Online shoppers can’t pick up a product, try it on or ask a salesperson how it works. Ecommerce explainer videos help fill that gap. A short animated video can show what a product does, who it’s for and how to use it, often more quickly than a long product description can. For many online stores, that makes animation a practical way to answer buyers’ questions before they reach the checkout.
Text and photos still matter, but they can struggle to show movement, scale or a process with several steps. Animation can. With a clear script, simple visuals and a friendly voiceover, an animated explainer can walk viewers through your product and your brand story in one place.
Because every frame is designed rather than filmed, a custom animated video can be shaped around your brand’s colours, tone and audience, and a scene can often be updated later when a product or policy changes.
Below, we look at four places where custom animated explainer videos fit in an online store: sparking interest in a product, demonstrating how it works, guiding customers through buying and building trust in your brand. Whether you’re launching a new shop or refreshing an established one, these are the places where a video is most likely to be useful.
Generating Product Interest with Captivating Videos
In a crowded online marketplace, first impressions count. A custom animated explainer video can spark curiosity about your products by showing them in a creative, attention-grabbing way.
To capture viewers’ interest, focus on the features and benefits that matter most to your target audience and build them into a simple storyline. Animation lets you bring a product to life, show it in the setting where it’s used and connect it to the problem it solves. A video that makes the benefit obvious gives viewers a reason to keep exploring your store.
Demonstrating Product Usage and Functionality
One of the challenges that e-commerce businesses face is the inability of their customers to physically interact with their products before making a purchase. Custom animated explainer videos can help bridge this gap by effectively demonstrating product usage and functionality, allowing customers to understand how the product would integrate into their lives and meet their needs.
Create short product demos that show how your products work, step by step. Animation can zoom in on a small part, show the inside of a product or slow a process down so it’s easy to follow. Clear visuals and instructions can answer common questions before they become reasons to hesitate.
Keep demonstrations honest. Canada’s Competition Bureau explains that when deciding whether a representation is false or misleading, a court must take into account the general impression it conveys, as well as its literal meaning. In an animated demo, that means showing your product doing what it actually does, at a realistic size and speed, rather than an exaggerated version customers won’t recognize when the box arrives.
Streamlining the Customer Journey
A smooth shopping experience matters as much as the product itself. Custom animated explainer videos can make the buying process easier to follow, from onboarding new customers and explaining your return policy to answering frequently asked questions in a clear, concise way.
Consider a short series of videos covering different parts of the customer journey, such as checkout, shipping and delivery, or how a loyalty program works. Place each one where customers need it: on product and help pages, in order emails and in social media videos for your store’s followers. Making these steps easier to understand can reduce confusion and leave customers more comfortable coming back.
Bolstering Your Brand’s Credibility and Authority
Trust matters in any online business, especially when shoppers are comparing several stores. Animated explainer videos can show your brand’s expertise and the care that goes into your products, giving customers more reasons to feel confident buying from you.
Use video to share your brand’s story, vision and mission. Genuine customer testimonials, case studies or awards can be featured too, as long as they’re accurate and you have permission to use them. Educational content such as tutorials and helpful tips can also show that you know your niche.
Providing useful content consistently is one way a store shows customers it can be trusted.
Making Ecommerce Explainer Videos Part of Your Strategy
Custom animated explainer videos give online businesses an engaging way to show their products, simplify the customer journey and build credibility. Planned around your customers’ real questions and placed where they make decisions, they can become a useful, reusable part of your marketing.
If you’re starting out, pick one product or one common question, keep the video short and watch how viewers respond. That keeps your first project focused and gives you real feedback before you plan more ecommerce explainer videos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an ecommerce explainer video?
It’s a short video, often animated, that explains a product or the shopping experience for an online store. It might show what a product does, how to use it, or how ordering, shipping and returns work, so shoppers get answers without leaving the page.
Where should explainer videos go on an online store?
Product pages are a natural place for them, close to the description and the add-to-cart button. Videos can also work on your homepage, help or FAQ pages, in order and onboarding emails, and as shorter cuts for social media.
Should an ecommerce video be animated or filmed?
It depends on the product. Filming can be the clearest way to show texture or fit. Animation is often a better choice when you want to show how something works inside, explain a process or a service, or show a product that’s still being made. Our studio works in animation, and we’re happy to tell you if we think filming would suit your product better.
Can an explainer video show a product before it’s manufactured?
Yes. Because animation is built from designs rather than footage, it can show a product from drawings or prototypes, which can help with a launch or pre-orders. The video should still match what customers will actually receive, so plan to update it if the final product changes.
Get Started on Your Ecommerce Video with Epic Video Factory
At Epic Video Factory, we write, design and animate custom explainer videos for online stores and other businesses in Toronto and across the GTA. Our explainer video production starts with your products and your customers’ questions, and our animated commercials can turn the same story into shorter ads. Call us at 1-888-590-5796 or request a consultation to talk through what you sell and who you want to reach.
