Web Marketing Tip: Use Video in Your Online Store

You probably know how important photography is for your online store. For starters, compelling and clear photographs show your customer exactly what they are buying, and can also communicate the lifestyle associated with your brand. It’s a given that you are going to put time and effort into photography when building your ecommerce presence, but have you considered the powerful impact video could have on your sales as well?

Product videos can be a great tool to increase conversions. Customers are actually 64% more likely to purchase a product from an online retailer after watching a video. After seeing this statitstic, I was reminded of how Apple recently added video previews for the apps on their App Store—they know effective this can be! And even though Amazon has been featuring product videos for years now, many online retailers haven’t caught on. This is one area where you may be able to gain an advantage over your competitors.

In addition to increased conversions, here are some other reasons you should consider adding product videos to your online store.

Search engines show a mix of sites, photos, videos, and more in their results. By adding video content to your site, you are giving yourself more chances to rank. Google also favors sites with video , so adding video could boost the ranking of your site as well.

Whether through email, social media, or text message; it’s extremely easy to share video.

Customers want to be well-informed on the true nature of a product before purchasing. Video can quickly and accurately convey information about your product. Boost consumer confidence beyond what is possible with merely images.

Let’s take a look at some product video implementations. Our first example is from Bellroy, a company that specializes in wallets. Bellroy uses their product videos to show the customer how much each wallet can hold. These are really fun and creative, and are what I would consider to be on the high end of what a product video can be.

If the above video is beyond your budget or skill set, don’t worry! Depending on your business, you may not need anything flashy or high budget. Bellroy is trying to sell you not only on their wallet, but on the lifestyle they want you to associate with it. Showcasing a product video that is direct and informative can work just as well.

The above video is a great example of a lower budget product video that is still informative and clear. It walks the customer through a feature set, shows off the product from various angles, and is approachable and thorough.

You can even use the camera on your phone to take a quick video of your product, upload it to your business’s Instagram or Vine account, and then embed it on the product page as well! One benefit of this method is that it is by far the easiest for fans of the product to share.

Above we looked at three different approaches for implementing product videos in your online store. Whether you want to make something polished and fancy, or something quick and approachable, the most important step is to get started. If you would like help putting together a strategy for product videos in your online store, we are always happy to help .

This post is based on an article by Richard Lazazzera — How to Use Video to Increase Conversions and Sales in Your Ecommerce Business