With live video shopping now taking over the eCommerce industry by storm, you may have heard about “one-to-one” and “one-to many”; yet perhaps been left wondering what these terms actually mean? Let us uncover the difference between one-to-one and one-to-many, how to use them and which one is better suited for your business.
What is one-to-one live video shopping?
One-to-one live video shopping enables your customers to reach out directly to a sales representative through a face-to-face video call. It provides your customers with constant access to real-time, live customer support as part of an immersive in-call shopping experience.
Your customers are able to talk through considered purchases, raise queries and engage directly with one of your colleagues in real-time as they are making a purchase through your website.
It gives retailers and customers alike the chance to transform online shopping into an interactive and highly personalised experience.
What is one-to-many live video shopping?
One-to-many live video shopping involves your retail team showcasing products to a large audience during a fixed livestream event.
Unlike one-to-one video shopping, there is no direct interaction between the customer and sales representative; customers are only able to view a one-way product display from your retail team.
Generally, it focuses on specific promotional events or product marketing, unlike one-to-one live video shopping which is built around providing a face-to-face and highly personalised shopping experience.
When should I use one-to-one video shopping?
In essence, one-to-one video shopping brings the social and human aspect of in-store customer service over to the world of eCommerce. It is about building those face-to-face relationships with your customers and working with them directly throughout their purchase.
By providing your customers with this, your business can ensure that traffic is converted into sales on an ongoing and long term basis.
Assuring customers on high value or considered purchases
This can prove essential for retailers specialising in high value products or considered customer purchases.
In these specific areas, consumers often feel less comfortable making purchases online. Therefore, it is essential that retailers provide the level of information and customer support necessary to assure their customers.
One-to-one live video shopping is perfectly suited for doing just this. Your customers will be able to make direct contact with a sales representative as part of their online shopping experience.
During their call, customers can be provided with tailored one-on-one support from a member of your team, and work with them to complete the purchase in-call as they would in store. This has the potential to increase conversion rates by up to 30x when customers use one-to-one live video shopping.
Building clienteling relationships in the world of eCommerce
One-to-one is also an essential tool for businesses that make a priority to produce the highest standards of customer service.
Unlike typical eCommerce, where forming a personal impression on customers can be near impossible, one-to-one live video shopping transforms this. By moving the eCommerce experience onto an immersive video call, your colleagues will be able to deliver top tier customer service in the setting of your online store.
Not only does it introduce the possibility of clientelling in digital retail, it also enables you to build a long-standing and personal customer relationship. This ensures repeat business and uphold of your brand’s image.
And because one-to-one live video shopping exists permanently as a function of your website, it delivers these results in a long term and sustainable way that will continue to grow your business into the future.
When should I use one-to-many live video shopping?
Due to the more one-off nature of a one-to-many live video event, it is best suited for use during specific promotions and seasonal type events. It enables your customers to view a fixed livestream by a member of your sales team on a particular product, range or promotion. However, it does not allow customers to engage with your colleagues in the same way as one-to-one.
This means it is better viewed as a promotional and marketing tool, rather than one addressed towards customer support or sales.
By enabling you to reach a broad base of customers at the same time, it is ideal for promoting specific events within your company. For example Black Friday sales, or holiday sales such as those around Valentines or New Year, have seen one-to-many live streams used as a way to capitalise on the high volume of sales on those days.
They can also be used to bring in influencers or celebrities to promote goods to a brand’s customer base, and form a key component of marketing campaigns for brands or products.
Whilst they can be fantastic for making the most of high value sales days, or marketing events, they are not an ongoing sales tool in the same manner as one-to-one video shopping. Furthermore, the requirement for high production quality (and in turn, costs) to maximise the efficacy of one-to-many livestreams can make it a more complex avenue for building customer relations than one-to-one live video shopping.
Ultimately, these two technologies address different areas of concern for retail. Whilst one-to-many video shopping is an exciting tool for enhancing the effectiveness of promotions and marketing campaigns, one-to-one live video shopping is now an indispensable part of ensuring the long term success of sales in eCommerce. There is no doubt that we will see them both become integral ways of how we shop online in years to come.
