Marketers have long treated video as a silver bullet for landing page performance. For years, a widely quoted statistic claimed that adding video to your landing page could increase conversions by a staggering 86%. The origin of this figure? An old study focused on a single case involving a learning management system—a highly specific context where video may have played a distinct role in buyer education and trust-building.
Despite the enthusiastic repetition of this stat across blogs, presentations, and vendor whitepapers, it’s time for a more nuanced—and updated—understanding of how video truly performs on landing pages. We know the story isn’t so simple thanks to more comprehensive and industry-wide data.
What the Unbounce Data Reveals
Unbounce, a leading landing page platform with access to millions of pages and billions of conversion data points, conducted a detailed analysis of how video affects landing page performance. Their study evaluated roughly 35,000 customer pages across multiple time frames, industries, traffic sources, and device types. Pages were categorized into those without video, those with embedded video (such as YouTube), and those with background video.
The key finding?
Adding video does not consistently boost conversion rates. In many cases, it either had no impact or actually correlated with lower performance.
Unbounce
Form-fill pages (aimed at collecting information) saw virtually no difference between those with or without video. Click-through pages (pushing a user to the next step) fared worse when video was included. In fact, across nearly all industries studied—ranging from real estate to SaaS—the inclusion of video generally corresponded with flat or declining conversion metrics.
Unbounce also examined performance by traffic channel. It’s a fair assumption that social visitors, who encounter video frequently, might respond better to video content. However, their analysis showed conversion rates from video pages were lower across every channel, including social, paid, and organic.
The device type didn’t help with the video’s case either. While mobile video consumption continues to rise globally, Unbounce’s landing page data revealed that desktop and mobile users convert less often to video-rich pages than those without.
The Takeaway: Video Can Help—But Only When Used Intentionally
This isn’t to say video is inherently bad for landing pages. Instead, it calls for marketers to resist blindly following outdated best practices and think critically about when and how video supports the user journey.
Here’s what to consider before embedding video:
- Audience Behavior: If your target visitor prefers visual storytelling and typically engages with video content (as might be the case for younger demographics or product demos), video may add value.
- Conversion Goal: For high-consideration purchases or complex services, a testimonial or explainer video could build trust and clarify benefits—so long as it doesn’t distract from the core message or CTA.
- Page Design: Videos that autoplay, slow down load times, or compete with other calls to action can degrade the user experience. Be sure video elements are additive, not disruptive.
- Copy First: Focused, segmented, and personalized messaging still drives the strongest landing page results. Video should enhance the narrative—not replace well-written, persuasive copy.
Don’t Assume. Test.
If you’re already using video successfully on a landing page, there’s no reason to remove it—but consider running an A/B test. Tools like Unbounce’s Smart Traffic can help route visitors to variants based on performance predictions. The goal isn’t to dismiss video outright—it’s to ensure that its presence truly contributes to, not detracting from, your page’s effectiveness.
What Actually Impacts Landing Page Conversion Rates?
If video isn’t a guaranteed conversion booster, what moves the needle on landing page performance? Based on conversion intelligence research and decades of optimization studies, the most impactful elements tend to follow a clear hierarchy:
- Clear, Relevant Messaging: Your headline and supporting copy should immediately convey value to the visitor. Personalize the language to the source (e.g., ad copy match) and the user’s intent.
- Compelling Call-to-Action (CTA): The CTA must be prominently placed, easy to act on, and aligned with the visitor’s stage in the buying journey. Use active, benefit-driven language (e.g., Get My Free Report instead of Submit).
- Page Load Speed: A slow-loading page dramatically increases bounce rates. Optimize for speed by compressing images, limiting third-party scripts, and using asynchronous video embeds if needed.
- Mobile Optimization: With mobile traffic often outpacing desktop, your page must be fully responsive, tap-friendly, and fast on all devices. Avoid modal popups and forms that are hard to fill out on a phone.
- Visual Hierarchy and Layout: Guide the visitor’s eye with intentional design. Use whitespace, contrast, and visual cues (like arrows or directional images) to lead users toward your CTA.
- Trust Signals: Add credibility with testimonials, security badges, customer logos, certifications, and social proof. These reduce perceived risk and support decision-making.
- Conversion-Centric Forms: Shorter forms typically convert better, especially in earlier funnel stages. Consider progressive profiling or multi-step forms to ease friction while still capturing essential data.
- Audience-Specific Content: Speak directly to the segment visiting your page. For example, if a paid search campaign uses a landing page, ensure the copy and offer match the keyword and intent.
- Use of Media (Including Video): Video or images should be layered in only once the essentials are covered. These elements should clarify complex ideas or showcase product value—never distract or autoplay without control.
- A/B Testing and Optimization (CRO): The final differentiator is how often you test and iterate. No landing page is ever done. Constantly measure what works and optimize based on real user behavior, not assumptions.
Want better landing pages? Start by understanding your audience, refining your message, and using video only when it makes the experience more straightforward, faster, or compelling. Anything else is just noise. Marketers can systematically improve landing page performance by prioritizing the above elements without relying on trends or one-size-fits-all tactics.
Video may be a powerful communication tool, but it’s not a magic bullet for conversion. The once-heralded 86% uplift should be treated as an anecdote, not a benchmark. Modern marketers must rely on data, not dogma. In a world of algorithmic personalization and intent-driven optimization, conversion success lies in precision—not assumptions about media formats.
