Video marketing is more popular than ever. 75% of consumers say they would rather watch a video to learn about a product or service than read about it [insert footnote].
If your website lacks well-organized video content in an easy-to-find gallery, you’re missing out on increased visitor engagement.
This expert guide will teach you how to create a professional video gallery in WordPress to showcase video content without slowing down your site.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Benefits of Creating a Video Gallery vs Embedding Videos in Pages
- Comparing the Best Video Hosting Platform Options
- Step-by-Step Instructions for Building a Video Gallery with Feeds for YouTube
- Customizing Your Gallery’s Design and Layout
- Advanced Tips, Tricks, and Optimization Best Practices
- Troubleshooting Common Video Gallery Issues
Let‘s dive in.
Why Create a Dedicated Video Gallery?
Before we get into the how-to, let’s explore why you should invest time creating an organized video gallery versus continuing to scatter videos randomly throughout your site which can frustrate visitors.
Increased Visitors and Engagement
As mentioned earlier, visitors strongly prefer watching videos over reading blocks of text to understand products and services which translates to:
- 83% more traffic to pages with videos [insert footnote]
- Ability to explain or demonstrate complex topics easily through video
- Longer visitor engagement on pages with videos
And that’s just the start. Well-produced videos improve conversion rates:
- 80% of customers are more likely to buy after watching marketing videos
- 97% of marketers report video helps users make purchasing decisions [insert footnote]
The data shows adding videos significantly improves metrics. Presenting videos cleanly in a gallery further increases discoverability and viewership.
Avoid Site Slow Down From Large Videos
High-quality videos means large file sizes which strains servers hosting the content and causes site lag.
Average HD video sizes:
| Video Length | Size |
|---|---|
| 1 minute | 30MB |
| 10 minutes | 150MB |
| 20 minutes | 350MB |
Just 10 videos can total 3GB+ of space!
A dedicated video platform offloads hosting automatically preventing site issues.
Organize Videos Logically
Rather than scattering videos randomly across various pages:
- Visitors can easily locate all videos
- Related videos appear together
- New uploads automatically show
Galleries are the best presentation format for showcasing videos improving UR.
There are clear advantages to housing videos in one place – let’s see how to build out an optimized gallery using Feeds for YouTube, the most popular solution.
Comparing the Best Video Hosting Platforms
Before creating a gallery, you need somewhere to host your video files. Using your web server directly for storage and streaming videos can:
- Slow down site load times significantly 🐌
- Drain hosting plan bandwidth quickly 📉
That’s why third-party dedicated video hosting platforms exist – to safely store heavy video content without affecting site performance.
But which video service should you use for your WordPress gallery?
Here‘s an overview of the best options compared:
| Platform | Free Option | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | Yes | Easy embed anywhere Great analytics | Limited customization YouTube ads |
| Vimeo | No | More control Ad-free | Paid only Steeper learning curve |
| Wistia | Freemium | Viewer analytics Lead capture integration | Basic features limited |
YouTube is likely the best starting point due its combination of:
- 💯 Free hosting
- 🔍 Massive built-in audience
- ⚡️ Fast streaming technology
- 📊 Powerful analytics
Downsides are limited control over video design customization and required usage of YouTube ads.
However, the pros still outweigh the cons for small sites making YouTube our recommended pick.
Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Video Gallery with Feeds for YouTube
Now that videos have a hosting home, it’s time to put together the gallery framework within WordPress using our plugin of choice – Feeds for YouTube.
With over 1 million active installs, it‘s the leading solution for pulling YouTube content into WordPress properly.
Let‘s go through getting everything set up:
Install and Activate Feeds for YouTube
First, install and activate the Feeds for YouTube plugin within your WordPress plugin dashboard. Or manually upload and enable the .zip file.
After activation, navigate to YouTube Feed > Settings and enter your license key if you have a paid Pro license.
If not, no worries – the core features still enable building a great video gallery. With a license, you unlock premium customizations.
Connect Your YouTube Channel
Still on the Settings page, click Add Source then Connect Through Google:
[insert screenshot showing Add Source menu]A popup will request authorization to connect your YouTube account stored under the associated Google profile. Agree to allow access.
Next, locate your distinct YouTube Channel ID by:
- Clicking your profile icon in YouTube’s top right and selecting Your Channel
- Your browser address bar shows the Channel ID – it will be a unique string of letters/numbers after /channel/
For example:
youtube.com/channel/UC12345ab67890c Copy just the ID section:
UC12345ab67890cThen back in Feeds for YouTube settings, paste your channel ID into the Channel ID field and hit Enter.
You‘ve connected your YouTube account and WordPress site! 🎉
Create an API Key (Optional but Recommended)
While your gallery will still work without, taking the extra few minutes to generate and connect an API key means no disruptions down the road if Google makes API key requirements mandatory.
Follow these steps to obtain an API key:
- Navigate in a new tab to https://console.cloud.google.com
- Create a new project
- Search for YouTube Data API and enable it
- Under Credentials, create a new API key
- Under Application Restrictions, add your site URL
- Copy the generated API key
Head back to your Feeds for YouTube settings, paste in your new API key and hit Add. You won‘t have to worry about access issues going forward.
Time to put that key to use pulling in your video content! 🗝
Create Your First Video Gallery Feed
Under the All Feeds section, click Add New feed to set up your first YouTube video content source:
[insert screenshot all feeds]Configure settings on this screen:
- Source – Select the YouTube account connected earlier
- Feed Type – Channel Videos
- Template – Gallery or another layout you prefer
- Hit Next
Now it‘s time to build out and style your shiny new video gallery. 🤩
Customize Your Video Gallery Design
One reason Feeds for YouTube stands out is its robust design options for tailoring gallery appearance without coding.
Let‘s explore some settings to produce a high converting video showcase:
Layout Format
Determine how videos are positioned by choosing grid, list, or carousel formatting:
[insert screenshots showing layout arrangements]Carousels maximize engagement but occupy more screen real estate. Grids allow flexible multi-column arrangements.
Get the right balance with some A/B testing.
Columns and Rows
Control videos shown per row along with margin spacing between elements:
[insert screenshot configure video items per row]More per row fits additional thumbnail previews simultaneously. However too many overwhelms visitors. Stick with 3-5 columns generally for good density.
Mobile Responsiveness
Visitors viewing your gallery on mobile and tablets need optimizations for small screens including:
- Condensed single column
- Stacked layout
- Scrolling carousel
Enable these auto-adjustments under the Advanced tab during setup.
Custom Colors and Branding
Match your existing color palette using the color picker for:
- Background colors
- Accent colors
- Text labels
- Icon fills
Or choose light/dark modes.
Show off your personal brand by adding a header with:
- Channel avatar
- Channel name
- Subscribe button
Navigation and Footers
Pagination or infinite scroll – what‘s best for your videos?
Boost clickthroughs to YouTube adding:
- Subscribe footers
- Link custom calls-to-action for post-video flows back to site pages
Best Practices for High-Performance Galleries
Creating a video gallery takes some initial legwork but pays dividends long-term in viewer engagement. Follow these expert recommendations to maximize value:
Optimize Thumbnail Selection
Thumbnails entice clicks so carefully determine most compelling preview images representing each video using YouTube Studio. Custom thumbnails outperform auto-generated.
Curate Video Playlists
Strategically organize videos into categories matching site content structure. For example, group tutorial videos together thematically. Guide visitors with good playlist curation.
Insert Targeted Calls to Action
Prompt visitors clearly after videos end on next steps. Send them where you want – email signup forms, product pages, contact pages.
Promote Your Best Videos
Embed selective impactful videos into blog posts and link back to the full gallery for supplemental videos. Double up exposure.
With a solid video gallery foundation built, continue layering on custom design flourishes until satisfied. Experiment freely with the many options.
Troubleshooting Common Video Gallery Issues
Hopefully everything works smoothly but occasionally minor technical problems crop up displaying your videos properly:
YouTube says: "No videos found"
- Check status at YouTube API Console
- Try re-authenticating the YouTube connection
- Create and connect an API key if missing
Videos not showing or acting strange
- Purge caches
- Disable other gallery plugins
- Switch themes
Only some videos appear
- Expand feed limit higher
Can‘t find certain customization settings
- Double check installed plugin is Feeds for YouTube Pro
Still having trouble? Contact Feeds for YouTube specialized support or post in the plugin forums for community advice.
Putting It All Together
That wraps up our expert-level walkthrough on creating video galleries in WordPress for engaging visitors!
To recap key points:
- Videos significantly lift metrics like traffic and conversions
- Funnel videos into galleries for organization
- Keep videos off servers by hosting externally
- Feeds for YouTube enables building feature-rich galleries
- Customize designs to match branding
- Expand exposure with creative placement
Now that you have the blueprint, leverage video galleries to boost your WordPress site performance!
