How to Make an Animated Explainer Video for Your Website

Read Time: 3 minutes

An animated explainer video helps website visitors understand what you do, why it matters, and what to do next within seconds. Instead of relying on long blocks of text, an explainer video uses visuals, motion, and narrative to reduce friction and speed up comprehension.

Today, creating a website explainer video does not require a production team or technical animation skills. With a browser-based tool like Powtoon, teams can turn ideas, scripts, or documents into clear animated videos that support understanding and conversion.

The short answer

Effective website explainer videos focus on clarity, speed, and relevance. Powtoon helps teams create animated explainers that communicate value quickly, stay on brand, and are easy to update over time.

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Why Animated Explainer Videos Work on Websites

Animated explainer videos improve first-time visitor understanding by simplifying complex ideas visually. Website visitors make decisions quickly, and animation helps guide attention and reduce cognitive load.

Well-designed website explainers help by:

• Explaining the value proposition in under a minute
  
• Replacing dense text with clear visual cues
  
• Building trust through consistent tone and branding
  
• Supporting different learning styles

When placed correctly, an explainer video can increase engagement, time on page, and overall message clarity.

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How to Build a Website Explainer That Works

1. Start With the Website Goal

Strong website explainers are designed around one clear purpose. Before opening an animation tool, define whether the video should explain the product, answer a common question, or guide users toward a signup or demo.

The most effective explainer videos solve one core problem clearly and early.

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2. Structure the Story for Fast Understanding

Effective animated explainers follow a simple narrative structure:

• The problem the visitor recognizes
  
• Why the problem matters
  
• How the solution helps
  
• What action the viewer should take

This structure prevents feature overload and keeps the message focused.

Powtoon templates are built around this narrative flow, helping teams organize scenes without starting from a blank canvas.

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3. Create the Animated Video With Powtoon

Powtoon is designed for non-designers who need professional results quickly.

Templates as a starting point
Powtoon’s website explainer templates provide ready-made pacing and structure optimized for short attention spans.

Visuals that support the message
Characters, icons, and backgrounds act as visual nouns that reinforce meaning instead of repeating on-screen text.

Animation without complexity
Powtoon uses scene-based animation and motion presets rather than frame-by-frame editing, keeping the focus on storytelling and clarity.

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4. Add Voice, Text, and Timing

Audio and visuals should reinforce each other.

Website explainers work best when you:

• Add voiceover to guide the narrative
  
• Use short on-screen text for emphasis
  
• Keep scenes brief and purposeful

Powtoon allows timing adjustments so the video feels natural and easy to follow.

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5. Optimize the Video for Website Use

Website viewers consume content differently than social audiences.

Before publishing:

• Keep the video concise, typically under 90 seconds
  
• Place it near the top of the page or next to key content
  
• Ensure it works without sound using visual cues and captions

Powtoon exports videos in formats that are easy to embed on landing pages, product pages, and homepages.

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6. Maintain Brand Consistency

Consistency is critical when using animation across a website.

Powtoon supports brand alignment by allowing teams to:

• Lock brand colors and fonts
  
• Use consistent character styles
  
• Reuse scenes across multiple videos

This makes it easier to scale explainer content and keep updates aligned over time.

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Website Explainer Best Practices Checklist

Before publishing, confirm:

• The core value is clear in the first few seconds
  
• Visuals support the message rather than distract from it
  
• Language is simple and audience-focused
  
• There is a clear next step for the viewer

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Q&A: Animated Explainer Videos for Websites

Q – What is a website explainer video?
A website explainer video is a short animated video that explains a product, service, or idea directly on a webpage to help visitors understand it quickly.

Q – How long should a website explainer video be?
Most effective website explainer videos are under 90 seconds and focus on a single core message.

Q – Do website explainer videos need sound?
They should work with or without sound. Using visual cues, captions, and clear motion ensures accessibility and clarity.

Q – Can explainer videos be updated easily?
Yes. Tools like Powtoon allow teams to edit scenes, update messaging, or reuse content without recreating the entire video.

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Expert Insight

“A website explainer video is a clarity tool. When visitors understand the value quickly, they are more confident taking the next step,” says Powtoon’s Head of Product.

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Final Thought

An animated explainer video is not decoration. It is a communication layer that helps your website do its job more effectively.

With Powtoon, teams can create website-ready animated explainers that clarify ideas, support conversion, and scale across pages without turning animation into a bottleneck.

So, are you ready to make an animated video?​ Powtoon​’s online video editor is free and ready for you to use.