Video commerce
Video Commerce, Video e-Commerce or eCommerce Video is the practice of using video content to promote, sell and support commercial products or services on the Internet. The video can be downloaded and played or streamed to the viewer. Either way, the video often contains clickable links which can open up a web page or a transaction process.
The end goal is to convert a shopper into a customer1, but conversion is not the only metric as View Through Rate (VTR) is a common measurement2. Some merchants realize additional benefit such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO)3. A typical video commerce application would involve a video which contains a number of clickable objects so that the viewer can click on any of those objects for further information or to purchase them. However, the clickable object may not always be within the video itself, but part of the Flash or HTML5 player used to play back the video.
Video commerce can take place over any Internet-enabled communications device – a Personal Computer, a laptop, a PDA, a mobile phone, or a smart phone.
References
1. "Video Marketing Increases Conversions or Advance Auto Parts" Internet Retailer, December 2011
2. "Kiddicare pushes the m-commerce envelope with video", Internet Retailer, January 2011
3. "Videos Boost Onlineshoes.com's Conversion Rate", Internet Retailer, February 2010
4. "Merchants Find the Value of Video", Multichannel Merchant, May 2010
5. "How Beauty.com Uses Video to Bring the Online Shopping Experience to Life, eMarketer, May 2010
6. "Blending Video and E-Commerce", Internet Retailer, January 2007
7. "The Metrics for Video Success", Practical ECommerce, March 2010
8. "Moosejaw Adds Video to Its Madness", Internet Retailer, March 2010