Overview

Video Hero is a website homepage style that plays a short background video behind the homepage banner instead of rotating image sliders. It's a great option if you have footage of your shop, equipment, or products in action and want your homepage to feel more dynamic.

When Video Hero is turned on, the homepage displays a looping, muted video with an optional headline, subheadline, and call-to-action button.

Interested in Video Hero? Video Hero is available on select website designs. Contact Marketing Ideas For Printers to confirm design compatibility and request activation, as this feature must be enabled by our team.

Above: Example (still image) of MI4P's default homepage video

Managing this feature

Once Video Hero is active, its editor appears automatically:

1. Log in to Control Center.
2. Go to Web Pages > Home Page.
3. The Video Hero management options will appear instead of the usual slider or carousel controls.

If the website uses a different homepage style, such as the image slider, the slider management links will appear instead. Switching back to Video Hero restores any previously configured video and text.

Reviewing the Current Video

The top of the Video Hero editor displays a preview of the video and image currently appearing on the homepage, along with a label identifying the source as:

• Custom uploaded video — media previously added through the editor, or
• Design default — the video included with the website design and used automatically until custom media is uploaded.

Check the current source before replacing anything. Restoring the default later permanently removes the custom uploaded video, as explained in Restoring the default video below.

Customizing the Overlay Text and Button

Overlay text can be updated independently of the video, so wording changes do not require another upload.

• Headline — optional. Leave this field blank to display no headline.
• Subheadline — optional. Leave this field blank to display no subheadline.
• Call to action button — optional. When adding a button, select:
  • A label for the button text
  • A destination, either a page on the same site or an external https:// web address
    • Whether the external destination should open in a new window

The website design controls the font, color, positioning, and animation of the overlay text. These settings help keep the homepage consistent with the rest of the site.

• Select ‘Save overlay’ to publish the text changes. Updates go live immediately.

Adding a Custom Video

Replacing the current video requires two files: the video and a matching poster image. The poster image is a still frame displayed while the video loads.

Video requirements

Poster image requirements

Steps:

1. In the Video Hero editor, select ‘Browse’ next to ‘MP4 video’
2. Select an MP4 file
3. Select ‘Browse’ next to ‘JPG or PNG Poster’
4. Select a poster image
5. Review the local preview to confirm both selections.
6. Select ‘Replace media’ to upload and validate both files together.
7. In the Video Hero editor, select ‘Replace Video’.

If either file fails validation because of an incorrect format, excessive file size or length, incorrect dimensions, or mismatched aspect ratios, a specific error message will appear. The current homepage video will remain unchanged until both files pass validation.

Above: Example of an error message when too small of a poster file is chosen

After a successful upload, the new video goes live immediately. No separate publishing step is required.

A couple of notes:

• Audio within the video file is acceptable, but it will not play. Homepage background videos are always muted.
• Multiple video formats are unnecessary. Only one MP4 file is required.

Returning to the Default Video

To remove a custom uploaded video and return to the website design’s built-in default:

1. In the Video Hero editor, select Restore Template Default.
2. Confirm the action when prompted.

This action permanently deletes the custom uploaded video and poster image, then returns the homepage to the design default. The headline, subheadline, and button text remain unchanged.

Video Playback and Visitor Experience

The following video behaviors are built in automatically:

• The poster image appears while the video loads, preventing an empty area or flicker.
• The video plays automatically without sound, loops continuously, and remains inline without taking over the screen.
• A visible pause/play button allows visitors to stop or resume playback.
• When a visitor’s browser is set to reduce motion or save data, only the poster image appears until the play button is selected.
• If a custom uploaded video becomes missing or unreadable, the homepage automatically displays the design default instead of showing a broken page.

Above: The ‘Pause’ button allowing printbuyers to pause the homepage video

Frequently asked questions

• Can more than one video be used, or can different videos play on different pages? No. The website supports one video on the homepage only.
• Can sound be added to the video? No. Background videos are always muted for all visitors.
• Is a WebM or Ogg version also required? No. Only one MP4 file is required.
• Why doesn’t Video Hero appear on the Home Page menu? The website design may not support Video Hero, or the feature may not yet be active for the account. Contact Marketing Ideas For Printers to confirm availability and request activation.