How to Use Videos to Increase Conversions and Sales in Your eCommerce Business
It’s 2021 and videos are everywhere. Be it Instagram, Facebook, or any other platform, videos are stealing the show. And, when it comes to selling your products online, it’s no exception. No amount of high-quality product images, compelling product descriptions, or even amazing product reviews compare to the impact that an engaging video has on the audience.
Hence, in this blog post, we will talk about the different kinds of videos that you can create for your business to increase conversions. We will also talk about the top 5 video marketing tips to increase sales.
Types of videos that will act as a catalyst in increasing conversions
It would be fair to assume that as an eCommerce business, the probability of you offering a range of products is high. Each of these products can be marketed differently with various videos, based on the likes and needs of your existing and potential customer base.
The different kinds of videos that you must have are:
Product demo videos
These videos are by far one of the most awaited and recognizable marketing videos in the eCommerce business. These videos show the features and the working of the product generally, in less than 2 minutes. Nowadays, with advanced technology and videography, product videos can make the viewers feel as if they are experiencing the product in person.
Some key points to remember while creating a product demo video would be:
Choose the right tool
To create a demo video, you will need a high-end recording tool. Recording software that offers you the option to record your screen and webcam both, individually or simultaneously will be your best bet to create a demo video.
Start with a brief description
Introduce the product, but keep it crisp and concise, since the audience is already interested (they clicked on the video, right?)
Address the problem
While it could be tempting to straight away jump into the features of the product, it would be more impactful to first define the problem you are solving and then offer your product as a solution.
Show the product in action
Show a high-level overview of the working of the product. Remember these should be short videos (2 minutes at the max), the detailed working of the product can be shown in a tutorial video.
Add a clear call-to-action
After watching the video, the viewers must know what to do next. Some examples of calls-to-action (CTAs) are: download a trial, request more information, buy now, etc. Here’s how you can add CTAs to your videos.
Product tutorial videos
While the product demo videos portray an overview of the features and benefits of the product, a product tutorial video dives deep into the nitty-gritty of how a potential customer can use the product by spelling out step-by-step instructions.
This type of video primarily caters to skeptical potential customers, who want to be 100% sure before investing money in a product. Offering tutorial videos to them is the most popular way to convince them to take the final step to buy the product.
Another major reason to create tutorial videos is that you would want to ensure that your customers understand how to use your product and its features, not just the right way but to its full capacity. If your customers do not know how to use your product the right way, or to its full potential, the probability of them being your customers for long is extremely low.
Some key points to keep in mind while creating a product tutorial video would be:
Know your customer
You must have a buyer persona in place before beginning to create tutorial videos. Once you do, then you need to create a video to explain the product features and usage to this avatar.
Spell out the simplest detail
You might have built a brand where people are familiar with your products (previous versions), however, you must always cater to first-time users. Hence, always explain even the simplest detail of your product in your video.
Make it creative
While product tutorial videos don’t have to be very peppy, they need not be a drag either. Always try and look for fun, creative and engaging ways to represent a product in front of your potential customers.
A popular study by YouTube indicated that customers are 3 times more likely to view a product’s tutorial video versus reading the instructions. The numbers speak for themselves, right?
Testimonial videos
When a brand tells you about the benefits of their product versus when an existing customer of the product vouches for its benefits, who are you more likely to believe? The customer, right? You are not alone, as per a study by Wyzowl, 95% of people agreed that testimonials play a major role in their buying decision.
Hence, it seems only wise to create this kind of video for your eCommerce business, since social proof is not just powerful and authentic but also gives the potential customers the much-needed nudge to buy the product.
Some key points to focus on while creating a testimonial video would be:
Traditional is boring!
The traditional set-up of a customer sitting across a table in a large room and answering questions/appreciating the product is overdone. Look for more creative ways to have your existing customers talk about your product. Change the set-up, use more engaging visuals, add a touch of humor – let your creative juices flow!
Prepare but don’t memorize
Give your existing customers some key points (could be major features and benefits of using the product) to elaborate upon. However, don’t give them a script to rattle out, that would not look believable on camera. Let your customers be original and candid on camera – you will be pleasantly surprised by the results!
Use emotions
Emotion is a powerful sentiment and should be used in testimonial videos. Ensure that all the testimonials in the videos are emanating one broad emotion. For example, ‘relief’, all testimonials could be wired in a way that shows the relief your product brought to them, because of your product.
The video should reflect the personality of your brand
Every aspect of your testimonial video, from the visuals, the people in the frame, the way they speak, to what they say, all of this should reflect the personality of a brand. The aim is to create a video that radiates every aspect that your brand stands for.
Comparison videos
Customers who are skeptical about investing money in a certain product, most often are overwhelmed by the liberty to choose from a range of options. This not just delays the process of the customer making the final purchase, but at times also risks the customer’s interest in actually buying the product.
As an eCommerce business, the responsibility to ensure that your potential customers always see you as the best option among all your competitors rests on your shoulders. Hence, creating a comparison video will serve you in good stead.
Some key points that you must keep in mind while creating a comparison video would be:
Always take the high road
While comparing the benefits and features of your products with your competitor’s products, never mock the competitors or their products. You must take every opportunity to ensure that your customers look at you as a knowledge source with a neutral voice. It is only then that, when you vouch for a product, they will trust you blindly.
Showcase visual comparisons
The best way to show the most amazing parts of a product is by showcasing visual examples. While comparing the pros and cons of a product, visual examples will ensure that you emphasize your point and get it across to the customers.
Make it interesting
This is self-explanatory and applies to videos of all kinds. For example, a basic comparison video can be boring, however, if you show the comparison of the product’s features in action, that would be more appealing than just listing out features.
Clear call-to-action
Once you have listed out a comparison, ensure that your customers know what to do next. Direct them to take an action towards a purchase of your product.
While the list of the kind of videos can go on and on, these are some crucial kinds of videos that every eCommerce business must create to increase conversions and sales.
Top 5 Video Marketing Tips to Increase Sales
Know who you are marketing to
Before you dive deep into creating videos, spend time creating a buyer persona – it always helps. Make sure you are clear on what your potential customer needs, desires, and struggles with. It would also be worth the effort to talk to existing customers to get feedback on how to improve the product. This will give you great insights.
Set clear goals and KPIs
Before you begin marketing your eCommerce product, you must set clear goals and targets. Each of these targets should be attached with certain achievable KPIs (key performance indicators). These will help you maintain focus and not deviate from your goals.
Set a budget
You must know how much you can spend during the entire process to ensure that you don’t go overboard by the end of the process. There are various tools available to help you create and share videos even if you are on a low budget.
Include clear calls-to-action (CTAs)
Every marketing effort of yours should end with directing your customers towards clear calls-to-action (CTAs). These ensure that your users are not left in the dark after watching your video.
Create a distribution strategy
A great video, with no clear distribution strategy, is as good as not even having a video to market. Spend time brainstorming on creating a strategy to ensure that the maximum number of people view your video. Greater the number of views, the greater the probability of a sale!
Are you ready?
We hope this blog gives you a fair idea of how to use videos to increase conversions and sales of your eCommerce business. Always remember that the potential of videos is only limited by your creativity!
About the Author: An avid marketer, Suchita has been helping B2B brands with content marketing for over three years. She loves penning down complex concepts in a way that doesn’t make readers scratch their heads.
