Using Videos To Boost Your Listing’s Conversion Rates

We all know buying something online tends to be as much a visual exercise as a logical one, and as a seller, if you’ve already got text and quality-optimized images, is it really worth it to splash out on video content, too?

The answer depends on the exact product. If all you’re selling is plug converters or stationery, then the marginal difference won’t be huge. But most of the time, if you’re serious about maximizing sales, the answer is absolutely yes. 

The reason is pretty straightforward. Videos are simply more immersive and give a far better opportunity to see the product in use. This is true not just in absolute terms, but even more so if your competition is still relying solely on images and product descriptions. 

Ultimately, they create a better connection with your customers - someone scrolling down a page will immediately stop at a video, even briefly, to see what the deal is - and that always drives sales. 

Buyers will often seek out a video of your product anyway to see how it works in practice. Making it more convenient for them to see it right on your page improves their experience and gives you more control over the content itself. Additionally, Amazon recently launched a functionality that shows direct links to product videos as you scroll down a search page, making items with video content stand out.

Research shows that a vast majority of online shoppers - some 96% - find videos useful when buying something, and 79% prefer videos to plain text. 

Most importantly, a good video can increase conversions by up to 80%. 

How Can I Put One Up?

The main way to get videos for both sellers and vendors is through the use of A+ content (read all about it here), for which you need to be on the Amazon Brand Registry. 

Through Seller Central, the process is pretty easy: 

• On the homepage, select the Inventory tab and go down to Upload & Manage Videos
• Drag or upload the file
• Put in the description, which should be detailed but not too long - no more than 60 words
• Put in the related ASINs and upload a thumbnail image
• Videos can take several hours to process once uploaded, and up to three days to show up on the product page

Sellers get to use videos for free, but vendors do incur an extra charge of around $1,500 per detail page covering one ASIN variation family. It is, however, very much worth it and should be seen as an investment that will pay itself off. 

Not all videos on your product page have to be made by you, though. Getting reviews is already an important part of converting sales and cozying up to the A9 algorithm, and getting your buyers to put videos of the product in their reviews could have a compound effect on its influence value.

The downside there, of course, is that you have no control over it and there will be near-zero production value - there will be nothing hiding flaws in the product - but they will carry a sense of honesty that marketing videos could not have, and will consequently have a much stronger potential to influence buyers. 

It will also require more prompting on your part to get buyers to post videos - Amazon’s generic automated emailed review request might not cut it. 

What Makes a Good Video?

If you get customers to leave amateur video reviews - great. But to the extent that you’re making your own, it’s crucial they look professional. If you don’t have the capacity or equipment to get it done properly in-house, hire a professional company to do it. 

The video format gives you tons of options as a seller. It can work as a functional showcase - highlighting the product, its benefits, brand information, unique selling point, and any variations it may have - or it can be some kind of explainer that goes into more depth and strikes an emotional chord. 

It helps to show customers using the product in the video itself, letting buyers project themselves into it, or as a comparison with other similar products designed for the same purpose.

Ultimately, it’s all about creating a stronger connection with potential customers, letting them know how they should feel about the product. Videos are no match for bullet points or plain copy when it comes to telling people why they need a product in their lives. 

Not everything goes, though. Amazon does have a few guidelines for what to do with product videos so they don’t get rejected: 

• If you’re in an English market, the video must be entirely in English.
• Products in the video must be yours, and you have to be the brand owner.
• Don’t make any defamatory or derogatory statements. This may be tempting to get a leg up over your competition, but you have to make sure anything you say about them is rooted in fact.
• Similarly, any factual claims you make about the product have to be backed up by evidence. If you provide a personal opinion, it has to be labeled as such. 
• Don’t make any claims about health, or give medical advice.
• Don’t make political, sexual, or other controversial or sensitive statements.
• Any mentions of customer reviews have to be based on reviews less than one-year-old and have to include accurate information on the product. 
• Don’t send customers away from Amazon to some other site.

In addition to the content, there are some technical guidelines you should follow: 

• An aspect ratio of 16:9 tends to be recommended.
• The video should not be huge - no bigger than 5GB - and should be in a .mov or .mp4 format. Other formats like 3PG, AAC, AVI, FLV, and MPEG-2 are also acceptable, though. 
• Don’t skimp on the resolution. Anything under 480p is probably more likely to drive people away. 

About Us

Threecolts is a comprehensive suite of advanced ecommerce software solutions. We're designed to empower retail vendors and marketplace sellers on Amazon, Walmart, and beyond. Our tools optimize every aspect of ecommerce operations to ensure maximum profitability.

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