We’ve said it before, but it’s worth saying again: videos can effectively boost engagement and sales. Ads that appear on videos are proven to gain more attention and clicks, giving businesses better chances of putting their products out there, while allowing publishers to earn more revenue at the same time.
Whether you’re a business owner who wants to reel in more customers, or a publisher who wants to garner more page views and clicks, producing a video is almost a sure-fire way to get more eyeballs.
However, creating a polished and professional video isn’t always easy. If you don’t know your way around cameras and video editing software, learning the ins and outs of the production process can take up tons of time and effort. On the other hand, hiring someone to create a video for you can put a significant dent on your budget. Professional videos can send you back several hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
Fortunately, a handful of website on the web came up with ways to help the average non-technical user create videos like a pro without breaking the bank. Check out the sites below and you’ll be sure to start producing sleek videos in no time.
1. Animoto – Considered as one of the most popular video creation service on the web, Animoto “makes it easy and fun for anyone to create and share extraordinary videos using their own pictures, video clips, words and music.” You won’t have worry about lacking the technical know-how to create videos. All you have to do is upload the clips and images that wish to include in your video, select a template from Animoto’s library, add music and words, and then you’re good to go. The service will take care of putting all the video elements together, and you can just sit back and watch it happen. Animoto’s pricing ranges from free to $39 a month, depending on your needs.
2. Xtranormal – Do you want to produce excellent animated videos but don’t have the budget to hire animators from Pixar? Consider Xtranormal instead. The service lets you choose from a variety of animated characters. Once you’ve chosen the stars for your video, select a “set” or an environment that you want your characters to be in. You can then bring your characters to life by typing or recording the dialogue. You’ll also be able to have your characters perform gestures and movements as well as direct the camera angles in the film. Xtranormal rates start at $10 if you’re an educator and $50 if you’re a business.
3. FluxVFX – This is for users are familiar with Adobe After Effects. Similar to Animoto, FluxVFX provides templates and all you have to do is add in your own photos and text. These pre-made templates are very interactive and can be used to create slideshows, albums, and even video infographics. Templates come in the form of an Adobe After Effects file, so you’ll have to open them using that software. Pricing for starts at $25 per download and come with all of the source files for the project.
Image credit: Alejandro Peters on Flickr