A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Animated Videos That Convert

A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Animated Videos That Convert

Everyone knows the Dropbox fairy tale. A simple, no-frills animated video on a landing page, and boom—millions of users and a valuation that makes your eyes water.

That one story is responsible for a decade of bad decisions.

It created an entire industry of businesses chasing a magic bullet. It convinced entrepreneurs that a 90-second cartoon could fix a confusing product, a weak market position, or a nonexistent strategy.

Let’s be brutally honest. An animated video is a tool. A powerful one, if used correctly. But most of the time, it's an expensive distraction. This is the no-nonsense guide to using them for what they're good for: getting results.

What is an Animated Video in a Business Context?

First, it’s not a cartoon. It's a communication tool designed to achieve a specific business objective.

An animated video uses motion graphics, character animation, or other non-live-action techniques to explain a concept, demonstrate a product, or tell a brand's story. It takes abstract ideas and makes them concrete.

Forget thinking about it as entertainment. Think of it as the most straightforward, controllable way to get a single, important idea from your head into your customers' heads.

Common Types of Animated Videos (and When to Use Them)

Picking a style because you “like the look of it” is where most people go wrong. The style must serve the message, not the other way around.

2D Character Animation (The “People” Video)

This involves creating relatable 2D characters to act out a story or scenario. It’s excellent for building an emotional connection.

• Best for: Brand stories, simplifying complex services by showing people using them, and creating a friendly, approachable vibe.
• Real-world example: Headspace uses its charming, consistent 2D characters across its app and marketing to make the concept of meditation feel accessible and less intimidating.

Motion Graphics (The “Data & Concepts” Video)

This is the text, icons, charts, and abstract shapes animation. It’s clean, professional, and superb for clarity. It is arguably the most versatile style for B2B companies.

• Best for: Explaining intangible software, visualising data, calling out key product features, and dynamically presenting information.
• Real-world example: Slack uses crisp motion graphics in its product tours to guide users through its interface, making complex features seem intuitive and straightforward.

Whiteboard Animation (The “Teacher” Video)

You know this: a hand appears to draw images and text on a whiteboard. It has an inherently educational, step-by-step feel.

• Best for: Breaking down complicated processes, educational content, and tutorials. The format primes the viewer to learn something.
• A warning: This style became so popular and overused by low-cost providers that it can now look dated and cheap. Use with caution.

3D Animation (The “Big Budget” Video)

This is what Pixar does. It involves creating objects and characters in a three-dimensional space, offering incredible depth and realism.

• Best for: High-end product visualisations (e.g., showing the inner workings of a machine), architectural fly-throughs, and premium brand films.
• A warning: Proper 3D animation is costly and slow to produce. It's complete overkill for 99% of small businesses.

Why Bother With Animation Over Live-Action?

Choosing animation isn't just an aesthetic choice; it’s a strategic one. It offers three distinct advantages over filming with a camera in the real world.

• Explaining the Abstract: How do you film “cloud computing” or “blockchain encryption”? You can't. Animation makes intangible services and complex software tangible. It turns abstract concepts into simple, visual metaphors that people can grasp.
• Total Brand Control: In a live-action shoot, you're at the mercy of weather, lighting, actors, and locations. In animation, every single element is controlled. Every colour is from your brand palette. Every character's movement is deliberate. It is the most brand-consistent visual medium there is.
• Simpler Updates: Need to change a price, update an interface, or add a new feature to your video? In animation, you edit a few frames. In live-action, you have to organise an entire reshoot. Animation is more durable and adaptable to business changes.

The Process: What You’re Actually Paying For (It’s Not Just Drawing)

Businesses spend weeks agonising over colours and character designs, but they rush the script in an afternoon. The script is not part of the process; it is the process. The rest is just execution.

A weak script guarantees a failed video. Here’s how it should work.

Step 1: The Brief & Script (The 90% Foundation)

This is pure strategy. Before a single sketch is made, you must define these things in writing:

• The Audience: Who, specifically, are we talking to?
• The Problem: What pain point does this video solve for them?
• The Message: What is the one single idea they must remember?
• The Goal: What specific action should they take after watching?

Only then do you write the script. Every word must serve that goal.

Step 2: The Storyboard & Styleframes (The Blueprint)

The storyboard is your video's scene-by-scene comic book version, mapping the script to visuals. Styleframes are key, fully-designed frames that establish the final look and feel—the colours, typography, and illustration style. 

Signing off on these is like signing off on an architect's blueprints. Significant changes after this point get expensive.

Step 3: The Voiceover (The Human Element)

The voiceover sets the entire tone. A cheap, robotic voiceover can kill a brilliant animation. You must choose an artist whose pace, energy, and accent match your brand and resonate with your audience.

Step 4: The Animation (The Labour)

This is where the animators bring the storyboards to life, synchronising the movement with the voiceover. This is the most time-consuming and technically intensive part of the project.

Step 5: Sound Design & Music (The Polish)

The final 10%. Adding subtle sound effects (swooshes, clicks, pops) and a suitable music track elevates the video from a presentation to an experience. It's the emotional layer that ties everything together.

The Brutal Truth About Cost: How Much is a Piece of String?

“It depends” is a useless answer. Let's break it down into realistic tiers, based on a typical 60-90 second video.

Tier 1: The DIY & Template Route ($50 – $500)

These are services like Vyond or Powtoon. You use pre-made assets and templates to assemble your own video.

• Pros: Extremely cheap and fast. You can have a video done in a day.
• Cons: It will look generic. Your video will look exactly like thousands of others. This can damage your brand's credibility far more than having no video.

Tier 2: The Freelancer & Small Studio ($2,000 – $8,000)

This is where you hire a person or a small team to create something custom. You get a unique video tailored to your script and brand.

• Pros: A genuinely custom asset that reflects your brand identity. A massive leap in quality from templates.
• Cons: The quality and reliability of freelancers vary wildly. You will likely need to manage the project closely yourself.

Tier 3: The Full-Service Agency ($10,000 – $50,000+)

Here you're paying for a team that includes a strategist, scriptwriter, project manager, and multiple animators.

• Pros: You get strategic input, not just animation. The process is managed for you. The production quality is top-tier.
• Cons: This is a significant marketing investment and requires a clear business case.

A key thing to remember: pricing is often calculated per minute, and the first minute is always the most expensive because it includes all the initial design and setup work.

Is This Video Actually Going to Work?

Vanity metrics like “views” are a trap. You can buy views. They mean nothing. The only metric that matters is whether the video achieves the specific goal you defined in the brief.

For a Homepage Explainer

Success isn't about how many people watch it. It's about what they do next.

• The Metrics: Do you see a measurable decrease in your website's bounce rate? Do you get a quantifiable increase in demo requests or contact form submissions?

For a Social Media Ad

Here, efficiency is everything. The video has one job: to get the right person to click.

• The Metrics: What is your click-through rate (CTR)? What is your cost per conversion? If you're spending £500 on ads to get £100 in sales, the animation style is irrelevant—the ad is failing. Grammarly’s ads work because they are ruthlessly focused on this.

For a Brand Awareness Piece

This is the hardest to measure, but not impossible.

• The Metrics: Look for leading indicators. Are people sharing it? Is it driving spikes in direct traffic to your website? Are you seeing an increase in branded search terms?

Before You Commission Anything, Answer These Three Questions

If you're considering an animated video, stop. And answer these questions with total honesty.

1. Can I explain my business clearly in 150 words of plain text? If the answer is no, a video will not solve your problem. It will only amplify your confusion with expensive visuals. Fix your messaging first.
2. What is the specific action I want someone to take after watching? Not “learn about us” or “get engaged.” A real action. “Click the demo button.” “Download the PDF.” “Start a free trial.” If you don't have one, you don't have a reason to make a video.
3. Does the cost make sense? Think about your customer lifetime value (LTV). Spending $15,000 on a video to sell a $10 product is insane. The investment must be proportional to the potential return.

An animated video is a container for your message. It's a vehicle. It is not, and never will be, magic. A world-class strategy with average animation will beat jaw-dropping animation with no strategy every day of the week.

Focus on the message first. Always.

Sorting out your message and strategy is the hard part. Turning that clear strategy into compelling visuals is where effective digital marketing comes in. If you're clear on your ‘why', we can help with the ‘how'.

Feeling ready to discuss a project? Request a quote from our team.

Frequently Asked Questions About Animated Videos