Online Video Helps Retailers Covert Browsers into Buyers
More and more case studies are being published about retailers that have added videos to their web sites and found them to be effective in getting consumers to buy and retaining their loyalty. Videos can help create a "more dynamic, interactive and engaging environment (that) can contribute to a total brand experience and drive user engagement, allowing retailers to create a rich, memorable brand impression for online shoppers, drive repeat traffic to retail sites and increase online sales revenues."
Personally, I can think of several instances where I found it difficult to understand exactly what a product does from the text, and I'm sure I would have bought it if only I could have seen it in action.
Here are three case studies that illustrate this trend:
- Online home improvement retailer - A large part of the reason that only 5.7% of home improvement buyers make even one online purchase a year is that they want to see, touch and feel products like plumbing fixtures. To solve this problem, Improvement Direct "created an in-house photo studio that takes images of products from several angles, and then creates Flash-based images that allow site visitors to spin an item to get a complete view of it." The retailer is also "creating its own videos that allow knowledgeable employees to provide information about products." The result - conversion rates increased by 20% for products with these 360-degree views.
- Electronics retailer - By adding basic how-to videos that help familiarize consumers with the basics of
technology, the company has lifted conversions and increased accessory sales 12% in some of the pages they've already tested. They've also received great
customer feedback and gotten people to come back to their site again, even when they're not planning to buy anything. The case study also includes several lessons they've learned in the process:
- Find content ideas by searching your customer forums, asking your sales associates, mining customer service for ideas, and talking to your suppliers/manufacturers.
- Focus on the products and topics you want to cover by first targeting the big, easy wins and only then proceeding to your more niche idea.
- Keep your production quality requirements low for and easy and “relatively inexpensive” process --- simple graphics + shot transitions + basic editing software + an HD camera + untrained staff members.
- Do not use the videos to sell, do not mention price or discounts or do any marketing
- Test to find the best combination of format, player, presentation, placement and other video attributes, possibly using a usability lab, multivariate optimizing and results monitoring.
- Supermarket chain - A UK chain, which sources and packs fruit and vegetables straight from British farms, has created a video that follows the journey of certain types of apples from tree to store. The online video stars their apple buyer, who works closely with farmers to get the apples in-store when they are best in season.
Finally, here's a MarketingSherpa article that explains how to get started on the process of creating low-cost, high-quality online videos. Some of the tips in the article include:
- Research the subject before starting, including instructional videos on YouTube.
- Set a solid metric-based goal, such as number of visitors, purchases, leads and conversions.
- Choose a format, such as short conversion-oriented videos, how-to videos and newscast topic-oriented videos.
- Get the right equipment, including a camera w/a hard drive (not high def), a tripod, halogen lights and editing software.
- Prepare scripts and storyboards that tell a story, organize the set and set up the lights and sound.
- When shooting the video, don't worry about imperfections, do multiple takes and leave some wiggle room.
- When editing, avoid fancy transitions, stick to stock sounds and make the file as small as possible.
Posted by Universal Ad
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