If you’ve ventured to a mall within the last week there’s a high probability you were greeted by colorful lights and the smell of spruce. Yes, the holiday season is already here. While some try to hold off until the Thanksgiving turkey has cleared the table, more and more shoppers want to get a head start. But, instead of rushing to the stores, consumers are increasingly turning to the Internet.
Total holiday season sales for retail are expected to reach $863 billion in 2014. That’s an impressive number that companies want to claim their share of. The way to maximize sales, however, is much different today than it was just a few years ago. As shoppers skip storefronts where cheerful music, signs of big sales, and helpful sales people lured them in, it’s now up to a companies’ website and online tools to do it all: attract, engage, and sell.
That’s a tough order to fill, especially since the competition is fiercer than ever. Emails, tweets, and Facebook ads of blowout sales and 3-hour specials flood the eyes of consumers daily. So how do you break through the noise to reach and engage consumers? Simply put, your website and mobile presence need to be setup for success.
According to a forecast from Deloitte, 50% of holiday season sales will somehow be influenced by digital interactions (i.e. browsing online). Additionally, by November, mobile will account for more than 20 percent of site sales and more than 43 percent of site traffic. Once a consumer reaches your webpage they need to: 1) be able to access it seamlessly on any device, and 2) be immediately engaged.
Your website needs to create the best online experience for consumers the second they arrive, and video does just that. From increasing sales and engaging customers, video does it all. Not only is video rated as the most trusted source of brand content by consumers, visitors who view product videos are 85% more likely to buy than visitors who do not. Video allows consumers to gain a better understanding of all the dimensions of a product they are considering purchasing. Whether it’s a demonstration, customer testimonial, or 360 degree tour, video increases consumers’ confidence and strengthens their buying decision.
Video is also especially effective for reaching two audiences retailers work hard to win: mobile users and millennials. Nearly 40 percent of consumers say that videos increase their likelihood of making a purchase on a mobile device, and 18 – 34-year-olds are twice as likely as other age groups to rely on video to help them make brand choices.
Companies have a lot to gain over the next two months and can effectively capture their share of customers by incorporating video into the marketing mix. Want to learn more? Watch our video below for some key facts on how video move business or download our 2015 Content Marketing Research Bundle.