You’ve A/B tested your copy. Your graphics are top notch. Your calls-to-action are clear and well placed. Now you’re thinking to yourself, “Why should I do on-site video too?”
On-site video has experienced a surge in popularity recently years, and for good reason. Research shows it increases customer engagement, trust, and overall sales, making it a fantastic option for ecommerce sites looking to expand without using incentives.
In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into on-site video, starting first with the benefits it provides.
Increased Conversions
They’re the reason we’re all here, right?
Unsurprisingly, customers prefer to buy products they fully understand. A recent study found customers were 71% more likely to say they understood a product if they watched a video about it. The effect carries over into the purchasing phase; 73% of customers are more likely to buy a product after watching a video.
Enhanced Trustworthiness
Justly or unjustly, buying from an ecommerce site rather than a store requires more trust on the part of the consumer. Sites that use on-site video are considered 58% more trustworthy by consumers, likely because it emulates the experience of shopping in a physical store.
High Return on Investment
Ecommerce marketing can occasionally feel like taking shots in the dark. Between optimizing keywords, maintaining a blog and purchasing placements, it can be hard to tell exactly what is creating your conversions. Research has found that marketers consider video to have the highest ROI of any kind of content.
When it’s done well, video content is an excellent investment in your company’s short and long term marketing efforts. But before we delve into good on-site content, let’s address initial cost, one of the most common qualms marketers have with video.
Video Marketing and Your Budget
Although it has a reputation for being expensive, video marketing is more affordable than ever.
While some brands do spend tens of thousands of dollars on their content, it’s by no means necessary to do so. Reasonably high-quality HD camcorders can be purchased for less than $500; some businesses even record with their phones.
Besides a camera, it makes sense to pick up a standard 2-point lighting kit (under $200). Unless you’re planning to create special effect-heavy content, there’s no need to pay for Hollywood-tier editing software. Additionally, you may even be able to use iMovie, which comes pre-loaded on most Apple devices.
Another huge upside to on-site video content is that there’s no placement cost. These videos live on your website, so you don’t have to pay Youtube or Facebook to promote them.
What kinds of content can you produce? While the sky really is the limit for this kind of content, product videos are an excellent place to start.
What Goes Into a Product Video?
In their simplest form, product videos succinctly demonstrate an item’s value prop. These videos don’t need to be long, 1-2 minutes is usually plenty.
A good product video should do 3 things.
- Introduce the product and its features
- Identify its differentiating factors
- Demonstrate the product in action
Beyond these 3 basic elements, product videos vary widely in content and style. This should largely be determined by your company’s voice and the product itself.
If your company sells a quirky product or uses a playful copy and imagery, feel free to utilize humor in your product video. Humor is proven to increase audience attention and recall, so long as it’s well utilized.
If your company tends to focus on straightforward, to-the-point messaging, your videos should complement that style. Keeping it simple is not a bad thing!
The Best Candidates for Product Videos
Most sites sell more than one product, with many selling thousands. In these cases, it’s highly impractical (and unnecessary) to make videos for everything you sell. Instead, reserve video for products that need an extra push. Generally, you should focus your efforts on high-consideration, high priced items. This maximizes your ROI and ensures you aren’t spreading yourself too thin.
You may also want to consider creating videos for:
Your Flagship Products – Creating videos for your site’s signature products strengthens your brand identity, and creates a more cohesive brand story. If you don’t have a specific “flagship,” pick several of your best-sellers and start there.
Newly Launched Products – In these videos, it’s key to ensure that your value prop is front and center. This ensures that customers understand what makes this product different than other offerings.
Complicated Products – If your product has a multitude of features, or perhaps fulfills a very specific need, a product video is your best friend. Information presented in the form of video is retained at a significantly higher level that text-based information. Product demonstration is especially important here, since it elucidates the product’s purpose more clearly.
That’s a Wrap
On-site video is powerful, versatile tool for informing customers and increasing conversions. No matter what you sell, a well-made video enhances customer trust and keeps them coming back for more.
Looking for More Ways to Increase Your Conversions?
Check out UpSellit’s 27 Attributes of an Effective Email. This in-depth guide covers the ins-and-outs of crafting the perfect remarketing email. It’s a great resource and it’s totally free! Download it today and start writing awesome emails that convert.
