On-site product videos are clearly making a significant impact in increasing the overall customer experience across all ecommerce channels. Likewise, product videos are an integral component in generating more sales and boosting conversion rates. Incorporating an effective product video needs careful implementation on testing specific core elements aimed at yielding an optimal performance and increasing the bottom line.
Here are our top 5 product video conversion optimization improvement tips, including some test cases, that can make your video perform effectively.
Knowing your Market & What Works
The first critical step in launching a video marketing campaign is to identify specific strategies that are already working in the industry. To date, according to a recent study by ComScore, nearly 87% of Americans watched over 50 billion (with a b) videos online. This astounding metric of video consumption begs to question what did all these Americans watch, and why? What content caused these Americans to spend a certain amount of time on a specific video? Was the video so intriguing and did the viewers actually watch until the end? And perhaps, most importantly, what efforts could be made to enhance the viewer experience? Understanding the behaviors of the target audience is fundamental to gaining a thorough understanding BEFORE considering the production of new video material or modifying existing content.
Target Identified, What’s Next with the Videos
Once the extensive market research is complete a clear pattern of the most effective tactics should emerge. These identifiable variables serve as the basis for maximizing the number of lead conversions. While the list of variables can be extensive, these top 5 tests are the most essential in improving a company’s product or service video. Initial Impressions Will Make a Difference There’s no question that first (and second) impressions can make a significant impact. Securing a customer from the initial moment is possible, it involves capturing viewers with awesome content. According to a recent study from the University of Glasgow’s Voice Neurocognition Lab, making a solid first impression can be made within half a second- just from the sound of our voice! Clearly, with video we need to gain a thorough understanding why viewers not only visited the site but what methods will cause them to return a second, and even a third time. What if a lead doesn’t convert on the initial visit, does that mean the entire video needs to be scrapped or redone? Could it be that the product video and the product itself requires more than one impression to convert? Maybe the video itself isn’t the problem, but the Call to Action needs to be clarified to account for the repeat visits necessary to convert a lead. All these factors should be taken into account when optimizing video content. A great example of making a first impression and how a small change can make a significant impact is NetQuote. Servicing over 25 million customers, to date, allows them to proudly reign as the most trusted lead generation company for online insurance. While their success is clear, the company was battling low conversion rates on the landing pages, their primary source of qualified leads. After trying various solutions to improve the calls-to action, NetQuote reinvisioned the initial relationship from the moment the user reaches the landing page. The company identified a core challenge of being unable to succinctly explain the value and differentiators of the company in comparison to their competitors. Embarkingon editing and recreating the entire landing page campaign would involve significant time, energy and resources. Instead, NetQuote changed the initial ‘meeting’ between the company and the user. By adding an animation that welcomed and guided the user from the outset, the company saw a 13% increase in conversions the very next day.
Triggers, CTA’s, Interest & Follow Through
We’ve all heard of CTA’s but what’s the difference between that and a trigger? According to Robin Good of Master New Media, triggers and CTA’s are indeed very similar. According to his definition, a trigger, is anything that indicates to a viewer that a video is there and encourages them to invest the time to watch it and learn more about the product. Essentially, what’s at question is the actual placement of the trigger, its look and what action is being asked of the viewer. Sample Trigger questions include:
Does the video play upon opening the site?
Is the video’s play button obvious and does it encourage a user to actually click and play the video? Is the play button effective in its prompt?
Where is the video? Is it above the fold? What side of the screen is most effective?
Including a simple play button (visual trigger), is a simple method that will almost always yield a higher response, in comparison to a text-based CTA. In a recent post on the Vodio blog, changing a set of words (“Watch this”) to a visual CTA, resulted in a 500% improvement of click throughs. Here are few examples of triggers:
Another visual trigger, incorporates text and visual, instructing the viewer exactly what they should do next:
A trigger using words that are related to the product being promoted.
Music matters
Yes, as strange as it may sound, a product video that includes background music could sway the conversion. Not only does music affect emotion but it directly impacts user interest in a product. Does a specific genre of music support or hinder the message of a product? Could changing the music evoke a better emotional response? Is music even necessary or of particular interest to the target audience? The best way to answer these questions would be by running A/B tests that are focused on determining user interest with or without music. To understand this, we can use ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ as a an example By switching the soundtrack, with another one from the same movie, can yield an outstanding difference when engaging viewers:
Lost in Translation: Language Impacts Conversions
A common challenge is reaching and engaging users who are non-native English speakers with the same video that is marketed to native speakers. According to Robin Good a higher rate of ‘attrition’ or dropped viewers, do not follow through and watch the whole video because they are detracted by the non-transferrable language differences. Be sure to test all product videos with native speakers, or at the very least include clear subtitles that account for the language difference. A great example of this is the Link4U’s French affiliate site. Rather than attempting to redo the entire site, the company replaced the ‘’explainer’ video with an onsite animation to clarify the benefit proposition.
Facts vs. Assumptions
Finally, facts and data are the only ways to test various aspects of video marketing efforts. Assumptions are helpful but they will only ‘hint’ to what instinctively works for the potential customer. Solid results that are supported by facts, not assumption, are integral to the optimization process. Testing, and retesting, will qualify and substantiate all of the claims and offer relevant information to help make critical decisions. Mordecai Holtz is a digital marketing consultant and community manager. He helps Toonimo by raising awareness of their custom animation platform and the benefits of empowering web businesses to engage, guide and convert visitors using onsite animation and behavior-based triggers with A/B testing. Mordecai can be reached on Twitter @toonimo
Doing Video Conversion Optimization the Right Way4.00/5 (80.00%) 4 votes
Talia helps businesses build and execute their conversion optimization strategies, using emotional targeting, consumer psychology and behavioral data to generate more revenues, leads, engagement and sales . Tweet to her at @taliagw
Conversioner is a conversion optimization agency that specializes in emotional targeting, consumer psychology and data. Conversioner helps businesses build and execute their conversion optimization strategies, to generate more revenues, leads, engagement and sales .
Contact us with any question here.
Doing Video Conversion Optimization the Right Way
On-site product videos are clearly making a significant impact in increasing the overall customer experience across all ecommerce channels. Likewise, product videos are an integral component in generating more sales and boosting conversion rates. Incorporating an effective product video needs careful implementation on testing specific core elements aimed at yielding an optimal performance and increasing the bottom line.
Here are our top 5 product video conversion optimization improvement tips, including some test cases, that can make your video perform effectively.
Knowing your Market & What Works
Target Identified, What’s Next with the Videos
Once the extensive market research is complete a clear pattern of the most effective tactics should emerge. These identifiable variables serve as the basis for maximizing the number of lead conversions. While the list of variables can be extensive, these top 5 tests are the most essential in improving a company’s product or service video. Initial Impressions Will Make a Difference There’s no question that first (and second) impressions can make a significant impact. Securing a customer from the initial moment is possible, it involves capturing viewers with awesome content. According to a recent study from the University of Glasgow’s Voice Neurocognition Lab, making a solid first impression can be made within half a second- just from the sound of our voice! Clearly, with video we need to gain a thorough understanding why viewers not only visited the site but what methods will cause them to return a second, and even a third time. What if a lead doesn’t convert on the initial visit, does that mean the entire video needs to be scrapped or redone? Could it be that the product video and the product itself requires more than one impression to convert? Maybe the video itself isn’t the problem, but the Call to Action needs to be clarified to account for the repeat visits necessary to convert a lead. All these factors should be taken into account when optimizing video content.
A great example of making a first impression and how a small change can make a significant impact is NetQuote. Servicing over 25 million customers, to date, allows them to proudly reign as the most trusted lead generation company for online insurance. While their success is clear, the company was battling low conversion rates on the landing pages, their primary source of qualified leads. After trying various solutions to improve the calls-to action, NetQuote reinvisioned the initial relationship from the moment the user reaches the landing page. The company identified a core challenge of being unable to succinctly explain the value and differentiators of the company in comparison to their competitors. Embarkingon editing and recreating the entire landing page campaign would involve significant time, energy and resources. Instead, NetQuote changed the initial ‘meeting’ between the company and the user. By adding an animation that welcomed and guided the user from the outset, the company saw a 13% increase in conversions the very next day.
Triggers, CTA’s, Interest & Follow Through
We’ve all heard of CTA’s but what’s the difference between that and a trigger? According to Robin Good of Master New Media, triggers and CTA’s are indeed very similar. According to his definition, a trigger, is anything that indicates to a viewer that a video is there and encourages them to invest the time to watch it and learn more about the product. Essentially, what’s at question is the actual placement of the trigger, its look and what action is being asked of the viewer. Sample Trigger questions include:
Music matters
Yes, as strange as it may sound, a product video that includes background music could sway the conversion. Not only does music affect emotion but it directly impacts user interest in a product. Does a specific genre of music support or hinder the message of a product? Could changing the music evoke a better emotional response? Is music even necessary or of particular interest to the target audience? The best way to answer these questions would be by running A/B tests that are focused on determining user interest with or without music. To understand this, we can use ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ as a an example By switching the soundtrack, with another one from the same movie, can yield an outstanding difference when engaging viewers:
Lost in Translation: Language Impacts Conversions
A common challenge is reaching and engaging users who are non-native English speakers with the same video that is marketed to native speakers. According to Robin Good a higher rate of ‘attrition’ or dropped viewers, do not follow through and watch the whole video because they are detracted by the non-transferrable language differences. Be sure to test all product videos with native speakers, or at the very least include clear subtitles that account for the language difference. A great example of this is the Link4U’s French affiliate site.
Rather than attempting to redo the entire site, the company replaced the ‘’explainer’ video with an onsite animation to clarify the benefit proposition.
Facts vs. Assumptions
Finally, facts and data are the only ways to test various aspects of video marketing efforts. Assumptions are helpful but they will only ‘hint’ to what instinctively works for the potential customer. Solid results that are supported by facts, not assumption, are integral to the optimization process. Testing, and retesting, will qualify and substantiate all of the claims and offer relevant information to help make critical decisions. Mordecai Holtz is a digital marketing consultant and community manager. He helps Toonimo by raising awareness of their custom animation platform and the benefits of empowering web businesses to engage, guide and convert visitors using onsite animation and behavior-based triggers with A/B testing. Mordecai can be reached on Twitter @toonimo
Related Posts
Tags: