I’d Like to Solve the Puzzle, Please?

O.K…spill it. We’re almost two months into the new year. What kind of breakthrough enhancements do you have planned for your site? If you haven’t made up your mind yet, perhaps it would help to know what other online retailers are considering? (Forget about the voices in your head…curiosity only kills cats in Tim Burton films.)

Well, my friend, you’re in luck. I found an article in Internet Retailer recapping the results of a survey they conducted at the end of 2008. The survey unveiled the New Year’s resolutions of 95 business owners, and no, there was no mention of giving up chocolate. These resolutions were strictly directed at site improvements, enhancements, and any other synonyms you can find in Webster.

Looking at all the numbers, I started thinking how hard it will be for some of these people to meet their resolutions with the recession, and how convenient it would be if they could find a way to meet more than one goal with one, really awesome, really modern enhancement. That’s when I started remembering all of the ‘online video’ articles I’ve seen passing through my inbox lately, and it came to me….Interactive Video. Viola!

No, I didn’t invent Interactive Video or anything, but I was at least smart enough to connect the dot-coms. In the survey, almost half (46%) of respondents said they lack interactive applications, and 43% said they plan to add video or streaming media to their sites in 2009. “Um, hi, I’m Interactive Video, and I’m here to grant your wishes.”

Results also showed:

• 41% have no or limited advanced features/functions
• 82% want to attract new visitors/shoppers
• 67% want higher sales conversions

If you think one feature can’t solve all of these problems and more, you haven’t done your homework. Lucky again, because I did. Interactive Video provides the visualization of online videos and streaming media(check) with a built-in interactive application(check, check) guaranteed to attract the attention of new shoppers, as the number of unique viewers of retail video increased 40% from 2007-2008 (check, check, check…that’s three out of five, but who’s counting).

According to eMarketer.com, the number of online shoppers who watch retail videos grew 40% in one year. Why so inviting, you ask? Because, Interactive Video is more than a marketing tool like YouTube, and more than a commercial on your site that provides information without interaction. Actually, it’s a little bit of both. This type of video integrates three different buttons into the video itself allowing customers to buy the product at any point in the demo. Now for the 41% of you who have no or limited advanced features/functions…you’re welcome.

And for the rest of you longing for higher sales conversions, just ask current customers who are using video on their retail sites. Jeffrey Grau, Senior Analyst at eMarketer, says “among the benefits of videos touted by web retailers are a lower number of abandoned shopping carts, reduced return rates and higher sales.” Yeah…that looks like five out of five (plus two).

If you’re feeling left out of this phenomenon, don’t get mad…get visual.

Want to get a visual of Interactive Video in action? Visit www.AirGunDepot.com