In the dynamic landscape of online shopping, there’s no shortage of buzzworthy trends and innovations. Among the latest and most captivating phenomena, video shopping has been making quite the impact.
In a world where terms like “live stream shopping,” “interactive e-commerce”,“video commerce” , “digital retail experiences”, “live video shopping” and “shoppable videos” are all too often flippantly thrown around with little explanation, a fundamental question remains: What, precisely, is video shopping?
Read on to delve into the essence of video shopping, get insight into the best practices that have yielded remarkable results, and uncover why it’s changing the game for brands.
Online shopping with a twist
Imagine providing consumers with their own personal shopping assistant, a knowledgeable guide who knows the ins and outs of the brand, but there’s a twist. Customers don’t need to be physically navigating the aisles of a traditional brick-and-mortar shop; rather, they can be comfortably seated in their home, while their trusted digital companion takes the reins.
This video shopping experience introduces consumers to a world of e-commerce that transcends the conventional, transforming the way they interact with your products, your brand, and your team of experts online. It’s like having a personal shopper at their beck and call, providing real-time insights, product recommendations, and a friendly chat – all while they’re relaxing at home.
Video shopping can take the form of a 1:1 video demonstration, where a dedicated product expert provides tailored guidance to an individual customer, addressing their unique preferences and needs. Alternatively, it can involve live streams or broadcasts, connecting with a larger audience in real-time, leveraging the power of DTC or social media platforms to create interactive and engaging video shopping events.
How to make video shopping work for your brand?
We have developed a unique formula that’s helping brands boost online sales, identifying and distilling best practices into a clear set of guidelines that could work wonders for your brand.
A personal touch
Our first recommendation is to adopt a strategy centred on creating authentic human connections, which begins with the careful selection and training of product experts.
Handpick individuals who not only possess in-depth knowledge but also interpersonal skills to guide your customers through their online shopping journey. These experts will play a pivotal role in providing personalised assistance, answering questions, and offering tailored recommendations to ensure that your customers make well-informed purchasing decisions.
By putting the focus on building meaningful relationships with your customers, you can transform their online shopping experience into a more engaging and customer-centric endeavour, ultimately leading to increased sales and customer loyalty.
The technology
The importance of a virtual retail tool that facilitates seamless video and voice chat is pivotal. Think of the seamless integration of such a tool as the backstage crew of a theatre performance, working flawlessly behind the scenes, unseen yet undeniably essential. This integration allows the video shopping experience to harmoniously meld with your existing e-commerce solutions, ensuring that customers encounter high-quality video and audio with minimal latency. In a world where a single buffering hiccup can turn a delightful shopping spree into a frustrating ordeal, the absence of such issues is a game-changer.
Creating a unique branded space
Personalisation is key, and that extends to the spaces from which you showcase your brand. We recommend creating a studio that seamlessly aligns with your brand’s identity and values. The idea is to create a backdrop that feels as if it was tailor-made to reflect the brand personality, whether it be a shop floor, showroom or back office.
In this way, your studio becomes an extension of your brand, evoking a sense of familiarity and trust among customers, and this connection fosters lasting relationships and solidifies brand loyalty. This strategic step is instrumental in elevating the online shopping experiences, creating an environment for education, sales and content creation.
The results
If you’re looking for real-world results to back these methods up, don’t worry — we have them. In our work, we have found that 81% of customers now prioritise informed decisions, conducting research before venturing into physical stores. In addition to this, more than half of UK consumers favour retail brands providing personalised video chat demos for advice and product selection over those that don’t.
We have also seen that e-commerce conversion rates have skyrocketed an astonishing 21-fold for some of the brands we work with. What’s more, shoppers are more eager to invest than ever, as evidenced by a remarkable 70% increase in spending through video shopping experiences. This virtual format not only attracts new customers but also fosters brand loyalty, with one in four customers returning following their video shopping experience.
Final thoughts
Video shopping is more than selling stuff. It’s about building relationships with your customers, injecting fun and personality into their shopping experiences, and ensuring they’re thrilled with their purchases.
If you want to learn more about creating a tailored video shopping strategy for your brand, speak to our team today.
