Does Online Video boost conversion rate?.....

OK,  we've been saying it for a while, (read through our earlier posts) but if you need more incentive then read this:

Fom an article in The February, 2010 issue Of Internet Retailer magazine:

The sales conversion rate for shoppers who watch video at web-only retailer OnlineShoes.com is 45% more than the site’s average conversion rate, the retailer says.

Behind the numbers is OnlineShoes.com’s ability to provide a differentiated online shopping experience, said Jimmy Healey, OnlineShoes.com product marketing manager.  “We want to give shoppers insight into the fit and feel of the product, show its intended use and give it a touchy feely experience,” he said.  

That means that the videos—whether on a product or category page—are aimed at the online retailer’s customer base. “Our New Balance customer isn’t necessarily the same customer who is buying New Balance shoes at NewBalance.com,” he said. “So we use video to talk to them so that we convey to them that we know who our customer is and what her hang-ups may be.” That may mean helping customers understand how to determine whether they need a wide shoe (19% of the shoes on the site are wide shoes) or how to train for a 5-kilometer race. 

Now in its third year of producing videos, OnlineShoes.com has seen a 359% year-over-year increase in monthly video views, the retailer says.

Given these kind of numbers, it should be no surprise that OnlineShoes.com will be increasing its video production output—from 300 videos a year to nearly 1,200!

So, what's to be taken from this?
Well, we get asked a lot, "Does this stuff really work"?
The answer is YES... IT WORKS, And it works well!
The considerations are that you utilize professional production quality with meaningful content. When stepping into the online video realm, the quality and content of your video is the public face of your company...it says a lot about how you will be perceived. We are not talking Hollywood Blockbuster here but  a point and shoot video camera operated by your savvy teenager just aint gonna cut it either. High quality sound and video is crucial to success. This doesn't mean it has to cost a fortune to produce.  Here at WPI, we are utilizing new production equipment and post production technology that allows us to produce remarkably high quality content at a fraction of what it cost just a few years ago. So, jump in, why just tell them when you can show them!