A new large-scale international study from Google shows that shoppers are increasingly using online videos to help make purchasing decisions.
Specifically, the study – which used a mix of surveys and in-person interviews – found that more than half (55%) of consumers regularly use online videos as part of their shopping research.
As the company says in its article:
“For more and more shoppers, video is becoming indispensable when they’re ready to buy. In fact, more than 55% of shoppers globally say they use online video while actually shopping in-store.”
Google’s Recommended Strategies For Using Video
Within the article about the report, Google also suggests a few ways brands can use videos to influence online shoppers:
Video Shopping List
One of the most surprising findings of the study is that many consumers are replacing traditional shopping lists with a video.
“If I go to a store and forget what I need, I pull up the video to see the ingredients. I pull to the side, watch the video, and get what I need,” said one person interviewed.
Getting Informed and Feeling Confident
For more technical fields or issues, such as finances or repairing complicated machines, videos can be an invaluable way to help shoppers feel more confident about their purchases.
“YouTube has taught me that I’m capable of doing what I didn’t know I could do,” explained one consumer.
Video Reviews Can Be The Tie-Breaker
Video reviews are one of the most trusted forms of online reviews and are a popular reference point when making purchasing decisions. The wide variety of video reviews out there give people the ability to focus on the features they care most about and see which products will perform best for their needs.
As one shopper told interviewers, “While I was in Home Depot the other day, I was on YouTube looking up drill sets to see which one was better and which one burned out quicker through stress tests.”
What This Means For Brands
It’s no big surprise that online shoppers are increasingly using videos to influence their shopping decisions. What is surprising is when and where they are referencing these videos and how they are actively using the videos within the shopping process.
The biggest recommendation from the study is that you “think of ways your brand can show up to meet these in-the-moment needs, whether it’s through ads that spark ideas and inspiration or through more in-depth content to answer questions and help people along their path to purchase.”
