In January of 2009, Internet Retailer reported that 43% of merchants surveyed intended to add video to their site for the coming year. To test the actual penetration of video into ecommerce sites, a study completed in October 2009 by Future Merchants, Inc., shows that 67 of the Internet Retailer Top 100 have some form of video on their site. However, the adoption and incorporation of video remains, at best, an inconsistent and difficult to sustain effort for most of Internet Retailer’s Top 100.
Although retail as an industry seems to be acting on the desire for site video, there is very little consistency and seemingly no emerging consensus on what type of video programming to include. Nor does any of the Top 100 demonstrate a consistently sustainable model that delivers fresh and relevant content with any form of coherent frequency.
Despite the actual
presence of some form of video content on a large percentage of retail websites, a follow up study published in November of this year by Internet Retailer shows that 36% of the respondents still list video as the most desired site enhancement. So even though a large number of retailers have actually added some form of video content, the topic remains one of the most cited for desired enhancements. There’s a disconnect somewhere! The explanation lies in the type of video assets ecommerce organizations found economically and technically feasible to implement.
Proprietary video programming and repurposed content have limitations of cost, availability and “fit”. Although a few retailers have a large amount of this content most have one or two pieces. The number of video assets found for both product demos and image animation has to be considered against a SKU base in the thousands for most of the Internet Retailer Top 100.
More insight into the issues and answers to retail websites and video programming will be delivered at the upcoming eTail West convention. Don Delzell, Managing Director of Future Merchants will be a Panelist on the Day Two Session: Driving Returns from Online Video With An Understanding of the Nuts and Bolts Behind Execution. Don will be offering a unique perspective on the issues behind the current industry experience with video.
Future Merchants has created RetailTV®, a revolutionary innovation combining over 50 years experience in retail merchandising, the art and science of master storytelling, and best in class technology to bring retail clients a powerful new method for driving cross-channel volume for key items.
Combining Solutions™ programming with the RetailTV® platform enables retailers to easily integrate powerful video storytelling anywhere on their website, while creating an interactive and seamlessly shoppable experience for their customers, driving sales on featured items across all channels.
The Future Merchants mission is to provide multi-channel retailers an affordable, high impact alternative to the declining effectiveness of traditional key item marketing techniques; an alternative that simultaneously engages the consumer, enhances the brand, and drives volume.
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