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How Product Video Increases Ecommerce Revenue

One of the most important types of resources you can put on your ecommerce product page is video. YouTube has become the new retail showroom. Where we used to have to go into a store and have a salesperson show us all the bells and whistles and demonstrate a product for us, now we can just click over to YouTube, do a quick search, and pull up dozens of videos covering all these bases and much more.

There are sales commercials, 3D animations, manufacturing “how it’s made” videos, unboxing videos, product demos, product reviews, comparisons, customer testimonials…the list goes on and on.

By creating these types of product videos and using them strategically throughout your marketing strategy, you can increase your ecommerce revenue.

5 Important Product Videos for Ecommerce Marketing

Here are five important types of product videos to include in your ecommerce marketing strategy.

01.

The Problem-Solution Explainer

You know those "As Seen on TV" infomercials that show seemingly able-bodied adults failing at simple tasks, only to be saved by some miracle product? They may be a little ham-fisted and heavy on the silly struggling, but there’s a reason companies have been following this same format for decades – it works. A simple demonstration of the pains and problems your customers are experiencing -- and how your product helps -- is an extremely powerful marketing tool. Silliness is not required, but a little bit of humor can help you leave a memorable impression.

02.

The Beauty Shot

If you’re selling a physical product, one of the best investments you can make is quality photography that shows your product and all its features from every angle imaginable. You can take that investment to the next level by including video alongside those pictures. Most quality cameras these days also shoot video, so why not grab some footage while you’ve got the lighting rig up? It doesn’t have to be fancy, just some simple panning shots, close ups, and maybe some rotation on a turntable will do the trick. The add-on cost should be manageable, and you’ll love the ROI from this simple, straightforward content.

03.

The Action Reel

While your photos and Beauty Shot video will answer the simple question of “What is it?”, there’s another important question you can answer with video: “What does it do?” Think of all the most common or crowd-pleasing ways your product can be used, then bust out the camera and catch those capabilities in action. You can even shoot some eye-catching "off-label" uses or less common applications of your product and share it across social media for an added viral marketing boost.

04.

The Manufacturing Process

This one can be challenging to pull off if you don’t also make the products you’re selling, but if do have access to the manufacturing process then this is one of the most engaging videos you can make. From the littlest of kids to the wisest of elders, there is just a universal fascination with manufacturing and seeing how things become what they are. Wow your shoppers by showing them your product’s journey from raw materials to their shopping basket with a Manufacturing Process video.

05.

The Happy Customer

No matter how passionate your founders, engineers, sales and marketing staff, and other employees are, there is one voice that will always be heard louder and clearer than yours in the marketplace – the voice of other consumers. Social proof is incredibly influential in the buying process, and shoppers will seek it out when evaluating their options.

You could take a gamble and trust that they’ll hear good things about you from peers and reviews. Or you could help control the message by providing them with the content they seek right on your website. Happy customer testimonials, case studies and profiles make for excellent sales content, especially video where you can see and hear the person sharing their experiences.

How Does Product Video Drive Revenue?

Let’s examine what makes video such a powerful revenue driver for ecommerce.

01.

Video Is Engaging

First, let’s start with a fundamental fact. Video is very engaging, more so than any other type of marketing content. This is mostly because it’s easy to access and enjoy, and allows for the intake of more information more efficiently than text or images. More importantly, people know that they like video, so they are more likely to click on it. Some studies have shown click through rates as much as 41% higher for a video thumbnail versus a simple text link. If you’re looking to draw people to your website or get them to hear your message, video is a winning bet.

02.

Video Is Great for SEO

Shoppers themselves aren’t the only ones who know they love to watch videos. Search engines know this too, and they’ve updated their algorithms accordingly. Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines reward sites that use video with good rankings, and have added special features just for video content. Video is also highly shareable, creating plenty of backlink opportunities for your site, which further boosts your SERP rankings, leading more people to visit your site.

03.

Video Wins on Social Media

Video isn’t just a winner in the search arena. It’s the reigning king of social media, too. The algorithms of all the major social media sites prefer videos in both ads and posts. If you want your content to be seen on social media, your best bet is to share it in video form.

Live video is also of the utmost importance for gaining traction within the social media algorithm. Facebook in particular places priority for live videos. Just make sure you have a solid connection before shooting. You wouldn’t want to disappoint your fans by streaming distorted footage.

Bonus Tip: The overall fidelity of your video also matters for the algorithms. Try to record and post your video content in 4k if at all possible.

04.

Video Improves Web Behaviors

The most important thing to know about using video in ecommerce is that it’s well-proven to increase conversion rates. So all of those search and social benefits of video drawing people to your online store will create a whole lot more than just empty traffic if you give them some video to engage with on the site. Many different sources from many different contexts have attributed huge increases in key ecommerce behaviors to the use of video, including lower bounce rate, longer time on site and more pages visited, higher conversion rates, fewer abandoned carts, and lower return rates.

05.

Video Showcases Creativity

Video doesn’t have to be flashy to drive results, but it sure is fun to play with. You can shoot at a high FPS rate to show your product working in slow motion. You can shoot at a low FPS rate to show a product working at a faster pace. You can shoot ultra-high-def closeups and microscopic views. You can even shoot in 3D! These aspects don’t even begin to take into account the advantage that sound, lighting, editing, and on-screen graphics add. Video is a great place to flex your creativity and show some innovation from your brand. A little bit of simple camera trickery and cinematography can create something unique and special that moves people to click Share – or better yet, Buy.

You could take a gamble and trust that they’ll hear good things about you from peers and reviews. Or you could help control the message by providing them with the content they seek right on your website. Happy customer testimonials, case studies and profiles make for excellent sales content, especially video where you can see and hear the person sharing their experiences.

06.

Video Gets People Talking

Here’s an unpopular opinion that we’re willing to stand by: Video comments are under-utilized. They act as a forum for users to post questions and opinions relating to your store’s products, or to share helpful feedback about where your products and videos could be improved. You can also take questions from the comments section in real-time during live video sessions. A high number of comments can also propel you up further in the search engines. Yes, disabling comments can save you the hassle of dealing with trolls and spammers, but you’re cutting off some potentially important conversations with your customers in the process.

You could take a gamble and trust that they’ll hear good things about you from peers and reviews. Or you could help control the message by providing them with the content they seek right on your website. Happy customer testimonials, case studies and profiles make for excellent sales content, especially video where you can see and hear the person sharing their experiences.

The Art of Keeping Video Marketing Costs Low

Video doesn’t have to break the bank. From low-cost web-based animation builders to affordable camera equipment, there are options for just about every budget. You can even hire a talented professional or production team to create your videos at a surprisingly low price point these days.

Also, keep in mind that the single most valuable type of videos for building trust in your brand is user-generated content – videos about your products that are created by your customers and market influencers. You can’t beat the price ($0 production cost), even if you spend some marketing dollars to send out samples or encourage users to create and share videos.

Final Thoughts

Where do product videos fit in your marketing plan? What kinds of product videos do you really need? How much should you expect to spend on product video production and promotion? The experts at Blayzer can figure that out for you. Hire our team for an ecommerce marketing strategy and we’ll review the facts, do the research, and map out a personalized plan for using product video to send your sales soaring.

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