qoof

Product videos gain popularity among consumers and retailers

Another great article about "Video Commerce".

Qoof was the first to use the term "Video Commerce" in it's current form to mean using video to sell products online and we are happy to see others are using this term now as well.

Product videos are increasingly being used by online retailers and, according to recent research, many plan to implement this most engaging and evolving marketing tool over the coming year.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

A great article and numbers on retailers using video in 2009. Qoof leading the way in Video Commerce is looking forward to an amazing year

In this article published by ReelSEO, they talk about the year to come in video commerce with some great stats.

Ecommerce Video Will Take Off in 2009 - New Report Shows that Product Videos Work!

We know how effective online video marketing and video advertising can be for various industries and sectors across the board.  One reason for this is that video can bring brands, products and services to life in a way that text and static images simply cannnot.  As a result, we see that online video tends to offer high conversion rates as it offers a more compelling experience for users and can often provide the neccessary last push that a customer needs to actually make a purchase.

With the retail sector, a few companies have experiemented with product video marketing as another method to drive sales and traffic to their ecommerce sites. According to research from Internet Retailer, less than 60% of retailers surveyed had video on their websites in 2008. However, online merchants are making search engine optimization and video their top web site design priorities for 2009, with 43.3% of merchants stating that they will update their e-commerce sites with video this year.

Click here to read the whole post.

VC's still investing in web video! 2009 looks bright for video commerce

Daisy Whitney just posted an article called "Why VCs Are Jumping Back Into Web Video".

She makes a lot of great points and since we are looking into the VC route it's great news for Qoof. One of the points she makes is:

But here's the rub: Investors intend to scrutinize business plans more closely. They want proof that a business can generate revenue, and they expect their portfolio companies to deliver timetables for profitability.

That's also good news for Qoof since we are generating revenue and have a real business model that is not based on online advertising.

Qoof is cautiously optimistic in today’s economy

Of course the biggest issue on everyone’s mind is the global economy. At Qoof we are also keeping a very close eye on what is going on in the markets and we have made some internal changes based on the current climate.

That being said, we are very optimistic about our future and continued growth. In challenging market times merchants and retailers look for ways to increase sales without major investments or risk. Qoof’s fully loaded video commerce solution is both economical, low risk, and is built to do one thing. Increase sales utilizing the power of video.

Over the last couple of weeks we have read many articles on online advertising in todays economy and how video may be the perfect solution. We couldn’t agree more! Below is an article we saw on ClicZ.com written by Todd Krieger. 

Investing in Online Video's Value

By Todd Krieger , October 17, 2008

World markets are collapsing, so why should digital marketers smile?

Because this is the time to make your mark.

Forget for a second the abject terror we greet each day with right now. Forget the phenomenal amount of column inches devoted to making this current spate of horrific economic news the equivalent of "Nightmare on Elm Street" meets "Halloween" meets "Friday the 13th." Forget all that. In an economic crises, there's a move to value. Witness Warren Buffet, often hailed as the world's greatest investor, not tucking his money under a mattress but investing in the bluest of blue chips -- General Electric and Goldman Sachs.

Now, more than ever, is the time to truly present the value of working in online video to our respective clients. As a friend of mine said the other night, TV is essentially a marketplace where advertisers spend money on content people may or may not be watching. While the numbers can be huge -- and all the more so when the DVR audience is included -- it's still unclear if ads are being watched or skipped and whether the audience is actually being reached.

Yet when it comes to online, nothing could be further from the truth. To watch video online, you must find it, select it, and quite possibly interact in some way for the stream to continue. This very high level of activity demonstrates just how valuable the audience is and how, despite the gloom and doom surrounding all things commerce these days, there's no better time to dig deep and articulate the value of the work we're all collectively doing.

Just as the writer's strike begat a spike in online video creation and consumption, so too will this seismic economic shift. It's necessary to keep budgets small, as there's no credit out there to leverage for a massive production. And online video is by definition small.

Moreover, as everybody on Wall Street and in Washington, DC, point fingers to figure out who takes the blame in a Keystone Kops fashion, the word "accountability" surfaces time and again. Another key strength of our market.

Sure, you can look for the nearest bridge to hurl yourself off of, as you consider the crater that was your 401(k) account and think that none of this will work. But nothing could be further from the truth. For in chaotic times such as these, a clear message of value -- well articulated and accountable -- will help marketers not only survive but quite possibly thrive.

Congrads to our Israeli Neighbors!

It was extremely exciting to see so many great Israeli Hi-Tech companies participate in the TechCrunch50. Mazel Tov to all and I hope you are all very successful!

Here is the link to the article on TechCrunch

From our friends at: Small Business Labs - Online Video Continues to Boom

Check out this great post by Small Business Labs on online video. Across the net people continue to scream that online video is the way of the future and we couldn't agree with that more.

Some websites just don’t get how easy it is to make money. I don’t understand it. I really don’t.

Let me give you an example.

I love my Crocs. I’m not embarrassed to admit it. I love the comfort factor and I love the way the rain cools my toes as the water seeps through the holes. Oh, and I love the way my nephew finds them fascinating. He loves putting his fingers through the holes and tickling my toes.

Much like I’m sure you do, I often run a Yahoo search for things that I like. Today, I ran a search for Crocs. One of the first results that came up was a recent Slate Magazine article on them.

Like a camel drawn to water, I lapped up the article in its entirety. The article was your standard ‘why does anyone wear these ugly, yet wholly comfortable shoes’ article. I’m familiar with the type and love reading them because I find it amusing to see something that I enjoy bother other people so much.

Throughout the article, the author embedded various links in the text to give a fuller picture of the products described in her article. There were links to Crocs as well as some of their competitors.

From what I saw, none of the links were affiliate links. I can’t understand why not. It’s easy money.

Aside from that, the author mentions that she walked into Paragon Sports in

New York

to purchase a pair. Does this author not know that Qoof has a Usermercial program with Paragon Sports?

If she doesn’t want to pick up the easy money, then someone else should. Crocs are a hot summer item and they are flying off the shelves. Make a Usermercial, upload it to our site and drive traffic. If you see anyone from Slate Magazine on the street, let them know what they are missing. Show off your cool Crocs while you’re at it too.