Remember when going shopping was something to get excited about? It seems like ages ago, but there used to a sense of wonder at the prospect of going out to see the newest electronics, home goods, school clothes, toys… we better be careful or we’re going to wind up in a cinematic flashback scene.
These days, though, it’s all dread and drudgery.
There’s the traffic, the battle to find a parking spot, and starting from the moment you close your car door behind you it seems everyone your encounter is in a bad mood.
Once inside the store the selection is limited, and products are all security tagged and tied down to prevent theft. So you end up just looking at a picture on the box anyway, which you could have done from the comfort of your bed online and saved two-plus hours of hassle.
THE MAGIC OF UP-CLOSE EXPERIENCE
Going shopping used to be a great experience. Remember walking into an old RadioShack in the mall in the ‘80s, where electronic toys that seemed to be from the future were all lit up and buzzing and rolling around? The best part was you could jump in there and play with it all. There would be 15 kids huddled together testing out the latest remote control cars and robots.
It was a bonding experience that felt special and added to the wonder of seeking out your next big treat for yourself or someone you love.
That was possible because products were out in the open to see up close and feel. They were tangible, working, and ready to be put through their paces before making informed purchase decisions that ended with handshakes and a “thank you.”
It’s no secret that those days are over.
And while retail stores full of disinterested, uncaring employees are easy to turn away from – no wonder physical retail stores are failing at an ever-faster rate – it’s not like the first decade or so of e-commerce options produced any great advancements in bringing back the wonder and awe of seeing products up close, in all their real-life glory.
There is the obvious convenience, and the miracle of next-day shipping can’t be overstated. But a few poorly composed photographs and some accurate but uninspiring product descriptions aren’t going to do move your customer toward a buying decision.
In a world where e-commerce is everywhere all the time, you’ve got to come as close as possible to recreating the feel and up-close familiarity of seeing a product in person.
VIDEOS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
Radioshack is essentially gone. Toys R Us just turned off all the lights. And it’s tough to think of a retail brand that isn’t drastically closing stores, reorganizing or eyeing bankruptcy.
All that’s because buyers are spending more money online and buying more products than ever before as e-commerce platforms such as Amazon continue to improve the online buying experience. By embracing easy return policies, offering lightning-fast shipping and constantly innovating, the e-commerce world is has become the launch point for most small brands just getting started.
But what we gain with the ability to be available everywhere at once is it’s harder to stand out from countless competitors and attract the proverbial crowd of 15 (or 1,000) excited kids trying their hand at the new hottest offerings. The proven best option for catching a customer’s attention, pulling them in and moving them toward the “BUY NOW” button is by utilizing high-quality product videos that provide that same retail-rich experience that we miss from the good old days.
What we can do is help brands showcase their full line of products in a series of engaging, informative and content-rich e-commerce product videos. They’ll be the difference maker to elevate your brand to the next level as soon as the footage starts rolling.
Giving customers the choice to watch a quick product video can guide them through the features and benefits of their purchase, and shows them how the product can fit into their life.
And most importantly, it gets them excited.
Product pages come to life with a selection of great product videos, so it’s vital to put together a smart product video strategy to showcase your products and bring back the joy of window shopping. Invite customers closer into your brand’s world and let them see how that jacket fits. Show them the inside layer for comfort and warmth.
Let them see how the product moves on the model so they can mentally swap places and feel like the jacket is sliding onto their shoulders. Want to show off the perfect pocket to conveniently stash a pair of headphones? With a great product video it’s a done deal.
CHECK OUT THESE PRODUCT VIDEOS
Check out some of these product videos that we’ve created that we feel helps bring back the retail shopping experience:
Admit it: at least one of those product videos made you think about buying that product. That’s why product videos are proven to turn viewers into buyers.
Platforms like Amazon know the power of eCommerce product videos, which is why Amazon has rolled out the ability for third-party sellers to add custom product videos to each product listing.
That’s because they know that video is a key ingredient in rekindling the magic of old-school shopping excursions. So as holiday shopping season approaches, give your customers the gift of returning to the glory days of that long-lost retail experience.
Talk to us about product videos today!
