Here’s what’s been in my Feedly this week at Invodo. There’s a lot going on in the industry, as always. Consumer packaged goods are gaining ground online, Google’s announced the open-sourcing of VP8 and the WebM project, smart folks debate on whether cord-cutting is hype or reality, and much more. These links should take us through the holiday weekend. If you’ve got links you’re reading right now, let us know in the comments.
eCommerce
eMarketer – CPG Gathers Steam Online. Did you know that eCommerce revenues in CPG have tripled since 2004? This article is great food for thought about how eCommerce can evolve in CPG. Great information that makes one wonder if there are any industries where eCommerce can’t drive the bottom line.
FutureNow: Secondary Calls to Action: Unsung Heroes of Persuasion. That second action – view video, learn more or view product details – has a big conversion impact. To optimize you need to consider how the primary and secondary calls to action work together. There’s information here you can act on immediately – highly recommended.
Video
Website Magazine – Getting Your Video in Google News. Optimizing for pickup in video search is helpful, but news offers yet another chance to boost traffic with some very simple optimization.
Reel Social Media – Video Production, Content Marketing and SEO Must Reads. I know, I’m posting a roundup within a roundup, but Talmadge and Weston always tip me off to great content. If you don’t subscribe to their blog, you should.
Streaming Media - Google Open Sources VP8. The open-sourcing of VP8 via the WebM project is potentially an industry game-changer. Read the Streaming Media post, then check out what Larry Kless and Wes have to say for insight on how it might impact the streaming media world.
New Media Minute – Cord Cutting Begins, Connected TV’s in Vogue. This article explains why it was no big deal when the two-year-old unplugged our DVR and we missed recording an episode of ‘24′ this season. How far will the cord-cutting movement go? Is it the inevitable future, as Daisy suggests? Or is it hype, as Dan Rayburn believes?
Online Video.net – About OnlineVideo.net. Here’s a welcome new voice in the world of online video, from our friends at Streaming Media. Check out their mission in the video interview.
I hope these are useful links for you. What are you reading? Let us know in the comments.
Do you want to sell more online?
Do you want to increase traffic to your site?
Do you want to reduce returns?
Do you want to elevate your conversion strategy?
If you said no to any of the above questions…..I would just go back to watching videos on YouTube.
If Yes, stop by booth #815 at IRCE 2010 to learn how to do all of the above and more through the power of Invodo eCommerce Video. As your complete eCommerce video solution, Invodo has every component online retailers and brands need to sell more online. From our scalable video production services to our eCommerce focused platform and player to our social distribution network, Invodo distributes conversion-driven video to consumers at all points of purchase and consideration.
Stop by and start up a conversation and take a shot with Justin Crandall, Jeff Roussell, Kayln Blacklock, or myself, Melissa Reiss. By the way, you have to stop by to see what we are shooting…. it’ll be a kick.
Look forward to seeing you there!
Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition
June 8-11, 2010
McCormick Place West
Chicago, IL
In 2007, Apple and Google partnered to change the game for online video forever. On June 20, 2007, Google and Apple announced that YouTube content, newly re-encoded in the H.264 format, could be viewed on the iPhone. This watershed moment led to a drive towards H.264 as a key standard used for online video.
Fast forward almost exactly 3 years, and Google has done something to change the online video world as much, if not more. Today, Google announced the creation of the WebM project. Using technologies obtained with their acquisition of On2 Technologies, Google has open-sourced the VP8 video codec. This is huge news.
What does this mean for the typical consumer? Not much – yet. Today, most Flash video content is encoded using H.264, or other video formats supported by Adobe, who has agreed to support WebM in a future release of Flash. For native viewing of video in the browser without flash using HTML5, there has been a bit of a conflict between browsers. Some browsers have supported H.264 (which costs money to license and redistribute, and threatens to bring greater cost down the road for content distributors), others have supported Ogg Theora, an open-source video format. Until today, Microsoft has said they will support H.264 (which they surely still will), but they also announced today that they will support WebM. Until today, browser authors had to choose between a rock and a hard place – H.264 which brought licensing costs, and Ogg Theora which brought the potential of licensing/patent concerns.
The announcement of WebM by Google creates a huge opportunity for convergence upon a free, open-sourced, non-IP-constrained, video format that can and looks like possibly will, be adopted by most of the major web browsers and mobile platforms.
This is a huge announcement, and we at Invodo look forward to supporting the WebM standard, and providing technology and content to our customers that will work even more broadly and on even more devices.
Five years ago, a world raised on thirty-minute television shows and ninety-minute movies found itself watching a 19-second clip called “Me at the zoo” as YouTube launched in beta. And the world hasn’t been the same.
For consumers, short-form content is becoming the norm. That’s great news for online retailers as that market acceptance allows video to be effectively used for eCommerce. And smart online retailers are extending their marketing reach with optimized videos for YouTube without diluting the SEO benefit of unique video content on their site. All of which is great for both retailers and consumers. So happy birthday YouTube!
If you frequent this blog, you’re probably aware that I’m a true believer in eCommerce video. Some of that’s a personality trait, as I’ve become an evangelist for every business I’ve ever been a part of. There’s plenty of evidence that eCommerce video drives conversion and results, so it’s easy to get excited about being on the cutting edge of something that’s changing the way business is done. And once they experience the impact, customers become evangelists too.
So…are there online retailers that shouldn’t use eCommerce video? Sure thing. Sometimes it’s the type of business, in other cases it’s the stage the business is in. Here are five great reasons to not use eCommerce video:
What have I missed? What are other great reasons to NOT use eCommerce video?
Leading Multichannel Outdoor Retailer to Convert Online Customers with Product Video
May 11, 2010
AUSTIN, Texas – Invodo®, the only full-service eCommerce video partner for online retailers, announced today that Moosejaw Mountaineering, the outdoor gear and apparel retailer known for its offbeat online marketing, will partner with Invodo to create, implement and deliver online product video on the Moosejaw retail site.
“Moosejaw chose Invodo because they simply offered the most complete solution that met our needs. Not only do they have a leading-edge, customizable player with SEO benefits, but they also have very cost-effective, high-end video production capabilities,” Said Eoin Comerford, VP of Marketing at Moosejaw. “Also, Invodo has made a concerted commitment to the outdoor industry. Many of our suppliers are already part of their network, making implementation that much easier.”
Invodo, a full service eCommerce video solution provider, creates high-quality content at scale and develops leading technology to implement and deliver online product video on retail sites and other points of consumer influence. Moosejaw will work with Invodo to create unique video content for its top products on the site and optimize the videos for additional syndication through social media on sites like YouTube and Facebook.
“Moosejaw, often noted as a fun online place to shop, is well known for its premium products, great service and innovative marketing strategies. Adding video will increase sales conversions and decrease the potential for product returns,” said Craig Wax, CEO of Invodo. “We expect impressive results from the combination of the Moosejaw team’s forward thinking and our retail and eCommerce video expertise.”
Invodo recently launched the latest version of its eCommerce video player, InPlayer, which Moosejaw will be implementing as part of the video initiative. The InPlayer is the lightest player in the industry. Faster page loads will keep customers from straying away from the site and, according to Google’s latest ranking considerations, will protect Moosejaw’s SEO benefits.
“We are looking forward to adding Invodo video to Moosejaw.com to help our customers make purchase decisions and to keep Moosejaw at the forefront of online commerce,” added Comerford.
About Invodo
Invodo helps online retailers sell more through the power of video. A full-service eCommerce video solution, Invodo creates high-quality product video at scale and develops retail-focused technology to influence consumers where it matters most. Invodo videos increase sales conversion rates, reduce returns and drive site traffic for customers, including Internet 500 retailers and major brands.
About Moosejaw Mountaineering
Moosejaw is a leading multi-channel retailer of premium quality outdoor adventure apparel and gear. Moosejaw currently serves its customers through seven retail stores in Michigan and Illinois, through Moosejaw.com, and through mail order catalogs. Moosejaw offers products under its own Moosejaw brand, as well as leading outdoor manufacturers including The North Face, Arc’teryx, Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, and Black Diamond. Visit www.moosejaw.com for more information.
Contact:
Jen Cadmus
jcadmus
invodo
com
512-934-8350
Here’s a quick Friday roundup of this week’s most interesting posts on video and eCommerce. This week we’ve got information on testing, measurement and social shopping as well as a few different takes on Flash. Also, a Webby award for the Muppets doing “Bohemian Rhapsody”.
eCommerce
Is the Click Still King? Despite industry focus on measuring ROI, the top online metric is still CTR. See how the metrics stack up
Boosting Conversion with More Engaging Ads. “Dwelling” is the user behavior of staying on a page longer and engaging with rich content – such as video. A 15% increase in dwell rate can increase conversion up t0 45%
Online Retailers Socialize Shopping. More top retailers focus on Facebook presence than on customer reviews. What are your Facebook plans? (And do they include video?)
Internet Retailer: Neflix Leads the Pack in Customer Satisfaction. Forsee Results study rates the top 100 online retailers for customer satisfaction. Read Internet Retailer’s summary at the link or download the full study with a bunch of great data.
Futurenow: Lessons from a Messy Test. Want to avoid wasting time with tests that leave you with inconclusive or conflicting results? Then you have to read this.
Practical eCommerce: Poorly Described Item Disappoints. He thought he was buying a standard copy of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”, and instead bought…this. Words fail me. Just like words sometimes fail to adequately describe an item for sale. I can’t help noticing that a product video would have avoided the minor debacle Jeff experienced here.
Flash, HTML5 and Beyond
Mashable: You Can Cook an Egg When Flash is Running. Of all the current soul-searching over Flash vs HTML5, this statement from Opera is my favorite title. Although I don’t think you can actually cook an egg. If you try it, let me know the results. Over easy.
Practical eCommerce: What is HMTL5? A thorough and non-biased overview to counteract some of the hype of the past couple of weeks. Acknowledges that the <video> element may be a major game-changer without leaping on the “Flash is dead” bandwagon.
NewTeeVee: Microsoft on VP8 for HTML5: Never Say Never. Microsoft makes it clear that it has no plans to abandon Flash anytime soon…but will also be happy to play with whatever other standards emerge.
Fun Stuff
Online Video Watch: Webby Award for Viral Video Goes to the Muppets. Doing “Bohemian Rhapsody”, of course. If you haven’t seen this already, check it out.
In case you missed our most recent Webinar, it’s now available on-demand here. There’s some great information on all that goes into creating eCommerce video and optimizing it for conversion. Practical eCommerce editor Armando Roggio and Invodo’s Director of Production Joel Harvey covered information ranging from setting the right goals and tone to creating and executing a detailed plan of attack. Attendance set a new record for Invodo and the audience had great questions on optimizing for social distribution and SEO as well as conversion.
But most importantly, Joel and Armando covered the Invodo secret of “show me the thingy.” Don’t know what that means? Check out the archived Webinar here.
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