In Part 1 of this video strategy series, I discussed how to get started on narrowing down your choices for types and placements of videos. Remember, when you’re doing a test or pilot program with a finite number of videos, the first tip is to choose one product category. Focusing on a single category increases the likelihood that that site visitors will have the opportunity to view a video, yielding better and broader data for future decision making. In Part 2, I’ll offer some specific advice around choosing the products to shoot videos for.
1) Product complexity
If a product is complex and has many functions and features for the buyer to consider, it is ideal for video. Invodo conducted a test program with a leading office supply retailer. In the test, videos were produced for complex products such as office furniture and technology as well as for common office supplies such as sticky notes and file folders. The test revealed that online shoppers viewed the videos for the complex products at a significantly higher rate. Conversions followed views with those products seeing a higher lift in conversion percentage. Logic would dictate that if the product is familiar and easy to buy, it probably doesn’t need a video.
Another customer, BizChair.com, wanted to give their online shoppers an experience that is as close to a physical interaction with their products as possible. The result? Customers who view video have average cart values that are more than $50 higher than shoppers who don’t watch video.
2) Popularity
One of the keys to getting impact out of your video investment is to increase the likelihood that the videos will be viewed. Internet Retailer reported that online shoppers who viewed videos were 85% more likely to buy. It stands to reason that you would want to do everything you could to get videos in front of your shoppers. One way to do that is to place videos on pages that already get high traffic – your most popular, high-volume sellers.
Also, consider which products will be heavily promoted through marketing and advertising campaigns. An ad, email campaign or home page rotator can drive interest and increased traffic to specific pages. Make it pay off by adding video to those pages.
3) Price and Profit margin
As product price increases, the amount of research done by the consumer also increases. Here you can offer a helping hand early in the research process by providing rich content that educates and engages.
To maximize the ROI of your video plan, include videos for high-margin products. Since video has been shown to increase conversion rates, start with products that already yield the most revenue.
4) Placement
Consider how shoppers will interact with your website and sprinkle videos throughout their natural visit pattern. For instance, many customers will shop an item using the site search feature on your website. Typically this will launch a category page relative to the search term.
Most of the time, these pages consist of thumbnail images with a product name and price. It can be very difficult for shoppers to compare one product to another with such limited information. Enhance shopping at this level by including a visible play call to action on products that have video. Clicking the play button can launch a player overlayed on the category page that will run the video and return to the category page when it is finished. Using this feature, shoppers can comparison shop several products at the category level without ever having to navigate to the product pages. It’s a great way to increase views and to provide your customers with powerful, decision influencing content early in the consideration phase.
Other areas to consider for video placement are landing and promotional pages which will benefit from increased traffic due to advertising. Finally, don’t forget the homepage. Video included in an image rotator for highlighted products will drive increased clicks and set the tone for the shopper that this is a site where video is an important part of the content strategy. The Home Depot is using this strategy on their homepage for products they are featuring during Black Friday. They employed a similar strategy last year and set company records for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Following these tips for product selection can help maximize what you learn and the results you derive from an initial video test program. They also work as you begin to scale the program across your entire website. For more strategy tips, sign up for our monthly eNewsletter. Each edition features video news, industry trends and tips to keep you in the know on everything eCommerce video.
You’re a retailer or manufacturer with thousands of products. You’ve seen the clear results that video has delivered to other brands, so you’ve committed to launching a video program next quarter. You’re likely to start with a handful of videos and track the impact on conversions and customer experience with these before launching more comprehensive coverage.
But wait! How do you choose which products merit video content?
Step 1) Focus on a Single Category
If you have thousands of products and decide to sprinkle video on 50 isolated pages across multiple categories throughout your site, the chances of a visitor finding and viewing one of these videos could be slim.
Especially since the initial video deployment will focus heavily on measuring results, I recommend choosing one category and covering as much as possible within that set. This way, you’ll maximize the likelihood that your visitors will encounter multiple videos while shopping that single category. You can then measure the performance against other categories that don’t have video.
To choose a category, look at places where customers are naturally curious. What categories peak consumer curiosity, and where can you empower them to make better purchase decisions? One option is to choose a category with products that are more complex or require explanation. You may also choose a category that already sells well. The idea, during your initial test, is to get as many views and visits as possible so you can determine whether adding video to the content mix makes a difference.
Step 2) Introduce Video Early in the Shopping Experience
Consider what questions shoppers may have while browsing products within a category. You can reduce confusion and increase sales by creating a video, or series of videos, that will inform customers about how to confidently shop within the category.
For example, suppose you are a company that sells consumer electronics and are highlighting a series of new tablet devices. With many product form factors, functionalities, operating systems, and features available across a category like this, you can be guaranteed that your customers will have lots of questions. A few short videos about these topics, prominently placed at the category page level, will go a long way toward eliminating confusion and building confidence in making the right choice.
By offering category education videos, the seller can help guide shoppers in the appropriate purchase direction. Once the shopper understands the big picture, they are ready to dig into the details of different products and select the one that best fits their needs.
Step 3) Choose the Right Products for Video
The next step in this process is to choose which specific products merit video coverage. There are myriad factors to consider: product complexity, price, popularity, placement, profit margin and more. We’ll discuss the nitty gritty of product selection in Part 2 next week.
Leave a comment to let us know what questions you have!
Trying to add video to your eCommerce mix without a clearly defined strategy is a bit like driving along the narrow, winding and frequently washed out red dirt roads in the Southern Alabama of my youth. Back then, there simply wasn’t enough paved road (or blacktop as we called it) to always get from point A to B. If I wasn’t being held up by a logging truck or a farm tractor, I was navigating old wooden bridges over swift streams that seemed barely wide enough to accommodate foot traffic much less my old 1959 Chevy Apache pickup truck. And, of course, these roads were on no map known to man. Reaching my ultimate destination was seldom a smooth proposition.
A video program, from concept to measuring results, should not be a harrowing journey down an uncharted and unknown path. Instead, plan for success from the outset by engaging in a video strategy session to ensure smooth steering toward increased conversion, enhanced SEO and robust ROI.
Leading auto parts retailer, AutoZone, works with Invodo to create diverse product and how-to videos. Some of the more complex videos produced feature mechanical system trouble-shooting and repair how-tos or installations. Videos such as these require detailed planning and precise execution by Invodo’s production team.
Before video was ever scripted or a single line of player JavaScript was integrated into site code, the AutoZone team and Invodo’s Client Strategy team sat down and dug into every issue that could and would lead to the success or failure of their pilot video program. The comprehensive video strategy session covered all finite details of the video program including:
The result was a clear path of smooth, paved road that led the way to a successful pilot program. The pilot program also yielded measurable data and direct experience which fueled the plans for a full eCommerce video program. Without the Video Strategy Session, none of that would have been possible.
Let me be clear. A real video strategy session is not something you do during a 15 minute meet and greet by the registration booths of whatever trade conference you may be attending. It isn’t a sales pitch disguised in a shiny wrapper.
A real video strategy session and the resulting success plan requires the participation of the extended client and vendor teams during a lengthy and structured discussion. A real video strategy session is preceded by qualifying discovery and is followed by committed adherence to the plan. A real video strategy session is the blacktop that paves the road, the signs that warn of trouble and keep you safe, and the map that keeps you on the path to your ultimate, desired destination. Anything less and you’re likely to find yourself fishtailing along a pothole filled road (or bridge) to nowhere.
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