Want to grow sales? Golfsmith eCommerce director says use video

from Shop.org

By JONATHAN CARDEN | Published: JULY 18, 2011

Be the first to comment | This entry was posted in Events, Marketing, Merchandising

As any golfer like myself knows (and I use the term “golfer” extremely loosely in my case), there are few sports more technically demanding or potentially

Golfsmith International’s Director of eCommerce & Online Experience, Jamey Maki

rewarding than golf. All of the great golfers have consistency, technical skill and an attention to detail that would make my mother proud.

Well, according to Golfsmith International’s Director of eCommerce & Online Experience, Jamey Maki, marketing golf products – specifically leveraging video to drive conversation and experience – requires a similar mindset. Maki shared his thoughts on video marketing during his Tuesday session at Shop.org’s 2011 Online Merchandising Workshop.

“As a marketer, it’s my job to convince you to spend $500 to get one more yard off the tee, to save one more stroke off your final score,” Maki said. “So, as golf is a very technically-oriented sport, it’s very technically demanding to convey products through conventional copy.”

That’s where video marketing comes in. If a picture is worth a thousand words, guess how much a video is worth?

Maki cited several statistics to back up his claim that video is a prime sales-driver, like:

• One minute of video is the equivalent of 1.8 million words.

• YouTube is the second largest search engine, delivering more than two million views per day.

• Video was responsible for 30% of all internet traffic in 2010, according to Cisco, and is predicted to be responsible for 90% by the end of 2013.

At GolfSmith, Maki wanted to bridge the gap between retail and online by providing unique content which would in return offer better SEO content and brand differentiation. To do so, GolfSmith began using videos to technical features and ease-of-use features that wouldn’t be easy to explain via traditional graphics and copy, like an insulated rain coat that allowed its wearer to take off the sleeves if it got too hot or a driver that had an adjustable head to alter the lift and lie of your shot.

“We wanted to convert shoppers to buyers,” Maki said. “The results were a 35% increase on products that had videos and a noticeable increase in our SEO rankings. Video is here and it’s something your customers are expecting – there are so many benefits, it’s something you have to do these days.”

So, whether you’re selling a putter that will help shoppers find their “happy place” or a jacket that keeps them warm, cool, dry and looking good all at the same time, incorporating video will more than likely lead golfers – even amateurs like me – to your online check-out page.