Inside the Lab

Much has been written in regard to the value of video within the online shopping cycle. Recent studies have shown that when product video is added to online retail sites it can lift conversion rates for product information requests and purchase. It certainly makes sense–if you can’t interact with the product in person, get a sense for what that is like by watching video–it’s the next best thing to being there.

Understanding how video can support the shopping cycle is critical to determining what type of information to include in that format. As an industry leading automotive portal, Vehix has integrated digital video as one of their core information pillars, delivering content like crash tests, reviews and test drives. Video has the advantage of being able to communicate a lot of detailed information in an engaging format. And, with cars, there is an endless stream of data that can be evaluated to help make an informed decision.

However, based on years of consumer site usage, Vehix has observed that it’s not just data that consumers are looking for. During the automotive shopping process, which is typically three to six months, and even after a purchase, consumers go online to learn about maintenance, technology advancements, events and road trips. Based on consumer need, Elastic Lab worked with Vehix to create several series of videos ranging from shopping tips, consumer video reviews, automotive adventures and how-tos. And, proving once again that “content is king”, the more video that Vehix posted, the more video consumers viewed. Over the course of the past eight months, and the integration of nearly one hundred new videos, video pages per visitor increased by 56%, generating more engagement with the site and garnering increased revenue from advertisers.

As Vehix continues to expand their video library, they remain focused on their goal to provide targeted video episodes that meet specific needs of niche audiences–first time buyers, used buyers, families, and more–in order to make the content as relevant as possible to both consumers and advertisers alike.

– Krista Nicholson

Our blog has a new home, a shiny new RSS feed and several new contributors to keep us more current. We hope you’ll check in from time to time. Besides updates on our own commercial projects and experimental films, we’ll share our thoughts on issues that affect anyone interested in original video and new media. Some of the topics we find ourselves musing about almost daily are keeping up with new technologies and digital legislation, understanding the emotional realities of industries in flux (like advertising, film production, music and publishing), and finding excitement in forging new ground. We look forward to spirited conversations with all of you.

Julie Morey