Publishing videos is currently one of the most powerful methods of promoting an internet business, and should be a part of every online business owner’s search engine optimisation (SEO) arsenal.

But, despite the praise heaped on the use of video to improve search engine rankings and as a powerful promotional tool, both in these columns and throughout internet marketing circles in general, a recent report by SundaySky, a provider of online video solutions, has some pretty startling revelations regarding the use (or lack thereof) of video as a marketing force.

Top E-Commerce Sites Fail To Take Full Advantage Of Video

SundaySky’s report, based on data from the fourth quarter of 2010, shows that almost half of the world’s top 50 online retailers failed to make the most of the opportunity presented by video.

Despite the fact that some had started to add video to their sites, most had failed to take full advantage of the tremendous opportunity that video represents. But, that needs to change during this current year if better results in overall web site performance is the goal, and it should be a primary goal for all online retailers.

The Benefits Of Using Video

The benefits of using video are manyfold, one of the main ones as far as e-tailers are concerned being improved conversion rates, resulting in more sales on a wider range of products, reduced number of returns and increased web site stickiness, amongst other benefits.

Another major benefit is that video ranks higher in search results than other online content, delivering much more traffic to e-commerce sites. In addition, YouTube has been ranked 2nd in search since 2008, and is the fourth property overall on the web, which shows how valuable video content is these days.

Suggestions To Make The Most Of Video

What is evident from the report by SundaySky is that e-commerce business owners should be taking full advantage of video to drive more traffic to their web sites.

In order to do so, there are several steps online retailers should take:

  • increase the scale of their videos to include all their product offerings
  • look beyond YouTube for syndicating videos; publish videos on platforms such as Facebook
  • apply simple SEO strategies such as video sitemaps and proper embedding

Although we’ve been referring to e-commerce web site owners here, increased use of video on their web sites would be advisable for all internet business owners.

For expert advice on the optimum use of video on your web site, consult a UK internet business coach.

Be Sociable, Share!