Video Shopping: Why Online Shoppable Video is the Future of eCommerce

In today's hectic world, your customers aren’t always able to visit your local shop or store.

And even when they are?

A huge number of customers still prefer shopping from the comfort of their own homes. 

That number is only growing too. 

In fact, research shows that by 2023, nearly a quarter of all worldwide sales will be made electronically! 

It's why it's more important than ever to provide the in-store experience online.

But how do you get started? How do you choose the right video shopping platform for you?

In this article, we'll be answering all. We'll cover:

• What live video shopping entails
• The benefits of live video shopping
• What to look for in a video shopping platform
• How to provide a video e-commerce experience that's personalized, fast, and convenient

What is live video shopping?

The term ‘video shopping’ refers to the use of digital video technology to connect customers and e-commerce stores.

This conversational commerce technology allows customers to see and purchase products during a live, real-time interaction.

However, there are many different types of video shopping solutions available.

Some video shopping solutions only allow you to speak to customers in a ‘one-to-many’ live stream broadcast.

Some only allow you to speak to customers over social media apps too.

In contrast, on-demand video shopping solutions like Talkative allow customers to video chat with customer service representatives in a direct, face to face interaction.

This allows for a more connected, personal, and convenient virtual shopping experience. 

What are on-demand video shopping platforms?

To provide a personal and convenient video shopping experience, brands can use video technology in a variety of ways.

For instance, the most engaging e-commerce stores will offer a live video shopping experience directly from their homepage.

Most commonly called video chat, this type of on-demand video interaction can only be achieved with video shopping platforms like Talkative - platforms that enable direct website embeds.

This means no downloads, no plugins, and no third-party video conferencing software is used to connect the customer and the advisor. 

Instead, the customer can instantly video chat with an advisor, creating a more seamless customer experience.

Nevertheless, there are some other video shopping options for connecting consumers and businesses - it's just that they come with some limitations.

These include:

• Livestream shopping events - where a virtual store assistant or influencer can sell to many customers in a livestream or 'one-to-many' broadcast.
• Asynchronous video chat - where short video captions are sent back and forth between the customer and the contact agent. This is a common approach used by some retail video chat alternatives.
• Video marketing - where brands post short video clips over social networks or their shopping app to drive customer engagement.

Live video shopping platforms vs. livestream shopping apps

The terms video shopping and livestream shopping are sometimes used interchangeably - but there’s a clear distinction between the two.

As we explained in the previous section, live video shopping involves a one-to-one video call consultation between a consumer and a support agent or brand representative.

Livestream shopping, by contrast, is a one-to-many interaction that combines livestream marketing with online retail.

It involves the broadcasting of live video content, often hosted by influencers or celebrities, during which they showcase various products. 

These broadcasts are typically hosted via social media or specialized live shopping platforms.

With livestream shopping, multiple consumers from different locations can tune into the video and watch it simultaneously.

They can also interact with the host through real-time comments and reactions, allowing them to ask questions about the product and make purchases.

While both video shopping and livestream shopping leverage the power of video to revolutionize ecommerce, they cater to different needs and preferences.

One-to-one live video shopping provides a private, tailored experience - perfect for those who value individual attention and require a face-to-face customer conversation.

Livestream shopping, on the other hand, offers a communal atmosphere - appealing to consumers who are content with a collective shopping experience and minimal personalization.

What are the benefits of a video live shopping platform?

On-demand video shopping can provide a huge number of benefits for your customer and your business alike.

Take a look at the list below. Which benefit could help boost your business?

1) Online video shopping increases product sales

Live shopping via video enables brands to sell products with the same level of personalization as they would offer customers in-store.

As such, live video chat can greatly help to boost sales and overall average order value. 

For example, fashion brands can use video to demonstrate clothing items and answer customer queries in real-time.

This helps customers to get a better feel for the product, and also allows them to ask questions that they may not bother asking over other contact channels like live chat.

Either way, embedding video within your digital commerce site gives customers a more personal connection to your brand.

Just make sure that your video commerce tool of choice allows direct contact via live videos.

Some live stream video apps only allow you to speak to a crowd of customers at once, rather than one at a time.

While this might be useful for wider audience engagement, it limits your customers' ability to truly engage or ask meaningful questions. 

In turn, it also limits your ability to foster rapport and, most importantly, make more sales.

2) Video chat fosters customer, brand, and agent engagement

After deploying video chat on their e-commerce site, some of Talkative’s customers have seen a 400% increase in video chat sessions across one year. 

So, why is video chat proving so popular? 

Why does it foster engagement and convert customers better than any other channel?

It’s because video shopping interactions create an online environment that is more personal and convenient for customers - something that all customers greatly value.

And when customers feel appreciated, seen, and heard, they are much more likely to remain engaged. 

So, take advantage of video as a website engagement tool. 

It’ll show your dedication to your customers’ needs and it’ll keep them engaged for the long-term. 

3) Video shopping provides a convenient and bespoke approach

A positive customer experience is crucial.

Whether you're selling luxury retail items or discounted products in high demand, customers always expect the best.

The great news is that thanks to video shopping apps like Talkative, you can now offer a digital customer experience that’s truly tailored to your customers' needs.

By chatting with customers on a one-to-one basis, you can learn what they want and need fast, with unrivalled clarity, rapport, and understanding.

After all, every other communication channel relies on written text or spoken voice.

Most other video commerce platforms don't deliver an immediate, on-demand experience either.

It means there's always a disconnect between contact agents and your customers.

On-demand video solves this problem once and for all, thanks to the one-to-one connection you can build over HD video.

Take Talkative customer Caseys Furniture as an example. They take the digital customer experience to the next level by using Talkative’s video chat to provide personalized virtual shopping consultations.

With this service, Caseys' customers can enjoy the in-store shopping experience from the comfort of their own homes.

Just remember: to truly fulfil a bespoke video experience for your customers, you'll need a video shopping platform that allows you seamless one-to-one interactions from your website and app.

You'll also want to ensure that your chosen platform works on all devices too - from desktop to mobile to tablet.

This brings us to our next point.

4) Shoppable video chat can make the most of both desktop and in-store agents

The right video shopping solution can provide you with maximum versatility when it comes to deploying contact agents. 

This is especially true if you’ve got both in-store associates and desktop based agents at your disposal. 

It means you can take a multi-faceted approach to your online customer communication - an approach that has some extremely valuable benefits for your customers’ digital journey. 

Firstly, it means that you can schedule your customer service team to be available around the clock, drawing support from both in-store associates and desk-based customer contact agents

Secondly, you can deploy different agents depending on your customers' needs.

For instance, say you've got a luxury retail customer who wants to enjoy a live shopping experience in which they view a variety of products in quick succession.

This would be a great opportunity for an in-store mobile agent to engage with the customer via smartphone or tablet, allowing them to offer personalized recommendations in the moment.

Conversely, if a customer wanted to make a support enquiry about a delivery, you could instead deploy desk-based contact agents based at your video-enabled contact centre.

These agents would be best placed to answer more complex customer questions. 

However you choose to deploy video for your e-commerce site, the right tool not only provides a means of personalization for your customer - but also provides customization, versatility, and rapid deployment for you.

5) Virtual shopping can double up as a video marketing tool

The value of video content as a marketing tool cannot be overstated.

In fact, when it comes to online marketing trends, research shows that 86% of businesses now consistently use online video for their marketing purposes - a 20% increase over the last three years.

It’s proof that video is becoming the expected marketing tool for any e-commerce brand. 

Of course, most online video consumption still involves customers viewing pre-recorded marketing materials.

Rather than using livestream shopping, a lot of young consumers are still watching product reviews on YouTube, for instance. 

This leaves a huge opportunity for brands looking to create a competitive edge. 

With video being a proven channel for marketing purposes - and with more of us using video calling in our personal and professional lives - it follows that video interactions are the next big innovation in customer communication.

So, by directly engaging customers with your brand via shoppable videos, you can not only supercharge your customer engagement, you can get more of your customers talking too. 

It makes video chat a powerful tool for word of mouth marketing that improves the customer perception of your business. 

The takeaway

As we've seen above, the best video shopping solutions have a few things in common.

They're the video chat options that allow:

• On-demand interactions between customers and support agents.
• One-to-one live shopping interactions.
• Direct website AND mobile app embeds.
• Mobile AND desktop-based support agents.

The reasons why the above criteria are necessary are simple.

With the above attributes, your video shopping solution will not only provide a more engaging experience, but it'll also increase sales, increase conversion rates, and boost customer satisfaction.

It's why Talkative's customers recommend our video chat software as the best live video shopping platform.

It's been proven to increase sales:

When using video chat, our clients have seen a 30% increase in average order value.

It's been proven to skyrocket conversions too:

Customers are 4x more likely to make a sale when using video to buy products directly.

What's more, its user engagement and satisfaction levels are unrivalled:

94% of customers describe Talkative's video chat as a positive experience.

So, if you've been wondering about the next big thing in online e-commerce, wonder no more.

Live video shopping is here, thanks to Talkative's video chat.

Want to learn more? Book a demo with us today.