(The following article is from ReelSEO and can be found at this link. )

Why add video to product pages?

Why add video to your site’s product pages?  Because simply put, product videos sell products.  While shoppers who actually view a product video are buying at a higher rate than those who choose not to watch the video, what has proven even more interesting is the fact that people who do NOT watch the video are converting at a significantly higher rate than shoppers viewing the same product page without the option for video viewing.

Take the following case studies which show conversion rates (CVR) for January 2010.

E-Commerce Retailer A:

• Control group (= pure CVR in site, without video at all): 1.04%
• CVR of people who could watch video but did not: 1.47%
• CVR of people who watched video: 4.06%
• Increase when comparing the users who could watch video (whether watched or not) to control group: +46.22%

E-Commerce Retailer B:

• Control: 3.27%
• CVR of people who could watch video but did not: 4.06%
• CVR of people who watched video: 4.82%
• increase (as defined above): +27.05%

The above case study data was provided by Treepodia and based on multivariate testing results for their client’s e-commerce websites.

So, it turns out that just offering the option to watch a product video is already a selling point. How could that be?

I believe that it has to do with consumer behavior and the trust factor.  People feel more secure if they know you are able to show video on your site. 1) Because it means you trust your product enough to show it in full multi-dimensional format, and 2) Because it means you are an etailer that invests in your site, bringing your customers the best user experience possible. It makes your site seem more reliable which in turn increases consumer confidence.

If I look at it from another perspective altogether, I’d perhaps equate it to the fact that while I may not be an opera fan, I like the idea of living in a city that has an opera.  It’s about options.  In other words, while I may not use a particular service, I like to know that it’s there. I can recognize its benefit without the need to use it, and it says something positive about the place, or site, I’m visiting.

What’s the best way to display video on landing pages?

Although overall product videos are a strong sales tool, not all video displays are created equally.  The three main ways most e-commerce sites choose to display video to site visitors are via a link, as a “watch video” icon, or embedded in the actual product page.

While all methods are effective, embedding the video player in the product page will generally generate a higher view rate. For example, according to Treepodia, a leading vendor in the realm of ecommerce videos, if you add a simple link to video from any given product page, you can expect something between a 5%-15% video view rate, while a video player embedded on the same page will deliver a view rate ranging from 10%-35% .

Both are obviously good options, and number are not the only thing that matters.  Beyond the number of views generated you need to think about appearances. The display format you choose depends on the type of page real estate you want to allocate to video. But remember, your shoppers respond positively to videos so a good spot above the page fold is best.

What else should I know?

In most cases and across all verticals, video is a proven and effective tool for increasing conversion rates. However poorly executed or shoddy video may have a detrimental effect on your site. This should come as no surprise as we’re all well aware of the damage that inadequate copy-writing or unimpressive photos can cause conversions. In short, video obeys the same fundamental rules governing the performance of all mediums – quality matters!

That’s why, whatever video strategy you choose, it is imperative to continue to measure performance according to the parameters for success that you have established.  Once you learn what works best for converting products on your site, you can focus on doing more of the same and getting the most out of your product videos.

Last month YouTube and Vimeo each announced the debut of HTML5-based videos. In YouTube’s case, the new player is only available via their test site “TestTube” while interested Vimeo users must opt-in to the beta test by clicking links below each video.

So what are the key benefits of a HTML5?

• The player loads right away — no more spinning butterfly thingy.
• You can jump anywhere in the video, without having to wait for it to buffer.
• Smoother, less jumpy playback (we hope).
• No more downloading plugins to watch video, viewers would have to download the latest version of their browser.

That said, there are some temporary drawbacks.

• It currently only works for about 25% of you: you must be running the latest versions of Safari, Chrome, or IE with Chrome Frame installed.
• You’ll need a script to auto-detect what browser a viewer is using and deliver your video in the appropriate format.

SublimeVideo’s new HTML5-based player showcases the future of web video in all its speedy, sleek, and plugin-free glory.

Be sure to watch it in full screen.

1. Engagement Objects (Video, MP3, Bogs, Maps…) are being given preferential treatment by Google and other search engines.
2. Forrester Research reports that compared with standard SEO techniques, a properly submitted V-SEO is 50X more likely to achieve a first-page Google ranking.
3. Previously, Google used 120 variables to rank websites.  Since the introduction of universal search and the use of engagement objects Google has increased the algorithm variables to 200, most of which can be attributed to ensuring engagement objects (video) are included in the top results.

Bruce Clay (president of a well respected SEO company) sums it up nicely in the following video.

EventKaddy is a mobile phone application that allows major conferences to build and distribute conference schedules on iPhone, Blackberry, and Android devices.

The Problem:

EventKaddy is a recently launched product. They needed a way to get conference organizers to understand the value of their product. The product is completely new to conference organizers and EventKaddy wanted a way to launch their product in a way that clearly explained what they were doing.

The Solution:

We created a 2-minute video that was incorporated onto their website. The video was also provided to bloggers within the conference industry and it was used in email blast campaigns to the 2000 top conferences in the world.

Africa-Adapt is an independent network focused on facilitating the flow of climate change adaptation knowledge for sustainable livelihoods between researchers, policy makers, and communities.

The Problem:

The Africa-Adapt network is funded by a number of different organizations around the world. Although it is focused on Africa, it also is trying to reach out to policy makers in different corners of planet. As a result, they needed a tool that could reach funding organizations, policy makers, and communities in Africa to explain what the Africa Adapt network is and why it was important to join.

The Solution:

We created a 3-minute video that clearly outlines what the Africa Adapt network is and how people could get involved. The video was distributed through web-video communities including Vimeo and YouTube, it was sent to prominent bloggers in the areas of climate change and international development, it was placed on their website and it was used in powerpoint presentations that different stakeholders could show to their communities.