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Moving online products with moving pictures

May 24, 2013 Written by NetSphere Category: eCommerce
Moving online products with moving pictures
Moving pictures. The phrase harkens back to the 1920s when silent films first debuted. Their release changed the way the world thought about entertainment and to a certain degree, helped the consumer culture to truly emerge.
 
Today, the global consumer culture is changing on a daily basis. And yet again, moving pictures may have a big impact. In addition to the zoom-in product features available on many online retail sites, short videos are being implemented to give consumers a better idea as to what to expect from potential purchases. These moving pictures allow a shopper to see, for example, how a dress moves when a woman is wearing it. They also serve as visual showcase for a product’s bells and whistles.
 
And speaking of visuals, it’s helpful to see examples of this new type of product view. ShopBob.com, an online clothing retailer, uses video in addition to still images to show off their garments. Their short videos are done quite well and are worth a quick visit at the link here.
 
In addition to giving your customers an enhanced shopping experience, adding videos to a site can also optimize your SEO efforts. According to eConsultancy.com, video serves as an effective method for increasing conversion rates as seen by the following online retailers:
  • Using video demos of items on product pages increased sales for Zappos by between 6% and 30%.
  • On Ice.com, the conversion rate for shoppers viewing video on product pages increased by 400%, while return rates dropped from 12% to 9%.
  • Shoeline.com improved the conversion rate by 44% for product pages containing videos.

Although some etailers may shy at the idea of producing videos, the results of adding them can be a compelling motivator to give it a try. eConsultancy.com explained that videos garner more attention than their 360-degree-view counterparts – up to a 25 percent increase in conversion rates and “far fewer returns.”

The phenomenon of fewer returns finds its basis in the fact that, “along with all the other information on the products pages, these videos answer all the questions which customers may have about products, bringing it closer to the in-store experience,” reports eConsultancy.com.

The user’s experience is perhaps the most essential element behind the success of a website. And product videos are just one method to inspire the visitors to your site to not only return but to become repeat buyers. To learn more about how to embed videos and enhanced UX design into your online store, give NetSphere Strategies a call. We’d be happy to help.

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Abbe Miller is the marketing manager at NetSphere Strategies, located just outside Chicago. NetSphere Strategies is a boutique eCommerce company positioned to help businesses transform their online presence by providing a full complement of services that starts with our strategic consulting and creative design teams, then continues with building innovative solutions and providing ongoing post-project support.