According to eMarketer.com, by 2015, 76% of internet users or roughly 200 million people, will be regularly viewing online videos, for both business and personal use. With plenty of similar data underscoring the importance of increasing online customer involvement, Gemco Valve started the New Year with the addition of a video channel “industrial valves in action video” on GemcoValve.com.
The old saying “A picture is worth a thousand words,” referred only to words in print. When we read, the mind converts words into visual images that help us remember. Information that arrives in the mind already as an image rather than words, allows us to connect more directly because there’s no “word to image” translation. With moving images, this process is greatly enhanced. Dr. James McQuivey of Forrester Research posits that one-minute of video equals to 1.8 million words. An average video shows thirty frames per second and a single frame can deliver the same amount of information as three pages of text.
“The videos aren’t intended to replace the written product description or drawings, but their impact is undeniable,” said Jim Lenihan, Gemco Valve President. “We’ve had a YouTube channel for a few years, but making the videos easily accessible on our site, along with regular product descriptions, gives our customers a better look at what we have to offer.”
Currently six videos, showcasing a range of Gemco Valve products can be viewed on GemcoValve.com. Gemco Valve’s Clean in Place spray nozzles, a Retractable Sleeve with Inflatable Seal and a specially designed valve being tested by NASA for a project that is exploring extended habitation on the moon, are among the offerings. The videos are all narrated and give prospective and current customers a look at Gemco Valves in action.
Research by YouOnTV, a new media and information technologies company, corroborates Lenihan’s point. Their findings indicate that when a website features video, visitors spend 5.33 times longer than on a visit to a site that contains only text or still images.
Videos do indeed offer a one-stop experience. They provide information, free the customer from having to navigate to another site, keep them engaged, invite an easily executable call-to-action and encourage expedited decision making. “Going forward, we believe videos will be a powerful addition to our marketing and sales efforts,” added Virginia DeBerry, Gemco Valve’s on-line marketing and social media consultant.
