Videos are effective in getting customers to purchase products online. They have been so successful that retail giants have used them to increase sales and conversions on their websites. Major British retailer, Marks and Spencer, features videos on their product pages. A shopper that visits the page of their latest blue cardigan will see a video that shows a lady modeling and wearing that piece of clothing. This aids customer decision-making and ultimately leads to a sale.
Ariat, an American equestrian footwear manufacturer, also has videos on their product pages. A buyer who looks at their boots online will also see how-to videos of how to properly wear and clean boots. These videos are not only useful to Ariat’s prospects and customers, but they also lead to a higher conversion rate for the company, higher than the website’s average. Zappos, an online shoe and clothing shop, also has a similar experience as pages with product videos show an increase in sales ranging from 6% to 30%.
Why are online videos so effective? Videos cater to the visual and auditory needs of customers. They make use of facial expression, body language, imagery and music to connect to customers and bring across brand messages that are easy to understand. In essence, they help customers “experience” a product in a way that pictures and words alone or combined can’t. Studies related to video marketing show that 80% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product after watching its video.
This gives retailers an opportunity to reach out to new and existing customers. While video commercials and advertisements are the norm, other more informative and subtle formats can be used to get the job done. Product videos are great for educating customers about the product. They can paint a picture of how great a product is and convince customers to purchase it. They save customers time and money by helping them decide whether or not to buy a product. How-to videos, on the other hand, give tips and guidelines of how customers can use, fix or clean a product. They are quite helpful and informative and can increase awareness and build brand loyalty. There are also videos that allow customers to buy products directly from the video instead of leading them to a website. These videos definitely add a new dimension to online marketing and selling of products. They are called “shoppable videos” and some of the best examples include Debenhams, Gucci and Ben Sherman.
With the rise of video marketing, it is not surprising that most businesses are using more videos in their marketing campaigns. However, is video marketing here to stay or is it just a popular trend that will eventually fade? A quick look at the articles online about video marketing will show that videos are gaining popularity and are being used by more and more marketers. They are dubbed as “the future of content/online marketing.” With more people watching videos online, more frequently, more companies will want to include video into their marketing strategies.