Video was long under-utilized on product pages, but the time of transition is now. The number of ecommerce stores using product videos is sky-rocketing, and keeping up is both a matter of staying competitive, getting ahead rather than falling behind, increasing conversions, and preparing yourself for what developments are bound to come next.
From poor checkout forms to a lack of good shipping options, there are several reasons an online shop may not convert at maximum potential. Uncertainty, however, is one of the biggest.
In one survey of over 30,000 consumers worldwide, 51% said the biggest drawback of shopping online is being unable to touch, feel and try a product.
Video is one of the best ways to reduce the gap between shopping in-store and online—one of the best ways to reduce uncertainty.
In this guide, you will learn:
- 7 benefits of using product videos for ecommerce
- Types of product videos to take advantage of
- The steps to create a high-converting video
- 11 tips to get the most out of your videos
- Where to place videos on product pages
- 14 product video examples to reference
- And more
What Is a Product Video?
A product video is a marketing video that shows off a product’s features, benefits and uses in real life. Product videos are often used on product pages to help convince consumers to buy, but you may promote them elsewhere, depending on the type, to increase product awareness.
Why You Should Have Product Videos on Product Pages
1. To Increase Conversions
Product videos accomplish what photography can’t. They give consumers more information about your product, providing a better understanding of what your product is like in real life.
How does it look, really? How does it function while being used?
Some fabrics move a certain way (the way a dress twirls or leggings stretch). Some items are bigger or smaller than they seem in photos.
Ecommerce’s greatest weakness is the inability to experience a product before purchasing it. Every time users buy, they’re taking a calculated risk. Video offers a level of dimension that reduces that risk.
Just how effective are product videos?
Ecommerce product pages with video convert up to 80% higher than those without. One of the ways video helps sell products is by increasing trust. It’s why 96% of consumers find them helpful, and 73% of adults are more likely to make a purchase after watching a video.
2. To Improve Average Order Value
When you create a strategy for your product page videos, you can increase their effectiveness to improve average order value (AOV). This is because, in addition to the ability to increase sales of each product, you can use your videos to show how different products work together.
Even if two products aren’t reliant on each other, one can be present in the background to increase buyer awareness. For example, a model showing off a sweater product might also wear a pair of branded leggings. Even if the leggings aren’t the focus, the buyer now knows that the store sells them and might be encouraged to look at their pants category.
3. To Build Brand Authenticity
Even the simplest of ecommerce product videos can boost sales, which is why we encourage you to create what you can with your marketing budget and resources.
But if you have the resources—even a few creative minds—we highly suggest adding some personality to your videos.
Any interaction with your audience is a chance to establish brand sentiment and stand out from the crowd. Making product videos that showcase your authenticity can help viewers perceive your brand as genuine and original—two elements that increase trust and (you guessed it) sales.
4. To Rank Higher on Google
Video content can also help with SEO, especially if your competitors have yet to take advantage of the video boom. Google fills results pages with a mixture of media, including blog and video content. In some ways, video is less competitive because it takes more effort to create.
At least, it takes a different kind of expertise than the overly saturated domain of blogging.
5. To Engage Users for Longer
People love video. It captures and holds our attention. For many, it takes less effort to consume than text. Most consumers would rather watch a product demo video summarizing product specs than read them in a description.
Consumers have also come to expect a certain amount of high-quality visual content to stimulate their senses, whether that’s great design, video, web animation or all of the above.
Video engages users and increases the amount of time they spend on your product pages. More time spent means a few things:
- Better brand recall
- Increased likelihood of purchase
- Higher SEO rankings
The last is because Google utilizes time spent on a page as one of the user-friendliness metrics that influences ranking.
6. To Reduce Return Rates
Offering the option to return products and making the returns process simple are two critical components of doing well online.
And as discussed, the most significant barrier in making a purchase is the inability to test it out before buying. Allowing returns gives consumers a safety net that lessens the risk of purchase.
Still, that doesn’t mean you want several buyers returning their products. You still need to make money, and returns can be expensive.
Using product demo videos on your product pages is a great way to help buyers see your product for what it is. The goal is to encourage them to buy, but it might also turn buyers away who notice something they wouldn’t have with photos alone. While turning a buyer off a product may seem counterintuitive, it will lessen return rates and, ultimately, save you money.
7. To Contribute to Other Marketing Strategies
Not every product video is appropriate for use outside of product pages, but you can use some to boost marketing strategies on other channels. For every video you make, think about whether it could add value to an email campaign or make a solid social post. Social media platforms are increasingly video-centric and used to connect with ecommerce consumers.
Types of Product Page Videos
There are many types of ecommerce product videos that you can use to increase conversion rates on product pages. Before you get started, it’s important to consider what kind of video you want to use.
In some instances, you may use more than one type if it makes sense to do so. Some of these videos may also be used on other pages or channels. For instance, a customer testimonial or unboxing video may work on your homepage if you only sell one service or product.
Meanwhile, there are other types of ecommerce videos that you can take advantage of on your website, but the following five are the videos best utilized on your product pages. For example, brands may use a video to share their company story, but this is best kept to the home or about page.
Simple Product Demonstration Videos
A product demo video does exactly what it says: demonstrates your product. They vary in style and length but always include full views and close-ups of the product. The goal of these videos is to show a product’s capabilities and how it looks while in use.
A simple demonstration video tends to run shorter, around 15 to 30 seconds. Though they can include sound, simple versions often rely on on-video text to relay messages instead of voice-overs or individuals. They may even have no sound at all.
Think about ecommerce retail videos where a model showcases clothing by actively modeling the item.
Product Explainer Videos
A product explainer video is a more involved version of a product demo. It may be anywhere from a minute to several minutes long, though it’s usually best to stay under two minutes. The goal of a product explainer video is to explain something about your product in greater detail, like product features, instructions or how-tos.
These videos almost always involve sound, whether it’s someone in the video, a voice-over or text overlay.
You may think that a how-to video would make more sense in the post-purchase part of the sales funnel. While you may want to include it there too, some products do benefit from showing how-tos in advance.
Take, for example, a wrap shirt that can be worn ten ways. It benefits users to see how easy the product is to use. They can picture using it and know in advance that they are capable and have a video as a reference point. Your customer’s success is your success, so it’s always a good idea to improve the usability of your products.
A service like Slack or a subscription like the Dollar Shave Club, though different from traditional ecommerce, also benefit from explainer videos that help consumers understand their product before purchase.
Selection Advice Videos
Less common but still valuable in the proper context are selection advice videos. This is an ecommerce video that helps users decide between varieties of the same product to ensure they order the right one for their needs.
Selection advice takes some pressure off the consumer decision-making process and contributes to fewer returns by ensuring buyers get what they need.
Unboxing Videos
Unboxing videos are an internet phenomenon with immense potential to benefit the ecommerce space.
An unboxing video is a video where someone receives a package, often from an ecommerce store, and records themself opening it step by step. Viewers enjoy watching an aesthetically pleasing unboxing process. These videos allow brands to meet untapped markets by having influencers unbox their products.
There is even a niche of consumers who view unboxing videos as ASMR content.
Of course, your success in this arena is dependent on the quality of your packaging.
We suggest dedicating as much effort as possible to making the unboxing experience a special one for both actual buyers and potential buyers watching unboxing content. It shows that you value your customers, implies product quality, creates an experience to remember and fosters loyalty.
And, per the topic of this post, you can place unboxing videos on your product pages to showcase product quality and set buyer expectations. To do so, create your own unboxing video or take advantage of user-generated content (UGC).
These videos are also great for sharing on social media.
Customer Testimonials
Video reviews can increase buyer trust in your products in the same way written testimonials and reviews can. The difference is that review videos show the customer, which accomplishes a few things:
- Buyers know that a customer has to really like your product to agree to a video review, making a video more impactful.
- Buyers can see the customer’s face and emotion, making a video more impactful.
- Buyers can see the customer at all, increasing trust that the review wasn’t made up.
Similar to unboxing videos, customer review videos can double as social media content and be user-generated.
Start Using Video on Your Product Pages
Making high-quality product videos is an investment. It takes time and money to plan and film—even more if you plan on promoting the video elsewhere.
Still, it’s an investment worth making. Buying online may be common practice, but trusting a new store is always intimidating. Using product videos offers the chance to cross that barrier and win more customers.
But as with all investments, it’s essential to get it right.
