Creating Value: How to Use Videos to Market Your eCommerce Site

April 15, 2014

For ecommerce businesses, video marketing is a powerful tool that increases interest and brand-customer engagement. Nearly 75% of customers are more likely to buy a product after watching a video, so branded videos for ecommerce sites have never been more important. Because video increases confidence in your brand and illustrates product value, it is ideal […]

For ecommerce businesses, video marketing is a powerful tool that increases interest and brand-customer engagement. Nearly 75% of customers are more likely to buy a product after watching a video, so branded videos for ecommerce sites have never been more important. Because video increases confidence in your brand and illustrates product value, it is ideal for customers at the beginning of your sales funnel. Virtually any ecommerce business can benefit significantly from adding these four video categories to their content strategy:

Product Demonstrations

From jewelry and appliances to gadgets and tools, online product demonstration videos are the perfect opportunity to communicate product value. Product demo videos usually highlight form or function. With jewelry, a product demonstration might concentrate on quality and design, while a video for a vacuum cleaner will showcase the effectiveness of the machine. Use a product demonstration video as a short case study that outlines the initial problem, the solution, and results consumers can expect after using your product.

Customer Testimonials

Instead of just talking about your brand, enlist the help of brand ambassadors to provide a testimonial. More than just quotes posted on your site, testimonial video truly captures the personality and authenticity of a satisfied customer. Watching a short customer testimonial helps viewers determine the value of your product while increasing confidence in your brand. In this type of video, the emphasis should be on usefulness. Plan questions to ask ahead of time so the real value of your brand becomes clear to viewers.

How-To Videos

Whether you’re providing helpful tips or creating a video series to complement a product line, developing an informational video can help you educate and inform customers, respond to common inquiries, and provide thought leadership. According to recent statistics, informational videos are watched by nearly 70% of online customers, making them the most popular type of video content available today. Almost 100% of online viewers use videos to make purchase decisions. For brands, this means helpful video content can become the primary factor behind completing a sale.

Entertainment

Regardless of your industry, don’t be afraid to create a video or two purely for entertainment. Studies show over 60% of viewers prefer watching humorous content online. Whether you’re creating new videos or curating videos, adding personality or humor to visual content is a great way to communicate your brand’s human qualities. Customers tend to feel more connected and engaged with a business when they can relate to it on a human level. Once that connection is made with the customer, all a business needs to do is stay consistent.

Final Thoughts

When creating video content for an e-commerce business, it’s important to understand that customers are relying more on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets to shop for products or services. Many companies are struggling to keep up with the demand for video content. For brands, this means websites and video optimized for mobile consumption is a necessity. If superior video quality is lacking on a mobile device, customers will quickly lose interest.

Do you have creative video marketing ideas for e-commerce sites?