In this article, we will give you tips on how you can use videos as a marketing strategy in order to boost your SEO and increase the conversion rate of your website.
Even though online shopping is experiencing impressive growth, one of the only remaining obstacles that deters people from completing purchases online is the fact that they can’t try out the product in real life. Of course, this doesn’t concern products like train tickets or hotel bookings, but what about clothes, shoes, or furniture? How can you overcome this challenge and convince even the most skeptical prospects to buy on your e-shop and thus increase your conversion rate?
The answer is videos.
5 reasons why videos are your best ally
Videos allow you to dynamically show off your product verbally and visually, simultaneously capturing your audience’s interest and relaying important information about your product. They are also a very efficient way to convince a potential customer that your product is high quality. Taking the smartphone for example, promotional videos are a huge teaser and convince people to buy the product. Why? They can see a demo of the phone’s main features along with its accessories, showing off its performance capabilities and sleek look. Being able to view the product’s qualities and functions in a real life context will reassure your audience that your product is what they’re looking for without feeling the need to see it in person. It also allows potential customers to easily imagine themselves owning and using the product in the future.
As a result, videos that describe your product or tutorials that explain how to use it will consistently improve the CTA rate of your website because they are more engaging than photos and easier to understand than written instructions. Tutorials are specifically quite advantageous as the usability of a product can be otherwise difficult to visualize on an e-shop. L’Oréal uses this technique a lot to attract customers. Furthermore, this is a way to show support for your existing customers, providing ideas and explanations for how to make the most of the product.
In addition to their communicative and engaging nature, videos also increase your product’s visibility as they greatly improve a website’s SEO. Thanks to Google’s universal search, rich content, such as images and videos, is prioritized. When a user types in a search, the video thumbnail appears at the top of the results page, catches the eye, and occupies a much more important place than text. Videos can therefore ensure that people will find your product more easily.
Videos are very popular on any form of media and therefore generating a lot of sharing and reaching more people. Google and YouTube have 58% of the Internet users’ search market and Facebook is the second largest video broadcaster after YouTube. This is another way videos increase your visibility on the web.
Finally, videos allow you to differentiate yourself from other e-merchants who don’t offer videos to their prospects. Using videos, you easily convey your brand’s identity as well as the quality and usability of your product, bringing significant added value to your online store!
How to optimize your videos
Some good practices are required to turn your videos into an effective asset for your site. Here are 6 guidelines to follow:
- To start, define precisely the main audience of your products. This is essential since the whole theme of the video will be based on this.
- Choose a short video, i.e. less than 1 minute or even just a few seconds (the attention span of most internet users is about ten seconds). Moreover, a few seconds is enough to present a simple product.
- Choose the most appropriate video format: storytelling (telling the story of your product), an objective presentation (turning the product around, opening, assembling, disassembling, etc.), a tutorial (explaining how to use it, tips, etc.) or the testimony form Use the best type of format to showcase your product while promoting your brand values.
- From the start of the video, you have to convey emotion and make people dream in order to engage potential customers. So why not add suspense, intrigue or humour? Don’t underestimate the power of a well-told story or idea.
- Think about SEO: the title and description of the video must be optimized and relevant. Do not neglect the tags and additional information that help search engines to index your video.
- Include a clearly visible Call to Action in the video, preferably before the end and also in the description. This is essential if you want the video to lead to an action such as a visit to your website, a sharing, or a purchase. Feel free to include in your video or its description links to other pages of your site to optimize the internal linking.
As you may have understood by now, videos are now an entire part of today’s marketing strategy. Much more intuitive and educational than text, it is the preferred content of users who prefer to watch a video that briefly summarizes everything they need to know rather than read a boring text.
So don’t hesitate any longer and get started! If you want to go even further in conveying the feeling of a real life situation, the concept of augmented or virtual reality is starting to emerge. You could also look at the possibility of 3D simulation for your products, which offers the user the possibility of virtually manipulating the product without having to go to a physical store.
What are some examples of marketing videos that you’ve seen recently? Were they effective and how so? Let us know in the comments! Also, don’t forget to visit the TCLoc blog for more articles!
