Integrating videos with your website CMS: A complete guide
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Integrating videos with your website CMS: A complete guide

by Sankar M | 03 Dec 2024 |

Integrating videos to your website should be simple. 

But for some reason, it often turns into a complicated and lengthy process. Especially if you want to maintain your site’s speed and performance. 

And the stakes are high: users spend 88% more time browsing websites that contain video.

This guide cuts through the confusion. 

We’ll show you how to integrate videos with your CMS (content management system), from optimizing to properly embedding them.

What is a CMS?

A Content Management System (CMS) lets you create, edit, and publish content on your website without touching any code. 

Popular CMS platforms give you a user-friendly interface to:

  • Write and publish content
  • Upload and organize media files
  • Manage your website’s design
  • Control who can edit your site

WordPress is the world’s most popular CMS, used by over 40% of all websites. It offers a straightforward way to embed your videos, as well as numerous video plugins.

Here’s what it looks like:

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That’s why you need video content on your website 

Video content can positively impact various website metrics — including SEO, on-page engagement, conversions, and more.

Here’s why:

  • Improved engagement. Video keeps visitors on your website longer than text alone. It simplifies complex information and attracts people with different learning patterns.
  • A better way to showcase your product. A short video can explain complex products or services more effectively—especially for B2B software companies. It can also be extremely useful for demonstrating physical products.
  • SEO benefits. Video encourages users to stay on your pages longer, sending positive signals to search engines. It can also help you get extra traffic from Google and YouTube.
  • Mobile-first approach. Video content works especially well on mobile devices. It delivers information more smoothly on small screens.

The key? Proper implementation. 

How to add videos to your Content Management System (CMS) in 7 steps

Here’s your complete roadmap to adding video to your website.

  1. Choose your CMS platform

First things first: Set the foundation for how you’ll work with video content. 

You’ll need two things to get started: a CMS platform (like WordPress) and web hosting that can handle video content.

Here’s what to consider when choosing a CMS:

  • Storage space for videos 
  • Built-in video features
  • Available video plugins or extensions
  • Video format support
  • Maximum upload size limits

For example, WordPress offers various options for integrating video into your content. 

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You can also explore various WordPress plugins that take website video content to the next level. 

For example, there are plugins for creating interactive videos, customizing them, and more.

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If your choice of CMS is WordPress, you will need a hosting plan.

WordPress itself offers web hosting plans for its users. But if you want access to other tools —like professional email, website builder, and AI assistant—you’ll need a separate hosting provider.

For example, Hostinger has several WordPress hosting plans through which you can access various features while taking care of your WordPress website.

It also comes with plenty of storage space, fast loading speeds, and tools to help your videos play smoothly for all visitors.

  1. Decide which videos you want to post

Next, figure out what videos will work best on your website. 

Your choice of video content should align with your goals and what your site visitors find most valuable.

For example, imagine you’re after ranking your blog content in search engines. In this case, enriching them with video content can do the trick.

Or, you may learn that your customers want to see products from different angles. This means adding videos to product descriptions could boost your conversions.

Here are the key types of video content you can add to your website:

  • Product demonstrations 
  • Customer testimonials
  • How-to tutorials solving common problems
  • Company culture videos introducing your team
  • Event recordings sharing important moments
  • Welcome messages greeting new visitors
  • Explainer videos for software products
  • Free courses and certifications for your customers (like HubSpot’s Academy)

Where you place these videos matters just as much as their content. 

Your homepage is perfect for a short, engaging introduction. Product pages are where you add product videos. Blog posts can include relevant tutorials.

You get the idea!

For example, here’s how this high-ranking blog post integrates a video:

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And here’s how Zendesk showcases its capabilities with an explainer video on the homepage:

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Pro tip

Creating video content doesn’t have to be complicated or costly. 

AI video tools like Steve AI help you generate videos in seconds using simple text prompts. 

It even lets you turn voice recordings and blog URLs into engaging videos, which you can host on your site and social media channels.

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Here’s how it works.

Paste your blog post URL into the tool and create a video highlighting its key ideas. Then, embed it into your article.

This can boost your blog articles’ search rankings, especially if you do it at scale.

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  1. Prepare your videos

Next, get your videos ready to upload. This will help make sure they load quickly and play smoothly for everyone visiting your site.

First, check your video format

Most websites work best with MP4 files because they’re widely supported and maintain good quality. 

If your video is in a different format, you can use free tools like HandBrake to convert it.

Second, consider compressing your videos

Large video files can slow down your website and eat up storage space. Try to keep each video under 100MB without sacrificing quality. 

AI video editing tools like make this process simple.

Here are other tips for making your videos hit the mark:

  • Resolution: 1080p is the sweet spot (1920×1080 pixels) that would look good on most devices. If targeting mobile users, consider using 720p (1280×720).
  • Length: Keep your videos straight to the point and trim them where necessary
  • Audio quality: Ensure clear sound and no background noise
  1. Choose your video hosting method

Now it’s time to decide: where will you store your videos? 

You have two main options: uploading directly to your website (self-hosting) or using a video platform like YouTube, Wistia, or Vimeo (embedding).

  • Self-hosting videos 

When you upload videos directly to your website, you have complete control over how they appear. There won’t be any external branding or ads that might suddenly pop up.

However, this method uses your website’s storage space and bandwidth.

If you choose this path for any of your videos, use a hosting provider that comes with plenty of storage space and fast loading speeds.

  • Using video platforms 

Many websites use YouTube, Wistia, or Vimeo to host their videos. And then embed them on their pages. 

This provides you with free storage, built-in analytics, sharing features, and more.

The main drawback? Platforms like YouTube also show ads and suggested videos. To avoid this, use professional tools like Wistia.

  1. Optimize video SEO

Just like regular web pages, videos can be optimized for search engines. 

For example, your YouTube videos can even appear directly in Google search results:

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Add basic information reflecting your topic and keywords

Every video needs an optimized title and a description. This way, you help it appear first when users type relevant search queries.

Imagine you’re uploading a video about selling art online. 

Your title should contain the target keyword (“How to sell art online”) and your description should provide more details about what viewers will learn.

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Make your video accessible.

Next, add a transcript or captions to your video. This helps with SEO and makes your content accessible to all viewers, including those who watch without sound.

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Not sure how to do it? 

Platforms like YouTube and Wistia let you add these details during upload. 

If you’re using WordPress with self-hosted videos, you can manage everything in the Media Library.

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  1. Upload or embed your videos 

It’s finally time to get your videos onto your website. As we already discovered, there are two main ways you can do it:

  • Uploading (self-hosting): You store the video file directly on your website CMS
  • Embedding: You add a video that’s hosted elsewhere (like YouTube) to appear on your website

Here’s how to do each:

Embedding

If you’re using YouTube (or a similar tool), open your account and click ‘Create.’

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Upload your video, add details like the title, and save it to your YouTube channel.

Next, copy the video’s URL and go to WordPress (if that’s the CMS you are using).

  1. Edit the page where you want your video.
  2. Click the ‘+’ to add a new block.
  3. Search for ‘YouTube Embed’ and add the video’s URL. It’ll then appear on the page.
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Some CMS platforms may require you to use the embed code instead. To get it:

  1. Open your YouTube video.
  2. Click ‘Share,’ select ‘Embed,’ and copy the code.
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Self-hosting 

If you’re self-hosting on WordPress:

  1. Go to the WordPress Dashboard > ‘Media’ > ‘Add New’ to upload your video.
  2. Then, open the page you want to edit.
  3. Click the ‘+’ > select ‘Video,’ and choose your uploaded video.
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  1. Test and optimize performance

Once your video is live, make sure it works well for your site visitors. Here’s what to check:

  • View it on different devices (computer, phone, tablet) and make sure it fits the screen properly
  • Check if it plays smoothly without long loading times
  • Ensure audio and subtitles work correctly

It’s also a good idea to check if the video is affecting page performance. 

Slow load times can drive visitors away from your site and negatively impact search rankings.

Wondering how to do it?

You can manually check if your page loads slowly after adding the video. 

Or, use the free PageSpeed insights tool and scroll down to assess the page’s performance score.

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If you notice performance issues, try these fixes:

  • Compress your video file
  • Turn off autoplay
  • Add lazy loading (install a WordPress plugin like this one to make videos load only when visitors scroll to them)
  • Switch to YouTube or another platform if you are self-hosting
  • Lower video quality (e.g., to 720p)

Integrate videos to your CMS today

We’ve covered everything you need to add video content to your CMS. Make sure to:

  • Plan which videos you want to add and where to place them
  • Choose a modern CMS and a reliable hosting tool like Hostinger
  • Prepare and optimize your videos 
  • Pick the right hosting platform for your videos
  • Monitor and adjust performance as needed

Not sure where to get started with video content? Try Steve AI to generate engaging videos quickly and create dynamic experiences for your site visitors.

The Story of Steve AI begins with you