Customers are comfortable shopping online, but they want to see what they’re getting. Even with well-written, detailed descriptions, positive reviews, and plenty of high-quality images, nothing beats seeing the product in a video.

When you have product videos, customers can see what a product looks like from multiple angles, how it works, and how they can use it in real life. In essence, that’s the power of having product videos to support your e-commerce sales – and it’s a huge advantage.

Video in E-Commerce Marketing

Making videos for your e-commerce sales is an investment of time and money, but it can pay off in sales and conversions.

According to Statista, the amount spent on video marketing will reach $191.3 billion in 2024. It’s the fastest-growing type of marketing in digital advertising, and in 2024, video is estimated to make up 82% of internet traffic.

On the viewer end, a study from HubSpot shows that 54% of video consumers are willing to see videos from their favorite brands. In fact, they claim they retain about 95% of the information they consume in videos.

There’s no doubt – whether they’re shopping or just passing the time, internet users are watching videos regularly. But with e-commerce, it’s not just about videos. Product videos are the key to landing more sales.

What Is a Product Video?

A product video shows a product in action, highlighting its key features, functionality, and potential use cases. Moving beyond a static image that may or may not connect with a customer, product videos add real-world context to help customers imagine how the product can benefit them.

In addition, product videos replicate an in-store experience in a way that pictures and descriptions can’t. Customers get a 360-degree view of a product to make an informed purchasing decision.

Benefits of Product Videos for E-Commerce

Here are some benefits of product videos for e-commerce:

Inspire Confidence

There’s no question that e-commerce is booming, but online shoppers may hesitate to buy products they can’t touch or feel. While you can’t replicate this tactile experience online, you can offer a video to show a complete view of your products and build their confidence in making a purchase.

Product videos show instead of telling, allowing customers to imagine the product in their own life and how they can use it. They can see it at scale, understand the features in a demonstration, and see potential use cases.

For example, the EvaDrop Smart Shower is designed to reduce up to 50% of home water usage – but people are serious about their showers. A product video showcasing the benefits of the shower system while addressing the concerns and objections customers may have (low water pressure, lukewarm temperature, or discomfort).

Improve Understanding

Target customers need to understand the products and how they work. If they don’t understand what they can do with them, they’re less likely to buy, especially if the product is expensive.

E-commerce videos can help you explain your products to prospective customers. They effectively communicate the quality and benefits of the product, helping them make their purchase decision. In fact, 96% of marketers say that using videos has improved their customers’ understanding of their product.

Think of a traditional television commercial for a product. They’re not static images—they include demonstrations, customer testimonials, reviews, and more, leading customers to the store and purchase.

One of the best examples of this is Allmax, the alkaline batteries. While batteries may not be the most exciting product on their own, the product videos share the benefits of the battery with engaging animations and snappy text.

Immersive Shopping Experiences

Customers need to be engaged throughout the buyer’s journey. This can be a long process, particularly with business-to-business (B2B) sales, and customers can drop off at any stage of the funnel. Keeping them engaged to convert is just as important as the conversion itself.

With video content—particularly product videos—you can make the experience more interactive and immersive, like an in-person shopping experience. Customers can experience the store and products with a 360-degree view, maximizing engagement.

One of the best examples of an immersive online experience is Apple, and it’s done in part with product videos. By breaking down incredibly complex products and benefits into easily digestible videos in real-world context and examples, customers understand the value of the products and how they can use them in their own lives.

Easily Digestible Content

Human attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. Online users aren’t as likely to read product descriptions, articles, or written reviews as they are to watch a short video that offers a “snackable” alternative to learn about your product.

Something as simple as putting a 250-word product description into a 10-second video can be enough to give customers an idea of the product and what they stand to gain. Adding animations, subtitles, or voiceovers to make the video more accessible to people with disabilities or users in different environments – such as work – can maximize your impact.

Improved Shareability and Repurposing

Videos are more shareable than articles. When people see a video on your product page, they may share it on their social media or with a friend, expanding your reach.

You also have opportunities to share your video content. Product videos done right can be repurposed into many other formats, including GIFs, video ads, reels, and more, getting more mileage out of your investment.

Take Lume, for example. This groundbreaking deodorant brand marketed its products through video ads on the site and social media, gaining fast attention from buyers. The humorous, lighthearted approach, social proof, and hard evidence proved enough to get many buyers to take a plunge and give it a try.

Best Practices for Product Video Success

Creating high-converting e-commerce product videos takes some work, but it can lead to long-term returns. In addition to more conversions, you could drive more traffic to your site and get more shares and exposure.

Know Your Audience

Before you invest in product video production, conduct marketing research to test some concepts. You don’t want to waste your time and energy making videos that miss the market, so it’s crucial to understand who your customers are, their biggest pain points, and how to communicate with them effectively.

Along with leveraging your existing customer data, dive into your customer reviews to see what people like, don’t like, and may not understand fully. All of this information can be used as talking points in your videos. If your brand is young and you don’t have a lot of reviews, reach out to customers and conduct a survey.

Set Your Goals

You have to know what you’re trying to accomplish with your product videos. Is it to increase sales, social shares, or subscribers? Knowing your goals not only informs your approach but also helps you track your performance.

For example, if your customers are a little confused about how your product works, tutorials, demos, or Q&A videos are the best choice. However, if you want more traffic to your product pages, posting customer tutorials or product comparison videos may fit the bill.

Prepare Your Budget

It’s easy to go overboard with product video marketing for e-commerce, especially if you have a lot of ideas for content. However, you have to start with a budget to ensure you’re creating effective videos that can generate a potential return.

Always set your budget before you begin creating videos. This will establish a reasonable amount and limit for how much you can invest in video creation, keeping your ideas realistic and achievable.

Think of Quality First

Your budget will determine how much you can invest in your videos, but be careful where you cut corners. If your main goal is to drive more sales and conversions through your product videos, it’s important to put your resources toward high-quality, polished videos.

Remember, you want to showcase your product first and foremost. Fancy effects can help, but they’re a bonus once you have the main message and look of your video dialed in.

Keep It Short

Remember, internet users have short attention spans when it comes to content. You have to capture their attention in the first few seconds and drive home the key benefits of your product quickly. If you waste time, include too much filler, or use elaborate transitions, you could lose them in the process.

Write a Script

Create a script in advance to keep your video on track and ensure you’re hitting all the main points you want to. You will need a hook to appeal to your audience, an ending with a call-to-action (CTA), and plenty of engaging points in between that support an overarching narrative.

Consider Professional Services

Most smartphones have exceptional video and audio capabilities, but you have to think about whether you want to rely on your own devices for your videos. If you have the resources for a production team, you can get much more bang for your buck.

Blurry videos, bad audio, uneven lighting, poorly handled transitions or graphics, and other small details can make or break your video success. That’s why it may be worth investing in professional video services to ensure your video is right the first time like Dollar Shave Club did to boost its brand.

Edit Your Video

It’s important to edit your video once you’ve finished recording to ensure smooth transitions, reduce background noise, add subtitles or captions, remove awkward moments, and enhance overall quality.

This is another area that may be best left to the professionals. Editing isn’t just piecing together footage—it’s a process that makes your video more engaging and visually pleasing. If you don’t know how to edit yourself, it can be tedious and challenging.

Don’t Forget the CTA

The CTA is a crucial part of your video. You have to clearly and concisely tell viewers what action they need to take. With a product video, that’s likely to tell them to shop, buy, or request more product information.

This may seem simple, but it’s common for buyers to get confused if your video ends without a CTA. It’s not only a succinct wrap-up for your video but an opportunity to direct viewers to where they need to go to start the buying process.

Share Videos on Different Platforms

You’ll invest a lot of time, energy, and money into creating polished videos, so they shouldn’t stay on your product pages.

Consider how you can repurpose your videos for other areas of your website, email campaigns, and social media accounts for more exposure. You can either share them directly or upload the footage as native videos, capturing a wider audience.

Embrace Product Videos for E-Commerce

Video marketing is an essential tool for e-commerce marketers to showcase products and their benefits, capture the audience’s attention, and show buyers real-world value. If you want to steal the show, create e-commerce product videos that inspire confidence in your product and brand.

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