Videos

When used correctly, videos can be powerful visuals on a website. Much like images, they can create an emotional response. They can also be used to tell a story, provide tutorials, or be used in place of large amounts of text.

It is important to use videos that are relevant to your website. It is equally as important that you have the correct usage rights for said videos to avoid copyright infringement.

How?

1. Consider Copyright

Videos used on your site should either be owned and/or created by you.
If you do not own the video, you need to obtain the proper permissions to use it on your website. This includes videos created by University Marketing and Communications.

2. Review Cross-compatibility

Videos do not work on all device sizes by default, so make sure to check out how they appear on different devices and in different browsers and adjust accordingly.

3. Make Videos Accessible

Avoid auto-play and allow viewers to select playback options (pause, stop).
Include closed captioning when available.

4. Choose Appropriate Format, Hosting and Size

While there are many types of video formats, .MP4 and .WEBM are the most compatible formats across browsers.
Rather than housing videos directly on your site, save the space and upload them to an external streaming server such as YouTube, Vimeo, or mediaspace.utah.edu. This will optimize load time and reduce playback errors.
- If you choose to house videos directly on your site, consider optimization.
The standard aspect ratio for web videos is 16:9, with a display of 720p resolution.

5. Use the Right Video

For videos in the marquee area: use videos that are visually appealing and do not require audio
For videos in general: use videos that are relevant and provide context to your website

Best practices for using video on the web

By Matt Pantoja

Accessed: 03/05/2024

Using the responsive video snippet (Omni CMS)

By Content Management & Usability