Using Video to Sell More of your stuff, Online

Video doesn’t have to cost a fortune, but it does have to be done properly. Poor online video is renowned for having a detrimental effect on your image, but equally good video will stand you head and shoulders above the rest, particularly when used within an Ecommerce website.

Video engages website visitors.

Think about it, when you are online and you view a video you will more than likely stop and focus on it providing it is relevant, unlike when you are browsing text and taking in images. Video holds attention because it’s less hassle (no scrolling) to use and because the owner has the user engaged for longer, a clear sales opportunity arises, particularly through the ability to integrate clear calls to action into the content.

Social Media is driving the benefit of video, they are much more likely to be recommended and shared than a body of text, making video more viral. The user experience with video is so much more than with other website content, utilising more senses than text. Video can strike a chord with the viewer and when it does, it is much more likely to be passed on.

But what does all this mean for Ecommerce?

Well in terms of the product display, you can get so much more information across with a video. You can demonstrate a product, you can highlight the ease of assembly and you can demonstrate how robust your item is. However descriptive you can be with text, you will never be able to communicate the advantages of a product as well as you could with a video. This number one positive will help you to convince your viewer of the products viability, and then if the other purchasing requirements are met, the visitor is more likely to buy. This process of engagement through to sale will lead to a greater conversion from your shopping site.

Of course, you have to get the visitors to your website in the first place, but how can video help with this?

Google are now placing a greater emphasis on websites that contain video. Some commentators suggest a video in their index is 50 times more likely to appear on the first page than a comparable text page. Video on product pages is therefore more likely to generate the long-tail effect than other methods, giving you highly placed product pages with a lower SEO burden, adding to relevance and higher conversions.

Traditional advertising methods that include TV have always been expensive but now seem grossly overpriced when you think how much you can do yourself through Social. Video in particular can reach more people for just the cost of the media than most television channels, particularly as viewers are now so diluted through volume. Video is the new small business weapon.

Video costs more than text…

Even the cost of video production is on the decline, whereas quality, speed and return on investment are heading north. Many processes are now automated, particularly in terms of online distribution. Competition has increased; it’s not hard to find people who have moulded themselves into video producers thanks to inexpensive kit and the ability to create an editing suite at home. It is of course vital that you work with a reputable provider but the costs are a fraction of what they were 5 years ago. See video as an investment, monitor your analytics and you will see the production cost coming back to you through product sales.

Above all, good video adds to your professionalism as a business and will help you to build customer loyalty. You can use video in your email marketing, on your website product pages and out in the social sphere and it is the video element that will drive customer growth and conversion above anything else.

So what are you waiting for?

Video helps your pages rank higher, it captivates your visitors, it gives you the opportunity to increase calls to action leading to greater conversion, it builds loyalty, it’s easily spread, it’s cost effective and it can reach millions, nuff said.

Ascensor are a web design leeds agency, we develop online marketing strategies that include video and we outsource quality video production for our clients.

Andrew J Firth