Have you ever wanted to make an explainer video? You know, one of those short, punchy animated videos that explains what your product or service does and why people should care. You see them everywhere… and companies use them to clarify their value proposition and lift conversion rates.

We used a video on the Crazy Egg homepage, and it performed so well that it drove an extra $21,000+ a month in new income.

So why not create one of these explainer videos for your site? If it works for Crazy Egg, Dropbox, and hosting companies, it should work for you, right?

The reality: most explainer videos don’t boost conversions or revenue. Not because the idea is bad, but because the approach is wrong.

Here’s how to create an explainer video that actually converts:

Step #1: It’s all about the script, not the visuals

The script is the most important part of your video. A gorgeous animation with a weak script won’t convert; a simple animation with a sharp, customer-focused script will.

Important: don’t outsource the core message to the animation studio. They don’t know your audience’s pain points, objections, or the nuances of your product like you do. You can collaborate with them on pacing and visuals, but own the narrative and value proposition yourself.

Your script’s job is to answer your prospects’ questions and concerns in plain language. If you can do that concisely, you’ll lift conversions. If you can’t, the prettiest video in the world won’t help.

Step #2: What you need before you write

Before you write a single line, survey your audience. Use on-page polls and tools like Qualaroo, review support tickets and chat logs, and listen to sales calls. Ask questions like:

  • What else would you like to see on this page?
  • What’s the number one reason that’s stopping you from buying?
  • What’s your biggest concern about this product or service?
  • Is anything confusing or unclear on this page?
  • What problem are you trying to solve today?
  • What have you tried already, and why didn’t it work?
  • What would convince you to try this now?

These answers reveal what’s blocking purchases—maybe people don’t understand what you do, how easy it is, how you price, or whether it will work in their stack. Knowing the real objections lets you write a script that hits the mark.

Step #3: How to write a high-converting script

Start with your audience’s objections and write to resolve them. Aim for 60–120 seconds (roughly 130–160 words per minute). Longer than ~2 minutes and completion rate drops.

Here’s the structure we used for the Crazy Egg script (and still recommend):

  1. Introduce what you do in one line — be specific and outcome-oriented. For Crazy Egg it was: “Our heatmap tool shows you why your visitors aren’t converting.”
  2. State the problem clearly — articulate the pain in the customer’s words. For Crazy Egg, we showed that it’s hard to know why visitors leave and clarified that standard analytics tools don’t visualize where people struggle.
  3. Bridge to your solution — use common phrasing from your surveys to transition: “If you’ve ever felt X or Y, that’s exactly why we built Z.”
  4. Show the product solving the problem — don’t list features; connect each feature to a benefit. “Heatmaps reveal click patterns so you can spot dead zones and fix them.”
  5. Present a friction-free CTA — tell people exactly what to do and remove risk. If price is an objection, mention a free trial. If setup sounds scary, say “Get set up in under 30 seconds.”
  6. Preempt last objections — address the common concerns: performance impact, privacy/GDPR compliance, whether it works on secure pages and single-page apps, team access, and support.
  7. Add proof to close — show logos, quick results, star ratings, or a short testimonial while you repeat the CTA.

Your first draft won’t be perfect. Expect several revisions. Use table reads to tighten phrasing and cut jargon. Remember: 120–150 words ? 1 minute of video; keep most explainers under 2 minutes.

Step #4: Get a professional voice-over

A professional voice-over for a 60–120 second script typically costs a few hundred dollars (per finished minute rates are common).

You can work with any seasoned VO artist you like. If you’re on a tight budget, you can source talent through local listings and marketplaces. DIY is possible with a quiet room, a decent USB mic, and careful editing—but professional talent usually converts better. If you use AI text-to-speech, pick a natural voice and keep pacing human.

Step #5: Produce the video

You can hire a studio or work with freelancers. Larger studios often charge $5,000–$25,000+ depending on complexity and take a few weeks to a few months. Freelancers can turn around a solid 2D motion-graphics explainer in a few weeks, often in the $1,000–$5,000 range, with budget options below that.

Whether you choose a studio or a freelancer, share your script, brand guidelines, and examples you like. Keep visuals simple, readable on mobile, and tightly synced to the narration.

Step #6: A/B test like a marketer

Plan to iterate. You’ll likely test multiple hooks, CTAs, lengths, and thumbnail frames before you hit your ceiling. Smaller teams move faster and cost less for revisions than big agencies, which matters when you’re iterating weekly.

Track engagement with tools like Wistia so you can see where viewers drop off, which segments get rewatched, and how placement affects conversions. Prioritize tests that affect: the first 5 seconds (hook), captions on/off, CTA wording and timing, video placement on the page, and length.

As your product evolves, refresh the video and re-test. Treat your explainer like a living asset, not a one-and-done project.

Step #7: Optimize for SEO, accessibility, and page speed

Explainers don’t just live in a vacuum—they sit on pages that need to rank and convert. Make sure the video helps both.

  • Placement: Put the video high on the page with a clear headline and a text CTA nearby. Don’t bury it below the fold.
  • Transcript & captions: Include a full transcript on the page and enable captions for accessibility and silent autoplay.
  • Structured data: Mark up the page with VideoObject schema so Google can understand and potentially show rich snippets.
  • Load performance: Compress your file, lazy-load below-the-fold embeds, and avoid heavy autoplay on slow connections. Monitor Core Web Vitals.
  • Hosting strategy: Decide between third-party hosting (fast, analytics-rich) or self-hosting (more control). Either way, track views ? clicks ? sign-ups with UTM links.

Conclusion

If you want an explainer video that converts, follow the steps above. If you don’t have the bandwidth to do it right, skip it for now.

We learned this the hard way. Early on, we hired a big studio to “handle everything,” including the script. We spent tens of thousands on videos that didn’t convert.

Remember: the most important part of an explainer video isn’t the animation—it’s the script. Nail the message, then let the visuals support it.