The Fashion Techie

Ecommerce & Product Videos: Are You Being Left Behind?

December 4th, 2009

The answer? If you haven’t implemented product videos into your online store, it’s time to move into the future. But before you jump head first into creating product videos, make sure the basics have been done to optimize your online store. You should already have an attractive website, you should have implemented seo, you should have great webcopy, and your website should be maximized for functionality and userablity.

So what are product videos? Product videos are videos created for a specific product in your online store and can be viewed from that products page. Let’s say you own a company called Black Stilleto that sells the hottest black shoes from around the country. Each product page on Black Stilleto would have a product video of that shoe. The video can show the shoe on a models foot, have a celebrity shoe expert give a description of the show while holding it, or more. The possibilities for product videos are endless.

Video is a great tool for online retailers. A great example of this is Ice.com. “Ice.com experienced a 40% rise in conversion rates on products highlighted in online videos,” said Ice.com co-founder and president Mayer Gniwisch. Also, according to BizReport, “…by showing its [ice.com] products on models in videos, which puts the size and appearance of jewelry in a better context for viewers, Ice.com reduced the return rate on some products by 24%.”

Ready to get started? Here are some steps to remember:

Be consistent. When creating your product videos keep in mind what your customers want. If you sell fashionable laptop bags, most likely your product videos will show the inside of the bags, how much can fit inside, how it looks on the shoulder with a laptop in side, how long it is, etc. Additionally, each video should stick with that theme.

Be Creative. People love humour and people love beauty. Make sure when you create your videos you remember entertainment plays a large part. Have fun and cast models or actors to create a look that represents your product.

Remember Your Budget. Many times people spend hundreds of thousands marketing their products using videos. You don’t have to spend a fortune. If you want to hire a production company to shoot the videos, maybe you’ll just use YouTube embed features to put them on your website. Or if you want to buy fancier high quality software, you may want to stick to shooting on your own. Do what’s right for you.