • Technical explanation videos

  • Tutorials

  • Demonstrations

These videos were:

  • Recorded quickly

  • Made with simple equipment (often just an iPhone)

  • Unscripted

  • Minimally edited

And they worked.

During sales calls, we frequently heard comments like:

“Oh — I’m talking to the guy that made that video on your website? Cool!”

Many customers explicitly referenced videos they had watched before calling. The videos created familiarity and trust before any conversation happened.

Phase 4 Engineering still hosts many of these videos today — long after my time there — because they continue to provide value.

The Biggest Mistake: Waiting for a “Professional” Video

The worst thing you can do with website video is decide it needs to be:

  • Highly polished

  • Fully scripted

  • Professionally produced

That mindset usually results in no videos at all.

At Phase 4 Engineering, we set clear constraints:

  • No scripts

  • No rehearsals

  • Minimal setup

The rule was simple:

If it feels like a project, we won’t do it.

That rule turned out to be one of the best decisions we made.

Authentic Beats Polished — Especially for Small Technical Companies

Customers consistently told us they liked the videos because they weren’t polished.

They felt:

  • Real

  • Honest

  • Approachable

That’s exactly what people expect from a small, capable, resource-constrained technical company. Over-produced videos often feel mismatched — and can actually reduce trust.

Authenticity scales better than polish.

How the Video Process Evolved Without Losing Speed

Over time, we did add light structure:

  • Occasionally outlining key points

  • Slightly better cameras (still under $300)

  • Minor improvements to lighting or sound

But we never scripted full dialogue. Improvised explanations consistently felt more natural — and viewers responded better.

The speed and ease of production stayed intact.

What Research Says About Video and Website Performance

Research across multiple studies shows that:

  • Pages with video hold attention longer

  • Users retain information better from video than text alone

  • Higher engagement correlates with stronger SEO performance

  • Video thumbnails can improve click-through rates from search results

Video doesn’t replace good writing — it amplifies it.

How to Start Quickly (Without Overthinking)

A simple way to add effective video:

  1. Pick a common customer question

  2. Record a short explanation on your phone

  3. Don’t script — just explain

  4. Upload to YouTube

  5. Embed it on the relevant page

  6. Add a short caption or description

That’s it.

No studio.
No perfection.
No waiting.

Final Takeaway

The most effective website videos are:

  • Fast to make

  • Easy to repeat

  • Unpolished

  • Honest

They increase engagement, build trust, and support SEO and AI search — without becoming a burden.

If you wait until video feels “professional,” you’ll never start.

If you keep it simple, you’ll likely be surprised by how effective it is.