The Best Introduction to Live Shopping

One of the latest trends in online retail is live shopping. It brings a fun new twist to online shopping. It can also help buyers make better decisions about products. This article provides a complete overview of the topic.

What is Live Shopping?

It is slightly different than shoppable video and shoppable photos, so it requires its own definition.

Benefits

Benefits can be realized from both the shopper and the brands.

• Products purchased via a live stream are up to 40% less likely to be returned. This saves retailers money and creates happier customers.
• Special Deals and coupons can be highlighted
• Shoppers can ask questions
• Live Show Hosts can demonstrate the products
• Complementing products can be highlighted – for example a desk can be discussed but the correct set of wheels may make the desk more useful

Platforms

Currently, live video is not available from every online retailer. These are the main platforms adopting this new shopping experience.

• Amazon Live – The largest online retailer has been a leader in the live shopping experience. Influencers with access to Amazon Live can feature and sell any product on the Amazon.com site.
• Facebook – The largest social network on the planet has added live shopping to sell products from your Facebook Shop
• Instagram – Another live platform to sell products from your Facebook Shop
• TikTok – TikTok is beginning to experiment with the trend
• Walmart – The massive retailer is quicky innovating in the digital space, and this is another example. It appears Walmart is currently working with brands instead of influencers to host the shopping events.

As can be seen, most of the important players in live video shopping are traditional social media sites looking to leverage the power of influencers. However, I do not think it will be long before more traditional online retailers begin to adopt live shopping.

A Live Shopping Example

Below is an example of a live shopping interface on Amazon live.

Notice the host in the video is displaying a computer mouse and the carousel below the video has the specific mouse and other products for easy purchase.

To see an example live show, view the weekly show for Remote Workers from Live Shopping Community.

What Topics are Good for Live Shopping?

Live video can be useful for many things, but the ability for customers to ask questions in real-time is where live shopping really excels. Plus, it is great to see the real size of the product or how it looks next to other products. Here are some common and successful topics which can be covered:

• Box Openings
• New Product Releases
• Product Demonstrations for all the Features
• Physical Features such as height and size
• Installation Steps
• Comparison of Similar Products

Conclusion

Live Shopping will likely play a huge role for online retail in the future. It will evolve, and more platforms will adopt the concept. In any case, it is off to a fun and successful start.