The business of e-commerce has witnessed various trends and technologies that have shaped and continue to shape the interaction of consumers with online stores. One such innovation is video commerce – a real change-maker in the field of electronic commerce. Taking it as an important step in business various businesses are integrating videos into the pristine shopping experience to give online shoppers a more engaging, interactive, and informative way to make purchase decisions. So, how is this all done? Keep reading to know more.
As the article that follows explains how video commerce is going to change e-commerce and ultimately become the future of e-commerce.
What is the Meaning of E-commerce
E-commerce, the most popular term for electronic commerce, is nothing much but simply the buying and selling of products and services over the Internet or say windows shopping. It involves a broad area of business transactions, from direct retailing to different forms of auction and electronic markets. This form of platform. It is trying to create various business models that are innovative, supply chain shopping provides convenience to consumers by reducing their hassles of going out to shop, offering immense ranges of products, easy payment facilities, and options for home delivery.
Types of E-commerce
Various types of e-commerce are as follows:
- B2B (Business to Business): It’s the type of business that sells its products or services to other businesses, for instance, wholesalers selling to retailers. In this model, many of the orders secured are large orders that entail long-term agreements. This emphasizes the supply chain, as well as the business and professional etiquette.
- B2C (Business-to-Consumer): One-way many-to-many market; this emerges as the dominant form of e-commerce where firms engage in direct selling of goods to the public from their websites. It is mostly focused on the customer and the level of satisfaction that a customer gets when he or she is transacting business.
- C2C (Consumer to Consumer): This category of business is done mostly by individuals who are empowered to sell personal items or locally crafted and homemade products to other people. At times, this leads to the formation of a community-based marketplace that is a reflection of modern society’s market economy.
- C2B (Consumer-to-Business): These are occasions where the customers offer the products or services to companies. Hence, stock photography, being a freelancer, or even being an influencer is a perfect example of how consumers associate themselves with the business.
How has E-commerce Revolutionized
It’s the retail revolution that e-commerce has been able to provide businesses with a global that was seamless, and customer experiences that were most convenient. Further integration with technologies like artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and now video commerce has accelerated the evolution of e-commerce.
What is Video Commerce
Video commerce, also known as live commerce or live video shopping, is the process of using videos to advance and sell products online. This can manifest itself in pre-recorded product demos, live events, or shoppable videos wherein viewers are allowed to purchase items from the content. Video commerce has bound together the elements of entertainment and shopping in a more engaging and soaking manner for online shopping.
How Does Video Commerce Work
It works on the power of video storytelling, making products come alive in a way that no static imagery and text can.
Here is how it works:
- Live Streaming: Merchants run live video sessions, where they get to demonstrate products, answer real-time questions, and provide special promotions. Live commerce finds maximum action on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
- Shoppable Videos: Videos with palpable links make it possible to buy any product one likes directly from the video. This frictionless integration of commerce into videos makes the journey from view to buy much smoother.
- Product Demos: They act as elaborate video reviews and demos collectively showing key product features and benefits. They are very efficient in building trust and pushing forward a potential buyer’s buying journey.
What is the Role of Phygital Video in E-commerce
Phygitals, which are an intermix or combo between physical and digital experiences, have become popular in e-commerce. By adding a sense of tangibility and interactivity to the digital shopping experience, phygital videos are bridging online and offline retail. For instance, augmented reality (AR) videos let clients virtually try out how items appear in their physical environment hence leading to informed choices.
Advantages of Shoppable Websites
Shoppable websites embed video commerce within their platform and have several benefits to their credit:
- Higher Engagement: Videos engage users more and for a longer period than static content does.
- Better Conversion Rates: Shoppable videos facilitate easy purchase decisions and hence better conversion rates.
- Better Product Understanding: Video demos present an inside-out understanding of products, reducing chances of returns.
- More Trust and Credibility: The authenticity of video content builds trust and credibility with the audience.
Increase Sales with Video Commerce
Video commerce has been used to improve sales. Here are some of the strategies to exploit its potential:
- Interactive Live Streams: Run interactive live streams and showcase new products. One can clarify questions, and provide special discounts to the audience.
- Influencer Collaboration: Partner with influencers and help create video content that would appeal to more significant numbers of audiences and facilitate sales.
- User-Generated Content: Inspire customers to create and freely share videos that show their experiences with your products. User-generated content contains even more self-authentication and creates group bonding.
- Personalized Video Recommendations: Through data analytics, enable recommendations of videos on the basis of customer preferences and browsing history.
The Future of E-commerce with Video Commerce
Video commerce is going to drive e-commerce in the future. Assuming technology will improve in leaps and bounds, we can already visualize how some new innovative ways videos can be integrated by a retailer into the online shopping experience. Here are some trends to watch for:
- Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality: AR and VR technologies will further enhance video commerce with the immersion of shopping experiences.
- Artificial Intelligence: AI-driven video analytics will allow retailers to infer information about customer behavior and preferences, thereby enabling more effective video content.
- Omnichannel Integration: Video commerce will flow across multiple channels for a consistent and cohesive shopping experience.
Conclusion
Video commerce is making the industry go crazy which belongs to e-commerce by providing a dynamic, engaging, and interactive shopping experience. From live streams to shoppable videos, this new way is revolutionizing the way online shoppers discover, evaluate, and purchase products. Video commerce will spearhead the formation of the future of e-commerce in years to come by opening up boundless chances for both retailers and consumers. Video commerce, therefore, is not just another trend but definitely a strategic move to be ahead in the ever-competitive world of e-commerce.
