Video Commerce: How to Recreate the In-Store Experience

One year after the start of the pandemic, COVID-19 has changed our relationship with work, our social relationships, but also our shopping habits. While going to a store remains something some people strongly desire, others are more comfortable shopping from home. However, the in-store experience is difficult to replace when it comes to getting advice or trying out products. How do some brands manage to provide this type of experience to customers comfortably seated in their living rooms?

Some brands have already successfully made this transition. French optician Alain Afflelou offers its customers the opportunity to “try on” glasses through a screen. Cosium, a company specializing in virtual try-on solutions, offers a slightly more advanced version. How? Customers can position the frames on their nose and view them from every angle. Thanks to artificial intelligence and Visagism technology, the customer’s face is analyzed and frames are suggested accordingly.

Other brands, particularly fashion brands such as H&M or Asos, offer animated presentations of their products using videos on the product page. A good alternative for those who are reluctant to visit stores.

There is no doubt that this new trend is a real differentiating factor for retailers and will continue to grow in the future. We present three options for enhancing your online store and providing your customers with an in-store experience directly from their homes.

Facebook Shops/Instagram Shops: Selling Your Products on Facebook and Instagram

These two social networks represent a considerable number of users, and therefore potential customers. Facebook (nearly 3 billion users), which acquired Instagram in 2012 (more than one billion users), has chosen to position itself as a dominant player in e-commerce by including a whole range of features and options that now make both entertainment and shopping possible on social networks. On the one hand, users can browse a brand’s entire product catalog; on the other, merchants can organize their “shop” as they wish. While purchases are currently made through a shopping cart on Instagram or Facebook, users will soon be redirected to the brand’s or product’s e-commerce website.

Bots

This technique offers many advantages, particularly during periods of high traffic on an e-commerce website. Automation makes it possible to handle requests with limited added value while reproducing as closely as possible the in-store advisory experience provided by a sales advisor. If a purchase is made thanks to this advice, the merchant will be able to develop and offer personalized commercial offers to new customers. Another advantage is that these bots are active 7 days a week, 365 days a year, which increases the number of potential purchases.

Live Video Shopping: Combining Expertise and Experience

More comprehensive than social networks alone and impersonal bots, you can opt for a live video solution in which a person presents your product. In front of a camera and a chat filled with customers, they provide valuable advice to connected users, make recommendations and answer questions, all live. According to a Gartner study, 64% of consumers prioritize experience over price and 80% of visitors would buy more if they received advice from a real salesperson.

This option is a great opportunity for customers because it offers an experience similar to what they would have in a store while remaining at home, and limits supply issues by ensuring the availability of the products presented.

Thanks to the Spockee tool, these sessions, which can be individual or group-based, strengthen the relationship between a brand and its customers. In addition, if some of your customers were unable to attend the demonstration, they will be able to watch these videos as replays.

Major brands such as Lancôme have already taken the plunge, with successful results.

Conclusion

Solutions exist to help your brand successfully navigate this new stage in the transformation of consumer habits, such as live video, which can also be used with platforms such as Youtube, Twitch or Tiktok. It would be worthwhile to take a closer look at the different methods available to you. For some, products such as clothing can be sold through bots or social networks. For others, an explanatory video will be necessary to fully understand how the product works and its subtleties, especially if customers are unable to test the product in-store and receive advice.