Video is a compelling way to connect with customers in a meaningful and dynamic way. But not all video messages are created equal and some are much more complicated than others. Sending a thank you video is fairly straightforward. Recommending the right additional products or services to complement a previous purchase? That's more complicated. What's right for one customer is different for another. Recommend the right products and repeat customer purchases and average cart values will soar. Recommend the wrong product and customers may feel disconnected from your brand altogether. 

Bridging the gap and offering the right additional products is hard work. Putting that hard work in and recognizing a low response rate is frustrating. Your existing customers are ripe to buy more products and services from your online store. You just have to connect with them in a meaningful way.

The Importance of Recommending Additional Products

When it comes to recommending additional products, it's all about keeping a store top of mind, driving repeat business, building a relationship, and ensuring customers get the most value out of a purchase they've already made. By recommending products that are relevant and in line with what customers are interested in, businesses can create an engaging experience that encourages customers to keep coming back.

In addition, recommending the right products helps build trust and establishes a connection between customer and merchant. This rapport can encourage customers to spend more money and make more purchases in the future. Ultimately, recommending additional products is a great way to maximize customer satisfaction and increase sales.

How to Effectively Recommend Additional Products

There are a few key things to keep in mind when recommending additional products. First, it's important to be sure that the products being recommended are relevant to the customer's interests. There's no point in recommending products that the customer is not interested in or that don't complement what they've already purchased. Second, it's important to be personal and sincere in recommendations. Customers can tell when they're being sold to and they'll likely be turned off by an insincere or impersonal approach. Finally, it's important to give customers the option to opt in or out of receiving additional product recommendations. No one likes feeling forced into something and giving customers a choice will help create a positive experience.

In addition to those three basics, effectively recommending additional products relies on the same pillars as any other form of communication: the message and the medium.

As mentioned earlier, the message should be relevant and tailored to the individual. Relevance means making the message specific to their needs and wants. In this case, the best information you can have about their needs and wants is found in their purchase history. You wouldn't recommend a new bowling ball to someone who just purchased ski equipment. Relevance around related products means recommending something that logically fits with their previous purchase history.

A message tailored to the individual starts with personalization. Using the customer's name in the message is just the start. Sharing why this recommended product is a good choice for them is the kind of tailored message that drives a huge increase in conversions and, ultimately, sales.

The Medium of the Message

The bulk of communications from online stores and eCommerce brands comes in the form of an email. Many of these messages feature pictures to go along with text and lots of links to different pages within the store itself. Click this picture to shop for shoes. Click this picture to shop for pants. Click this picture to shop for hats. The visuals are very effective in communicating a sample of what is for sale.

What static pictures fail to do, however, is show why this product or that is a good choice for a specific recipient. The recipient is left to their own imagination to consider why this necklace would look good with that shirt or why that coffeemaker is easy to use.

This is where video can be a game-changer for your messages recommending additional products or items for purchase.

Video is a powerful way to connect with customers and can be used to great effect in recommending additional products. With video, you can show why a product is a good choice for someone, giving them a more personal experience that resonates with them on a deeper level. In addition, video can also be used to show how a product works, helping customers feel more confident in their purchase.

Best Practices for Recommending Additional Products with Video

Now that we know why video is such an effective medium for recommending additional products, let's take a look at some best practices to make the most of this strategy.

Create a personalized message

If it seems like we're repeating ourselves it is because this element of all messaging - including videos - for online stores is oh so important. Personalization and customization are critical to standing out in a crowded inbox.

This means using the customer's name and sharing why this product is a good choice for them based on their purchase history. Remember, customers are consuming your message through their own lens and point of view. What is important to your business may not be important to them. They are expecting information that is relevant and helps further affirm their purchasing decisions. Give them that information through personalized and customized messaging in your videos.

Show the product in use

This could be a demonstration of how it works or simply showing it being used in everyday life. This helps customers visualize how the product would fit into their own lives. Even better, if you can show the product in use relative to their prior purchase history, the customer will have a better understanding of how things work together. For example, if your customer bought a new midi-summer dress, then a video highlighting how a pair of shoes goes with that dress (or a similar dress) is very powerful. A picture can show these items together, true. A video brings that to life, showing action happening instead of a flat, static image.

Include a call-to-action

Because your call to action is in a video and not a clickable button in a message, your call to action will point the viewer in some direction. "Visit our site to see the new collection" or "Click on the link in the email where you received this video" are examples. It is important to make the call to action direct and easy to find. A confusing call to action is unlikely to convert into a new sale or opportunity.

The Power of Personalized Videos in Product Recommendations

Video is an incredibly powerful way to connect with customers and recommend additional products. By personalizing your message and showing the product in use, you can create a video that resonates with your customer on a deeper level. In addition, be sure to include a clear call-to-action so that viewers know what to do next.

Windsor's ability to personalize video messages at scale means that product recommendations can fit the recipient, regardless of their purchase history. Personalizing videos and recommending related or additional products connects with customers better than simply sending a bland “image and text” email. To separate your online store from the competition, you need to stand out. Delivering product recommendations with Windsor definitely accomplishes that goal.