Smart Placement, Bigger Profits: Where to Place Shoppable Video

So you’ve got your free shoppable video account - go you! 🙌

With shoppable video, you can take any video asset you’ve got, tag products, and add it to any page of your website, using one of Ghost’s preset display widgets. 

This…brings up a whole lot of choices. What pages should your videos go on? How many videos should there be per page? What type of widget works best for what type of message? Or page for that matter? 

Enter this very helpful guide to all things shoppable video placement. In it, we’ll walk through the different types of shoppable video you can create, and some of the best ways to use and place them. 

Have questions? You can always connect with us for a free video commerce strategy session. 

Shoppable Video Display Widgets Breakdown

First up, let’s break down the different types of shoppable video display widgets available. You can update your video display widget at any time in your Ghost dashboard, and changes will automatically be applied to the front end of your site.

The idea behind having multiple widgets is simple: You get maximum freedom to choose how your interactive videos can come to life on your site. 

Now let’s take a look at your options:

1. Carousels: Videos appear as a horizontal line of tiles, with the first video having an auto-animation action. When a shopper hovers any other videos, they’ll get an animated preview of that video as well. 
2. Floating Videos: You can feature your video collections through a single floating widget that lives in the bottom right corner of your screen - a hyper eye-catching spot for any messages you want to spotlight.
3. In-Line Videos: Place a shoppable video anywhere on your site and let shoppers click through videos with no pop-ups or expanding widgets. 

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Shoppable Video Collections

Throughout this guide, you’ll see us reference collections. With Ghost’s free shoppable video tool, after you’ve uploaded videos, you can add them to the collection of your choice. One video can be in as many collections as you like, and a collection can contain as many videos as you like. 

Let’s break that down a little. First, why would you want to create collections?

Generally speaking, shoppable videos - no matter how they’re displayed - often perform best when you put similar content together. Think about TikTok’s For You Page (FYP) and how it curates content it thinks you’ll like. When it comes to creating shoppable video collections, you’re playing the role of curator. 

Someone shopping for women’s jeans probably isn’t going to be as interested in toddler pajamas if that’s the next video - so maybe skip putting those two clips side-by-side. A smarter bet would be to have a collection of women’s jeans videos that appears on any denim PDPs, or on the collection page for denim. 

But let’s say in your denim video collection, you’re also spotlighting a pair of new kick flare cropped jeans. That same video can be in the denim video collection, and in a collection highlighting new releases. 

The point of collections is to ultimately gather like videos together, and then choose which collections appear on what pages throughout your site. 

A little tip: A collection can be limited to a single video, if you wish. This might make sense for say, a floating or in-line widget, where you really only want to serve up a single video.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the different types of shoppable video widgets available.

Carousel Shoppable Videos

A carousel consists of multiple videos strung together - but your shoppers can choose which exact video they want to watch first. Once they’ve selected a video, they can swipe (on mobile) or click (on desktop) to get to the next video. 

Carousels are a creative way to kickstart the browsing journey. Instead of looking at a wall of static product images, shoppers can easily choose a video that catches their eye, and navigate between multiple videos with a single gesture. 

Plus, carousels are helpful for merchandisers and marketers, because you can put some strategic thought into what videos go together. For example, a carousel on one page might feature all UGC, while a carousel on another page might feature your bestsellers across the entire site. 

In general, carousels are best for collections of videos. Yes, you can gather your favorite videos together in a carousel and slap it anywhere on your site. But the best way to think of a carousel is an opportunity for a shopper to go deeper on a topic - even if that topic is as broad as something like ‘new releases’. The more random your carousel, the more likely someone is to click out of it, so give shoppers the chance to get more of the content they’re most interested in, all in one spot.

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Pro tips for carousels:

• Think about the order of your videos: Shoppers can click on them in any order and will be looped through, but they will always go in order after their first click
• Swap out carousel videos: Change it up! If you see a video is performing better than others, or you have new items you want to promote, don’t be afraid to change up what videos are featured in each carousel. 
• You can post unlimited videos per carousel: Yes the possibility of creating a seemingly ‘infinite’ wormhole of videos is possible with the carousel widget. If you have 100 product videos, you can add all 100 of them to a single carousel. 

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Carousel Shoppable Video Use Cases

Here’s some of our favorite ways to use carousel videos. Need even more use case inspiration for your videos? Check out our video ideas guide, packed with over 300+ smart video ideas for every industry.

Product videos 

Drop multiple product videos into a single carousel, whether it’s different videos for the same product or multiple products. The videos don’t all have to be the same, but they should have something in common that’ll keep people watching - and buying!

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Bestsellers 

Give new and returning customers a creative way to browse your site and be taken right to the good stuff. Spotlight your top-selling products in a single carousel placed toward the beginning of a shopper’s journey.

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New releases 

Spotlight the latest and greatest from your brand by promoting all new products in a single carousel. We love this one for your home page or the top of your collection pages!

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Seasonal collections 

Promote like or related items in a carousel to make it easy to browse through specific themes related to a specific season. For example, you could create collections for “Halloween Decor” or “Winter Boots”. 

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Sub-category videos 

Take a broader category - like jeans or TVs - and provide a video for different sub-categories to help shoppers understand how to narrow down their choices. A clothing store could showcase a video for each cut of jean - wide, straight, skinny, flared - showcasing the different styles and recommendations for body types. 

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Evergreen promotional content 

Feature a carousel that keeps giving year-round, whether it’s how-to videos on using your products or spotlight features on your brand's mission and history. This type of carousel is not season-specific but is always valuable to both newcomers and loyal customers alike.

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User-generated content 

Leverage the power of social proof by showcasing a carousel of user-generated content. From try-on hauls to unboxings, let your customers do the talking and show off your products in action. This carousel should serve as a vibrant, trust-building zone on your website.

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Style guides + lookbooks

Help customers visualize a H2T look by using carousels to showcase style guides or lookbooks. Each video could spotlight a different outfit or style, making it easier for shoppers to envision and purchase the entire ensemble from head to toe.

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Gift guides

Holiday or event coming up? Create a carousel of gift guide videos to help customers find the perfect presents for any occasion—be it Christmas, Mother’s Day, or a milestone birthday. Each video can feature a curated set of products that fit the event’s theme.

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Recipe tutorials

For food and cooking brands, carousels can work as swipeable recipe books. Each video can guide the viewer through the cooking process of a different dish, with direct links to individual product pages for ingredients or cookware used.

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Travel guides

If you're in the travel or outdoor sector, use carousels to group videos by destination or activity. Whether it's "Best Beach Getaways" or "Mountain Hiking Essentials," these video carousels can provide a richer browsing experience and help viewers journey through their options more effectively.

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Home decor inspiration

For those in the home and living niche, carousels can be an ideal way to showcase home decor inspirations. Display different themes like "Modern Living," "Boho Chic," or "Minimalist Spaces," allowing shoppers to explore and shop directly from their preferred aesthetic video feed.

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Fitness and workout routines

For fitness brands, carousels are a great way to assemble workout routines or highlight different types of exercise equipment. Create videos for categories like "HIIT Workouts," "Yoga Essentials," or "Strength Training," linking viewers directly to the products they'll need to get started.

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Floating Widget Shoppable Videos

Get your float on with our new floating widget. You can place the floating widget anywhere on your site as an eye-catching way to drop people into your shoppable video experience.

A floating widget may appear as a single video, but you can link to multi-video collections, just like you would in a carousel. The difference is, you choose the video you want your customers to view first, and they can choose to browse as much as they’d like from there. 

If you want your shoppable videos to take up less space, or appear in an unexpected way on the page, then floating widgets are the way to go. 

Pro tips for floating widgets:

• Universal or specific pages: The choice is yours! If there’s a key message you want on every page, a floating widget can be the easiest way to do it. 
• Watch and shop: Shoppers don’t actually have to click into the floating widget to experience it. Your first video will loop until they click on it, and the audio can be muted or unmuted, meaning shoppers can browse and learn at the same time. 
• Single or multiple videos: Floating widgets display a single video, and there’s no shame in only linking to a single video. But you can also link to a collection of videos, just like you would with a carousel.

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Floating Widget Use Cases

Want to float on with us? These are some of our favorite ways to use a floating widget:

Welcome message 

Roll out the red carpet for new visitors by providing a helpful welcome message that introduces your brand. Link shoppers to your bestsellers or an introduction page to help them learn more. 

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Founder messages or stories

Put a face to your brand by having your founder appear on camera, sharing their brand story, entrepreneur journey, or simply their favorite picks. Shoppers love connecting with the brands they shop with and video is an easy way to share your story en masse. 

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Flash sales and promotions

Promote your best deals, offers, and bundles using shoppable video. Create an enticing feature video that promotes your sale and get people clicking in to access savings in an interactive way.

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Style guides

If you offer fashion or home decor products, a floating widget can be the perfect way to deliver style guides directly to your audience. The widget can feature a video showcasing how to mix and match outfits or stylize a room, encouraging viewers to browse and shop the whole look right there.

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Book an appointment

Run a service-based business or personal styling sessions? Use the floating widget to simplify the appointment booking process. Your video can explain the services you offer, and a clickable link can guide viewers to your appointment scheduling page for a seamless experience.

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Virtual personal shopping

Turn the shopping process into a personalized journey. Use the floating widget to offer one-on-one live personal shopping sessions. The widget can host a brief video "commercial" that explains how the service works. From there, viewers can click to book an appointment with a personal shopper to help guide their choices.

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Virtual tours

In the real estate sector? Use Ghost's floating widget to offer virtual tours of property listings. The video can give viewers a walkthrough of the property, and if interested, they can explore more videos or get in touch for further details—all without leaving the widget.

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Spotlight livestream content

Hosting a live event or webinar? Utilize the floating widget as a mini-promo space. Feature a teaser video that highlights what attendees can expect, along with a "RSVP Now" or "Join Us Live" button that takes users directly to the event page.

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Customer reviews and testimonials

Social proof is invaluable for any business. Use a floating widget to show off customer testimonials or reviews. A curated video can feature happy customers sharing their positive experiences, bolstering trust and encouraging new visitors to take the plunge.

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In-Line Shoppable Videos

Want to keep the shopping experience on the same page as your products or collections? No problem. You can embed an in-line video anywhere on your site that still gives viewers the ability to click into more videos that are part of a collection.  

In-line videos are a great way to swap out static photos for engaging videos - doubly so when they actually inspire interactivity with the ability to click into a specific element featured in the video. 

If you want your videos to just organically appear to be part of your webpage content, your best format bet is going to be in-line videos. 

Pro tips for in-line widgets:

• Go for multiples: You can add more than one in-line video per page. Point to a single video to focus your message, or link to a multi-video collection to drive home more insight.
• Get flexible with your design: The beauty of in-line videos is they can be placed anywhere on any page. Drop shoppers into an interactive queue of videos of your choice - from UGC to demos - without taking up space. 

In-Line Widget Use Cases

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Product closeups and comparisons

Make your PDPs come to life by adding in-line videos that provide a closer look at the products in question. Help shoppers overcome indecision by comparing similar products within a video and spotlighting which one might be right for them.

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Demos and tutorials

Make the user journey as informative as possible by incorporating in-line demo videos. These can showcase how a product works, its key features, or how to assemble it, all of which can be navigated easily with the widget's arrow buttons.

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User-generated content

Inject authenticity into your webpage by using in-line videos of real customers unboxing products, trying on clothes, or giving reviews. This offers new shoppers a more relatable perspective on your offerings.

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Customer testimonials

Highlight satisfied customers with in-line video testimonials placed strategically on your page. This allows prospective customers to gain insights from those who have already benefited from your products or services.

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FAQs

Answer common questions about your products by hosting FAQ videos via the in-line widget. It's a dynamic way to provide valuable information without navigating away from the product page.

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Product recommendations

If you've got items that pair well together, why not feature them in an in-line video? A quick recommendation video can guide viewers to related products, increasing both customer satisfaction and average order value.

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Style guides

Take your styling advice to the next level with in-line style guides. Use this widget to show customers how to get the most out of their purchases, be it clothing, furniture, or even tech gadgets.

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Behind-the-scenes footage

Let your audience in on how the magic happens with behind-the-scenes videos. Whether it's the making of a product or a day in the life at your company, in-line videos make these insights easily accessible.

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Blog or article educational content

Utilize in-line videos within your content to break down complex subjects or to offer a more in-depth explanation. You can even include links to further resources within the video for a more comprehensive learning experience that keeps people on your site for longer.

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Team bios

Introduce your team to your audience by featuring short bio videos using the in-line widget. It adds a personal touch and allows visitors to get to know the people behind the brand. Plus, you can layout your bios as a grid of interactive videos, instead of static headshots and written bios.

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Comparative reviews

If you sell products that are often compared to competitors', why not tackle it head-on? Use in-line videos for comparative reviews to show how your product stacks up, making the choice simpler for your customers.

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Where to Place Shoppable Video

Now that you understand everything about the shoppable video widgets available to you and the way collections work, your next question is probably: OK, but what widgets work best on what pages?

The short answer is - whatever will help your shoppers learn more about your products at the right time in their shopping journey. 

That being said, there is some strategy behind which widgets are best suited for which pages. Let’s break it down!

Home Page

Carousel 

Your home page is like a store display window; make the most of it to draw people in! Video is a great way to capture imagination and give new and returning shoppers alike a helpful place to start their shopping journey. And with a full carousel of videos to choose from, you don’t have to worry about finding the exact right video that will appeal to EVERY shopper. When it comes to choosing a collection for your home page carousel widget, we recommend spotlighting your bestsellers or new arrivals to give shoppers a logical ‘first click’. 

Floating

Drop a founder’s greeting or welcome message for shoppers to click into when they first land on your site. It’s a non-invasive but personal way to add video to your site and capture the imagination of shoppers from the get go. 

Category / Collection Pages

Carousel

If your collections have hundreds of items in them, make it easier for shoppers to navigate by adding a carousel to the top of a collection page. For example, an electronics store could add a carousel of videos that break down different camera types and who they’re best suited for, giving shoppers an idea of how to filter or shop from there.

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In-Line

Break up an endless grid of static product images by spotlighting featured products in your in-line shoppable videos. You can even sell these spaces for ad revenue!

Gallery Pages

Carousel

Highlight a whole new way to shop by creating a gallery page featuring different video collection carousels. Instead of browsing through individual collection or carousel pages, your shoppers can click on whatever videos catch their eye - and shop from there. 

Product Pages (PDPs)

Carousel

Add a carousel to the bottom of your PDPs that provides the validation shoppers are looking for. Highlight UGC, demos, or use cases to take shoppers from consideration to checking out.

In-Line

Shine a spotlight on your product’s best features by incorporating in-line shoppable video. You can also use these videos to cross-sell products - promote what the shopper is looking at, plus another product they might want to consider adding to their cart.

Global

Floating

You can make your floating widgets universal to the entire site, meaning no matter what page a shopper lands on (or navigates to) they’ll have the opportunity to hear from you. We recommend this for founder greetings or promotional offers you really want to shine a spotlight on.

About Us / Contact

Floating

If a shopper lands on your about us or contact page, they’re probably looking for more information about your brand. Give them a rundown by dropping in a floating video with your founder or company story.

In-Line

Embed videos on your about us page that give visitors a glimpse behind the scenes. Walk through the manufacturing process, speak to how your business got started, or highlight a social cause that’s close to your heart, like charity or environmentalism. 

Blogs / Content 

In-Line 

Make your blog content pop by adding video instead of static or stock images. Give shoppers more to watch and learn from while they’re diving into your content.

Conclusion

As you can see, there’s a million and one ways to add shoppable video to your site. Need a helping hand? You can always book a free strategy session with our team where we’ll talk through your goals, budget, and audience - and some crafty ideas we have for where shoppable video makes the most sense to be added to your site. 

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