Technology has made it incredibly easy to shop from the comfort of one’s home. But let’s face it, it’s hard to know exactly how well a product will work for you when you don’t have the item in front of you. You need to see how it works and how it looks when it’s in motion.
To combat this problem, live e-commerce solutions have evolved. Many sites are now seeing the wisdom of utilizing interactive video marketing strategies. While a household name like Amazon likely comes to mind first, there are other platforms that are very effectively utilizing live video shopping solutions for e-commerce. Four platforms that offer live shopping solutions for businesses are Bambuser, Instagram, Livescale, and Spin. In this post, we will examine each of these services and which solution is best for certain businesses.
Bambuser
Bambuser offers a service in which you can maintain a live stream with those who visit your site, while they are able to browse, ask questions in a live chat, and make purchases all while you are maintaining your stream. The site seamlessly combines an interactive video with the easy ability to see the items of interest being used and discussed. It’s the next best thing to seeing the products in person.
The site offers a “one-to-many” option, in which you can host a live video event and anyone can join the stream to ask questions, provide likes and other reactions to the products. This lets you know how customers are feeling about your products and what you may need to change or promote on a large scale.
Bambuser’s features are attractive, but one bane is their high costs and lack of flexibility. Clients are limited in terms of the user experience of the features and require prior knowledge of developing.
BeLive Technology
One of the best live shopping solutions for businesses, BeLive Technology is the solution with the most expertise in the live streaming sector. They started as a consumer-facing live streaming app before shifting their focus to providing premium live streaming technology and features to businesses.
BeLive’s clients are no laughing matter. This Singaporean company developed and powers Rakuten Japan’s social live streaming and shopping app. Changi Airport Group and Suntec City also used BeLive’s live shopping technology for their live shopping festivals in 2020.
Powered by BeLive Technology, Changi Airport’s live shopping series during lockdown allowed local users to purchase DFS products from the live stream instantly
BeLive’s live shopping solution for businesses covers the most essential features and more. Being a white-label solution, they customize every feature according to the client’s needs. Their solution also covers end-to-end, which means from the design stages to the development, testing, and marketing stages.
Instagram is one of the most used apps currently available. The live streaming service on Instagram is incredibly effective for selling items, as live stories are immediately promoted to the front of the “stories” queue, and followers are alerted when an account goes live.
In 2018 Instagram added a “shop” and “checkout” feature. If you elect to set up these free services for your business through Instagram, your customers will be able to see items they may wish to purchase and complete the transaction with one simple tap, never having to leave the app. This feature is positioned at the bottom portion of the screen during a live broadcast.
Instagram’s shopping features would be best suited for smaller businesses that are still experimenting with their live streaming strategy. Their features are basic and simple enough to serve their purpose, but over time businesses can find themselves limited in features and flexibility. Additionally, using a mainstream social media app also means the business would have to compete with other content existing in the app.
Livescale
Livescale implemented its live shopping solution in 2019. The service is multi-dimensional, including the ability to create customized live shopping experiences for customers, while also offering support and mentoring solutions such as monthly webinars and one-on-one support to ensure that your business is using best practices in your live e-commerce strategy.
The service boasts the ability to increase engagement and to “transform your audience into a community.” Additionally, Livescale integrates with Shopify, one of the best e-commerce platforms currently available.
Spin
Spin is yet another option for live online shopping. The service allows you to host your own event, while also giving you the option to have influencers host an event for your business. Customers can watch the videos, ask questions, and interact with the influencers or the host during the live stream.
Also, the video is available for 48 hours after the live stream, for those customers who may not have been able to attend at the time of filming. Spin allows users and businesses alike to have a seamless experience by merging “merchandising, checkout, payment, and community” into a single video experience. The site also integrates with multiple other e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Wix.
Bottom Line
Live shopping is a worthy investment for businesses, and those lagging behind will definitely lose out. When reviewing live shopping solutions, businesses need to keep in mind these questions: Is this solution sustainable for your business in the long run? Does this solution serve all of your needs easily? How flexible is this solution if you need to make changes?
The online world is constantly changing, but one thing remains certain: live stream ecommerce isn’t going anywhere. If your business is ready to make that next move, contact BeLive Technology for a free consultation on premium live shopping features.
