How Product Videos are Driving Sales for Your eCommerce Business

In a world where information is abundant online, product videos are an appealing way for businesses to guide consumers about their products and ease their buying-decision process.

As Neil Patel states, In business, it’s better to show, not tell.

In a 2021 survey, 44% of people used Instagram to shop weekly. 67% of YouTube viewers watch videos for informational product reviews to help with purchase decisions.

According to a survey (shown below), US online shoppers expect to see six product images and three videos on average when buying a particular product.

Video content can delight your customers, proving to be a gold mine in eCommerce. These videos give your visitors a 360-degree view of the product. They also decrease the possibility of post-sale returns and exchanges.

What is a Product Video? Getting to Know the Basics

A product video is a demonstrative visual tour showcasing the looks and the benefits of the product listed on digital commerce platforms, social media platforms, or any other online space.

The purpose of a product video is to help businesses convey what their products can do. Also, a video eCommerce strategy enables potential customers to understand all aspects of your product virtually without having to visit in person.

Product videos try to humanize the product experience, thus imitating a somewhat physical store experience. It is simply about better engagements that lead to better conversions. When concerned about product videos for eCommerce, there are certain types of videos that you can think of creating.

Types of Product Videos to Consider for Your eCommerce Website

No matter what product video type you choose, the effort should be to create something out-of-the-box. Just let everyone know that you are there to make a difference that counts.

Here are the videos you can try your hand at –

1. How-to-Video

These videos demonstrate the usage guidelines of the product you are selling. This could also be a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) video, where you inspire people to assemble and use the product independently.

When to try

If you are selling a complex product that demands guidance from an expert. Or, these how-to videos even go down well when there are numerous features or benefits of the product in question.

2. The Story Video

Here, you can experiment with creativity by talking about the story behind your product, how it was made, challenges that your team faced, and most importantly, how your product will touch lives, i.e., what is in it for your customers.

When to try

If you have a great story that needs to be heard, a story video could catalyze the reach and the respective sales. The best part is that you can even self-shoot the video without worrying about the financial burden that goes into creating these videos.

3. The Installation Video

These videos are a kind of how-to video that demonstrates how to set up the product before use. The technical part of the installation is an expert’s job, but educating your buyers makes them feel empowered.

When to try

This works well for installations that can be done without external help. If the video can depict the how-to part, try these installation videos. But, again, do not make it too long to bear.

4. The Product’s Performance Video

These videos help build authenticity around your product by telling the audience how people love it. The video demonstrates the after-use experience in the buyer’s everyday life.

When to try

If your product has everyday applicability and can make a difference in one’s life, you can test these performance videos. In short, the video should be able to add smiles to lives.

5. The Testimonial Video

These videos are narratives of potential buyers that narrate their experience with the product. The video speaks about the before and after experiences that make your product look like a knight in shining armor.

When to try

If your product benefits your customers greatly, trying testimonial videos could be a preferable option. After all, these videos talk about real-life experiences with the product that ought to be heard.

Three Factors for Creating Meaningful Product Videos

To create interactive video experiences, the following factors should fall into place:

• Optimal video quality
• A 360-degree view of the product
• Voice-overs along with subtitles

Purpose of Product Videos in Your eCommerce Journey

The product name, images, respective feature set, and rating & reviews constitute a product page. But, the eCommerce product video is taking a larger share of the sales count these days.

In the right words, the importance of product videos can’t be given a miss as they can:

• Increase conversion rates by managing the customer experience of digital buyers
• Increase AOV (average order value) per customer to generate higher revenues for retailers
• Attract new customers by offering helpful content that helps answer their queries

3 Best Examples of eCommerce Product Video Marketing

According to a survey that included 656 unique respondents, 81% of video marketers say video has helped increase the average time their visitors spend on-page.
In the truest sense, a product video is related to the customer journey. Innovative companies are choosing a video to boost the eCommerce shopping experience by turning window shoppers into customers.

Ultimately, the definitive objective is to add value to the customer journey.
Interest → Research → Validation → Decision → Retention
Here are a few examples of companies creating great videos for their e-commerce business.

1. Amazon Live – Setting the Live Trend

In this era where Live is the new digital commerce strategy driving conversions, Amazon has left no stone unturned in taking advantage of this opportunity. The retail giant launched its live platform, Amazon Live, which helps promote products and its features.

How Product Videos are Driving Sales for Your eCommerce Business Tweet This

2. Woo Club – A Shoppable Video Commerce Platform

This is a Net Solutions project based on product videos. WooClub is an integrated video platform that allows brands, individuals, and affiliate marketers to add their product videos to the page while allowing them to earn a commission on every sale made.

The platform introduced a newer way to promote eCommerce-listed products that set a new standard in the era of video eCommerce marketing. When the eCommerce platform was launched, it attracted 1800+ users in the first two months alone.

Read the case study below for in-depth insight.

3. Apple – Introducing Product in an Innovative Way

The multinational technology giant has captured a massive part of the market. In 2021 the company earned a revenue of $378.32bn, an increase over the year’s 2020 revenue of $294.13bn. At least half of the credit goes to their unprecedented marketing strategy.

Apart from the balanced feature set and feature count, their best product videos have been a catalyst in attracting the right audience. Talking of their new launch, iPhone 11 Pro is marketed through a video that takes the experience to a new level, highlights all the phone’s features, and highly influences the buyer’s decision.

Benefits of Product Videos – The Secret to Selling Products like Hotcakes

Content descriptions are too monotonous, and images need to convey adequate information. Videos are the best option to ensure that people clearly understand your product or service and encourage them to make a purchase.

When asked how they’d most like to learn about a product or service, two-thirds of people (66%) said they’d prefer to watch a short video.
— Wyzowl, The State of Video Marketing 2020

Talking from the perspective of your business, here’s how investing in product videos could be your best option.

1. Google Loves Videos

This Dollar Shave Club video went viral overnight. Though the brand created the video to spread brand awareness, it also helped in link-building. How?
This product video for eCommerce set a standard, and every brand kept writing about it, linking to their website, and sharing the video. This, in turn, helped them with the backlinks and thus climbed up the ladder to success, too naturally.

The verdict: Create relatable videos that put a human story behind digital offerings under a magnifying glass. So that even Google can’t resist but rank you on the first page.

2. Video is more Shareable and Clickable

Studies show that people are twice as likely to share video content with friends than any other type of content. Customers love to tap on a video thumbnail, as opposed to something with text content or an image. After all, we humans perceive visual information better than textual data.

To sweeten the deal, when people “share” the best eCommerce product videos, your brand’s reach automatically shoots up because it becomes visible to the followers of the sharers. And, in the end, one thing is evident – more share equals more clicks, which, in turn, is equivalent to more sales made.

3. Videos Turn Watchers into Buyers

According to Wyzowl, 84% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video. This is because they can see the product being used, and that, in turn, gives it a palpable sense. This builds excitement for the product and can even feature your product’s adaptability options, boosting its value.

All your brand needs to do is build a video that showcases a heartwarming story revolving around your product. It is quite likely that a delighted watcher will be your next buyer, who might tell about the experience to his friends.

“If you build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful.”
— Jeff Bezos

4. Video Adds Value & Strikes an Emotional Chord

If a picture = 1,000 words, then a video = 1,000,000 words! Videos can convey information very quickly. Highlighting your product through video will give your customers more information with visuals: how the product looks and benefits them.

The focus should be on making the story so relatable that it strikes an emotional chord with the customers. To start on the right foot, start by researching your audience type because only then can you create a story that revolves around their perception of things. This way, you will be personalizing their user experience, in turn boosting up conversions.

5. Videos Build Trust in eCommerce Sites

Consumers and the company knows that financial investment is required to create product videos. Companies carve out time to build videos to show customers that they believe in their products, ensuring your customers will follow the lead by making a buying decision in your favor.

In short, the best eCommerce product videos build authenticity about the brand and give others the confidence to put their faith in you. So, try to create awareness among the viewers and educate them. Talk about the process of building the product and the safety & security badges it holds, and also try and include testimonials.

How to Create Simple and Effective Product Videos

95% of video marketers say video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service
— Wyzowl, The State of Video Marketing 2020

If you too wish to skyrocket your sales figures, here are relevant product video strategies to consider:

1. Start with a Plan

To begin, you will need to make a plan for creating the best eCommerce videos, and here are a few things to keep in mind:

• How will your product be highlighted?
• List the benefits to customers.
• How can you drive them to make a purchase?

Even if your product is commonly used by the masses, such as a toothbrush, soap, or shampoo, creating a video with emotion, story and style will speak a lot about your product.

The more you target your product video towards your ideal buyers, the higher the return you will get on your video investment.

2. Considering your Budget

46% of first-time video marketers started using video in 2019 because they believe video is becoming more affordable
— Wyzowl, The State of Video Marketing 2020.

Try one product at a time if several products are listed on your eCommerce product page. Significant video editing apps or product video services are available to make your job simpler and affordable.

A custom video for every product might seem like a significant investment. Selling a product online is daunting, as customers can’t touch or see the product or even make queries. So, always start with your top products when creating videos and include everything necessary to keep your customers engaged in helping them through the buying process.

3. Product Video Length

The highest engagement rate for a product video is observed when it gets wrapped in under 60 seconds. But, one can only say a little about the ideal video length as it depends on the particular type of video. Your video should be long enough to convey a clear message to the viewer and short enough to keep it crisp.

The best strategy is to run analytics and heatmaps to see where your visitors lose interest and leave. That tells you what length works for your product and potential customers.

However, there’s an average engagement vs. video length graph to understand how the two parameters are inversely proportional.

4. Create Mobile-Friendly Videos

In the era of smartphones, make sure your mobile app development efforts emphasize creating a mobile-friendly video. Social sites like Facebook and Instagram recommend a square or a vertical video. So, keep the product visible on the screen for viewing, as mobile users find your eCommerce video more accessible than reading a tiny description.

5. Create Direct Response Videos

To create videos per your product; you need to prefer direct-response videos. These direct-response videos are very systematic and can help if your team develops creative concepts that work for a long time.

It gives a commercial touch to your brand and is the most powerful way to sell products online. There are many different direct-response video styles, depending on what is best for your product and the target audience.

6. Add Social Media Shareable Buttons

People are twice as likely to share video content with their friends than any other type of content
— Wyzowl, The State of Video Marketing 2020

Social media shareable content matters more than ever in today’s scenario. Be it LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, make sure your eCommerce product videos can be shared across all the influential platforms.

The social media channel adds a personal touch to videos and creates a real-time feel, thus increasing brand awareness, clicks, and cart numbers.

Tips to Have the Best eCommerce Product Videos That Can Sell

• Provide the appropriate context for your product.
• Remember to show, not just tell.
• Share your story through your business or your customers.
• Keep your video short.
• Consider adding captions to your product video.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is video good for brand awareness?

Unlike other search results, video consistently ranks higher online (62% of Google searches include video). Your website’s exposure will grow due to the addition of video, resulting in more visitors, greater engagement, and greater brand awareness.

2. Why is brand recognition good on social media?

By sharing simple-to-create content ( infographics, quick videos, advertisements, and links) with more in-depth, high-quality content that responds to customer questions or touches on trending issues, small businesses can use social media channels for brand awareness campaigns.

3. How do you make a product video?

Have trouble producing a product video? Apply these 9 suggestions:

• Context rules.
• A show AND a tale.
• Tell your narrative or let your clients do it for you.
• Customize, please.
• Serve your intended audience.
• Don’t encourage FOMO.
• Add a little personality.
• Include a call to action.

4. What are the 5 stages of video production?

• Strategy
• Development
• Pre-production
• Production
• Post-production

Each stage is intended to aid in planning and getting ready for the ones that follow, making the process run as smoothly as possible.