eCommerce site design has evolved due to market desires and retail competition. For a purchase to be made online, users need a greater understanding of the product in question. Essentially, the online shopper must answer all of their own questions. Merchants have begun to design their sites to be more responsive to customer needs.

Product videos, specifically, have come to dominate the mediums utilized to express the features and functions of a product, as well as to describe a product's utility and showcase it in a variety of contexts. The mere act of producing a video to achieve this goal is now considered by many to be an act of social responsibility.

The commitment to accessibility will not only enhance the customer journey, but will also facilitate the engagement of a wide and diverse customer base.

Importance of Product Videos

With product videos, the customer is able to see a demonstration of a specific functionality of the product as opposed to having to read a long and potentially verbose description. Videos can address customer concerns and give context and practical use examples for product dimensions, movement, and even assembly and installation.

Product videos now serve the purpose of:

      • Demonstrating functionality
      • Explaining assembly or installation
      • Showing product quality
      • Providing product comparisons
      • Answering questions
      • Displaying testimonials
      • Executed properly, videos serve to eliminate the greatest purchasing barrier: uncertainty.

Accessibility Benefits Every Customer

The first impression of accessibility may be that it accommodates a certain subset of customers, but that is not entirely true. The myriad of environments in which customers access online stores is diverse. Some customers are on the go. Some are in an audio-free workplace. And some customers are multilingual.

Improving the accessibility of your online content is a great way to make your information engageable for the most customers.

A few examples of accessibility improvements are:

      • High Contrast Visuals
      • Clear Audio Narrations
      • Well Planned Pacing
      • Text Readability
      • Caption Accuracy

These are all easily noticeable and positive enhancements for information visitors.

Supporting Mobile Users

A good portion of online shopping is done using mobile devices. Mobile browsing customers often access information in public and Audio can't be played.

Captions help customers see demonstrations without needing to raise the volume. This also aids to the usability for customers and helps them look at information in public.

Mobile optimization accessibility further enhances the shopping experience.

Better Communication Builds Trust

The greatest factor and most important when talking about the accessibility of content is the trust of the customer. A customer will only purchase an online good if and when he/she is sure of the good.

A good online content must help and fulfill the following guidelines:

      • Product Demonstration
      • Unmistaken Product Specs
      • Simplified Instructions
      • Full Disclosure of Claims
      • Consistent Product Identity

These guidelines help to build a good and trustworthy online shopping content.

Usability and Customer Support

A common reason that customers reach out to support is the lack of information about a product or insufficient information. Videos that explain setup or product usage and answer common questions can be useful and preempt customers reaching out to support.

When information is well articulated, businesses will notice:

      • A decrease in support requests
      • An increase in customer satisfaction
      • A decrease in product returns
      • An increase in customer purchase confidence

Fully informing customers is beneficial for customers as well as the business.

Benefits of Captions

Caption video enables users to read along with the audio and view the content when the audio can’t be used. Captions will also increase accessibility for people who suffer from hearing impairments in reaching view and access product information.

For those businesses that have product demos or instructional promotions, captioning videos will enhance accessibility in multiple viewing situations and also improve the businesses understanding and use of video.

Captions go beyond serving just one customer's needs.

Captions are Essential and Digital Assets are Important

With online shopping, businesses now have to house thousands of videos and product images. It will become increasingly more important to manage their online digital assets and tools.

Every media library should have:

      • Categorized files
      • Version control
      • Information Update
      • Backup
      • Optimized Formats

Wells structured content will make future updates less time consuming and easier for collaboration between different departments.

Test It Out

Creating content and making it accessible is great but should always be tested for effectiveness, and frequently.

These metrics will help businesses determine the highest value content.

The Future

The expectation for a seamless and inclusive shopping experience is only going to grow, as people become more aware of the unintentional barriers people face when trying to access information. In part due to the rapid advancement of AI and Automation, the push for accessible digital content is gaining momentum. Regardless of the technology available, businesses that strive to include their customers with clear communication will always come out ahead.

Closing Thoughts

The absence of accessible product videos is a barrier to effective online communication. Videos that convey the necessary information clearly and succinctly not only enhance the shopping experience, but also empower your customer by eliminating barriers to access.

This is true whether the customers are in your neighborhood or on the other side of the world. Accessible digital content is a sound investment.