In today’s digital world, most of the best-known brands are using video to create compelling content to promote who they are and — more importantly — what they sell.
A good ecommerce product video can help online customers to:
- Learn more about a particular item;
- Make an emotional connection to products;
- Ultimately, make a positive buying decision.
The reason for this success is relatively simple:
Videos can convey more — and better — product information than text alone.
Research has shown that 80 percent of consumers are more likely to purchase if they have seen a brand video. And web pages that feature shoppable video content get 15 percent more engagement that plain text and images.
Given the potential impact, it can make a lot of sense to try to optimise ecommerce video to boost sales.
Here are some video styles you can try.
360 views
More online retailers are using 360 views to highlight their products. Some IRP clients have already started to see the benefit of using this technique.
These 360 views are essentially 360 degree interactive videos of a product, on which an online shopper can click and drag to see all sides of the item.
The benefit of using 360 videos is not only that they engage customers and allow them to experience the product as if they were holding it in their hand. They’re also something you can create with the photo studio setup that you’re already using.
This works well if you are already taking photos of your product on a white background for the image gallery — you can take a video of it in this same setup to create a 360 view.
Even better news: YouTube has recently announced that it is now supporting 360 degree video uploads.
How-to or instructional
A good way to create meaningful content for your customers is by making instructional videos.
These enable you to give customers all the information they need to use your product effectively – without having to call on the customer service team for help.
If you have a specific product that needs explaining in order to help customers before buying it, then how-to videos are perfect.
In addition, when anyone searches for how-to information through a search engine such as Google, there will be a greater chance of the link to your video appearing in the search results.
Modelled products
Some retailers include product videos that feature a model using or wearing the item.
For most fashion videos featuring models, when you click on the video someone will briefly describe the item for you, then the model will walk around to show you how the item looks when you wear it.
This works particularly well for items such as shoes, handbags and clothing — the customer can actually visualise the products as they would look when worn, as opposed to seeing the item hanging on a mannequin or static only.
Documentary
If you have the time to create a documentary-style video using your products then you could be on your way to creating a cinematic masterpiece that might just go viral.
This type of content combines the feel of a Hollywood movie with the practicalities of talking about and viewing the products on your site.
Tips for Making Great Videos
Video needs an investment of time and money. To create a successful one you need to focus on getting results to justify the resource.
Here are some tips to make sure your videos give customers the best experience possible.
1. Use a large video player
The Google report, “Are Your Video Ads Making an Impression?” found that, in general, people were more likely to watch video ads that played on relatively larger video players.
Of the video players measured, sizes that were larger than 640 pixels by 480 pixels had video viewability rates of better than 80 percent.
As an example, players that were 848 pixels wide by 477 pixels high had a video viewability rate of 88.6 percent.
The most frequently used size player for video ads — 300 pixels by 250 pixels — produced the lowest video viewability rate at just 19.8 percent.
Use this data and consider giving product videos more on-page space to encourage customers to view the videos you create.
Most online fashion retailers, including Warehouse below, use this approach. The product detail page for an item includes a ‘play video’ link that opens a relatively large video player.
2. Place your video front and centre
The Google report also found that video player placement impacted video ad viewability.
Videos positioned at the centre of the screen and within 250 pixels of the top of the page enjoyed the highest video viewability rates.
Using these findings, it makes sense to place video players in a prime position on product detail pages and even share space with the main product image.
3. Believe in your product
Before you place a large product video player in the middle of important pages, you need to believe that doing so will boost sales.
Make sure that you choose the right products to best represent your company. Ensure that the quality, lighting and model (if applicable) show off your business in the most professional and attractive way.
4. Test and measure your results
While most feedback indicates that video can increase conversion, the estimated impact can vary greatly. Some experts say that video produces a 40% increase in sales, but others have it a lot lower.
To confirm which is correct, test and measure your results. Consider using an A/B testing format to decide if videos work for your site.
Don’t hold back on the testing. Measure and adjust variables such as products, video player size, player position and video content.
Conclusion
Videos can be a powerful and effective method of promoting and selling products on your website.
They are great at bringing your products to life and can often result in higher customer satisfaction and higher retail sales conversion.
Don’t jump in lightly, create a strategy as to how frequently you are posting, what products you are going to promote and which techniques you are going to adopt.
