Does the addition of item Videos make a difference to sales?

[westmoreland_steam]

I sometimes add a video clip to listings - for example, a short clip to demonstrate a working music box / metronome, but I wonder what the effect has been to other sellers?

I've seen listings with a long video and very little else, recently  and would welcome other Buyers' thoughts on the use of videos in adverts and whether the addition of a clip has improved sales etc

Any other benefits/ drawbacks would be interesting too - thank you

[jokers_toybox]

If nothing else it proves an item was working when you sent it, I did toy with doing 360 degree videos of an item but felt pics did it better and quicker 

[westmoreland_steam]

Yes, I did consider that too, but photos are quicker and easier, in my opinion 

[bravergrace]

Whether videos make a difference to sales could mean:

- Are buyers more likely to buy if they see the video?

- Do eBay search results give priority to listings with videos?

I don't sell the sort of thing where a video is helpful, so I can't comment on that.

However, I have experimented with the search result effect - by putting a short and pointless video clip on to a few dozen items.  They didn't get any more views than the non-video items.  So I think, at any rate in my categories (clothes, accessories and books), listings with videos don't get more exposure.

[m25jet]

Personallly I would advocate including both on the listing.  The benefit of including photos is that they may get the interest of somebody with a short attention span who may not bother to read the item description and/or watch a video of the item, but a series of high quality photos showing the item from several different angles may make him or her interested enough to look at the advertisement further.

Videos also have their own benefits, especially in marketing.  Given that you can see the subject matter moving and also hear any noises that it makes, it creates a stronger image in the memory of the observer by stimulating more neural pathways than a static image alone.

In conclusion I would say that it would be beneficial to include both options in the listing, as well as including a well-written item description.  The more information you can provide the better, whether in the form of photographs, videos, or a typed up item description describing the item to the best of your abilities.  Utilise as many options as possible when creating a listing - if you can really make your own listings stand out from those of your rivals then you could potentially end up placing yourself in a far stronger position, which may in turn result in more sales of the items that you have listed for sale on the site.

[plpmr]

"If nothing else it proves an item was working when you sent it"

Unfortunately it does not.

[messier44000]

Does the addition of item Videos make a difference to sales?

Yes - When you put them on you-tube with a link to buy in the description.

Other than time it costs nothing, and gets me £1000s in extra sales per month.

How do I know that ?. Website stats showing where the buyer came from, and / or

buyers contacting me to say thanks for the great video and helped them 

with their choice.

Just looked up how to use a miners lamp, for example as per one of your listings.

50k+ views on some.

1st page of google also shows links to YT.

I know I keep banging on about it many times, and may not work for everyone.

But does for me + its a monetized channel for extra earnings (for free) 

[forestfeline62]

I have occassionally put a short video on a listing to prove that it is working ,such as a clock or a music box and it did seem to help sell them better for me personally ,also you have proof the item was working if the buyer says it isn't .