The Importance of Video in Ecommerce
When you take a quick glance at the online space, fraught with content demanding the attention of consumers, there is one thing that is abundantly clear.
Video. Video is everywhere and it’s here to stay.
According to data collection platform, Statista, online videos had a global audience reach of 92% with approximately 3.37 billion internet users consuming and watching video content by the end of 2022.
Video may dominate for entertainment purposes, whether it’s Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Netflix, or any other digital platform for that matter. However, video can also play a major role in moving an individual through a sales funnel and converting them from being a shopper to a buyer. In 2021, the News Corp Retail Therapy Study reported that 87% of Australians – a large majority – made a purchase decision influenced by a product video. Video content and in particular product video content is quickly becoming a powerful tool for brands and ecommerce businesses. Here are some good reasons to incorporate video into your brand’s ecommerce site.
Better showcasing of a product for greater conversions and less returns
Whether someone is leisurely perusing and window-shopping online, or actively seeking a particular product out of necessity, we all know that there are better things to be doing than reading paragraph-long product descriptions of how something could and should be used. According to Forbes, 60% of consumers have reported that they would prefer to watch a product video as opposed to reading descriptions. The benefit of incorporating product videos is that it allows brands to quickly and effectively communicate product information to a customer in a visual manner, whilst allowing them to investigate an item from various angles. This eliminates the customer from making any potential assumptions or misjudgements of an item’s features or functionalities. According to statistics, it has been reported that live video can also reduce return rates by approximately 40%, allowing greater profitability for businesses. Through video, digitally-based brands can deliver dynamic shopping experiences to customers just as if they were shopping in a brick and mortar environment and assist them in making an accurate purchase decision.
Video has the potential to build trust with a shopper and alleviates any product related anxieties, thus increasing the likelihood of them making that purchase.
Video on your ecommerce site improves SEO
We know that social media platforms like Instagram favours video for its ability to engage individuals to a greater extent than still imagery. Similarly to social media, search engines such as Google place greater value on video content, therefore boosting the rankings of a website and increasing the visibility on a search engine results page (SERP). Furthermore, according to Moz, incorporating video into an ecommerce site increases the instances of being backlinked by other websites. In simple terms, it increases the visibility and likelihood of a potential customer stumbling upon a brand’s ecommerce site by chance.
Product videos go hand-in-hand with social media
Product videos do not have to be limited to a brand’s ecommerce site and can be just as effective and engaging when shared to a brand’s social channels. For instance, Instagram can often be the first touch-point for a prospective customer and with social media favouring video over static imagery, it is advantageous for a brand to share a product through this medium. Creating and delivering video content that is likely to drive that customer through to a brand’s website is beneficial and can play a major part in the overall success when it comes to brand sales.
Although still imagery will continue to play a major part within ecommerce sites and businesses, it is apparent that engaging video content that connects with a customer, that builds brand and product trust is more important than ever.
This is where Asset Factory comes in. With innovative photography and videography solutions that automates ecommerce content creation, we’re able to capture both videos and stills in an efficient manner without compromising on quality. Equipped with machinery that automates both product, flat lay imagery, and videos, we’re able to meet brands’ consumer demands for engaging yet informative content.
Get in touch with us to chat about your imagery and video content needs, or book in for a tour at our Richmond or Kingsland studio to see what our machines can do for you!