VideoRetailer.org - Exploring the Intersection of Video and e-Commerce.

It’s the first impression that counts. In the video e-commerce world, the first impression often is a static thumbnail with a white triangle on top. Will the user click or not, that is the question.

Video thumbnails are everywhere. First, because most eCommerce sites will not autoplay videos on their pages to avoid distractions in the shopping process and therefore prefer to present the video as a player with a thumbnail. Second, when video is introduced on a commerce page, the video player itself does take significant bandwidth and may slow down the page if video starts streaming. Thumbnails solve the page performance problem because video will only stream if the play button is clicked on. Finally, there are more and more video delivery formats where the video content is accessible as a popup or overlay, triggered from a video banner similar to the one here below:

Maximizing click-throughs is an art. Let’s take a few examples from video pioneer eBags.com and analyze some of their choices.

1. Picking a thumbnail for a Product video

As you can see above, out of the five possible choices, eBags opted for a close-up of their Macroloader product. In general, if a video is a product review, it’s a good idea to select a good thumbnail of the product.

Sometimes the product has an awkward shape and would not be easily recognizable in a single thumbnail. In this case, an attractive shot of the presenter works well as shown below for the Travel Hammock product.

2. Picking a thumbnail for a How-To video

A little harder would be selecting the right thumbnail for educational videos. In this case, it’s hard to pick an image that summarizes the problem and suggests a solution. Once again I like the eBags approach because it is very tactical and down to earth as evidenced in this selection for the eBags Universal Plug Adaptor.

Notice how the thumbnail summarizes the problem (unfamiliar electrical plug) and the proposed solution (the black adapter).

3 . Picking a thumbnail for a Branding video

Even harder than How-to’s because of the branding implications. Three different examples to illustrate the various approaches.

First, a Jansport video that narrates the company beginnings and history (below). The selected thumbnail is… the peak of a mountain, which symbolizes coolness, endurance, challenge and lifestyle.

Second example - the Nike video for the Edge Elite Backpack. For a recognizable brand like Nike, eBags chose the thumbnail with the Nike logo, a true click magnet.

Finally - my favorite of all. The Lovcat handbags video. Here the marketer is picking a thumbnail that’s sort of mysterious, inviting you to find out more.

Next time you publish your commerce video, mind the thumbnail!

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