A video at the top of your home page can look impressive. It can also slow your site and distract from your message.
Pros
- Shows atmosphere: a resort, restaurant or factory.
- Can communicate quickly what you do.
Cons
- Large files slow loading, especially on mobile data.
- Text over moving video is harder to read.
- Autoplay video uses visitors’ data.
If you use one
- Keep it short (10–20 seconds), looping and muted.
- Compress heavily; aim for a small file.
- Show a still image on mobile, or a lightweight version.
- Add a dark overlay so text stays readable.
- Provide a poster image that loads first; compress it with our image compressor.
A better alternative
Use a strong image in the hero, and place a video lower on the page with a play button. Embed YouTube videos efficiently with our embed code generator, ideally with lazy loading.
Test speed
Check PageSpeed Insights before and after adding video. Read Core Web Vitals.
Want the full picture? This article is part of Business websites: the complete guide, our in-depth guide with everything in one place.
