Use Video To Boost eCommerce Conversion Rates

By Spencer Belkofer on 10 May 2011 @ 1:17 PM.

Tags: conversion rate optimisation, conversion rates, ecommerce, ecommerce conversion rates, ecommerce videos, video conversions.

When someone mentions adding video to your site, you might be thinking that if you're in retail, this doesn't really apply to you. You are probably thinking of video advertisements, but really there are many more applications for video that go beyond mere advertising and instead enhance a visitor's browsing experience.

Research shows that in the past year, retailers have been making more conversions as a result of adding video to their sites. Video use in ecommerce situations is still in developmental stages, so a lot of testing is still required before marketers determine general "best practices".

In 2010, a survey found that 55% of retailers were using video on their ecommerce sites. Just a year later in February 2011, the same survey discovered that number had increased to 75%. Furthermore, while only 68% of retailers thought that video was a useful resource in selling merchandise in 2010, that number has also increased to 75%.

Providing users with the ability to see alternative views and zoom in far more detail imitates shopping situations in the physical world (where users can pick up a product and turn it this way and that, as well as examine it up close in detail). Video can give users a chance to see a product in action. The creators of Ginsu steak knife or the Thigh Master will definitely tell you that giving users a chance to see your device in action may be the conversion point for a sale. A still frame of an active device doesn't really tell users how your device works or how to use it. Color change is a good option for clothing retailers since a user who might not buy something in the default color you picture it in might want it if they see it in another shade. Shop by outfit/shop by solution/view in a room gives some context to the shopping situation and helps users to see how items could fit into their life.

One of the reasons that many retailers are still slow to adopt video is because on the technical side there are some issues, particularly with SEOAn acronym for 'search engine optimisation', the series of processes used to improve your ranking in search engines and drive more web traffic to your website organically.

Learn more about SEO. Many retailers who say they followed the best SEOAn acronym for 'search engine optimisation', the series of processes used to improve your ranking in search engines and drive more web traffic to your website organically.

Learn more about SEO practices they could to the letter say they also had a really hard time consistently ranking high on search results.

Another survey by software provider SundaySky shows us that 46% of the top 50 retailers have no videos posted to Google Videos. 24% have fewer than 10 videos. 12% had 11-100 videos.

If you own an eCommerce site and are looking for a way to boost conversions, video just might be the solution you've been waiting for. Including video integration keeps users more focused on the products your selling and will likely have a significant effect on the average time a user spends on your site. But there's no need to put videos all over your site in one fell swoop. Start on one of the top three selling pages. Take notes during the process to see how you can make it more efficient. If you see it has a positive effect on your conversion rate, apply the same strategy to other pages of your site, one at a time.

NOTE: Retailers have reported repeated difficulty getting video content indexed. but this is by no means insurmountable (or even difficult). First, always submit a video sitemap to the search engines. Second, send links to your pages containing video. When indexed, they can provide you with a quick way to the top of the search results.

About the Author

Spencer Belkofer is a blogger, researcher, and business owner. Lumin, an Alabama web design and internet marketing firm, provides premium marketing services, including infographic design, to Alabama and other Southeastern-based companies.

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