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Live Shopping Essentials: The 2024 E-Commerce Guide

December 10, 2023

What is live shopping and what can it do for brands?

Live shopping is revolutionizing the world of e-commerce. Emphasized by certain digitalization trends, it is improving the user experience on e-commerce sites, boosting sales andincreasing customer loyalty. Follow our 2024 guide to Live Shopping for your e-commerce!

What is live shopping?

Live shopping is a concept that combines live video broadcasting and online purchasing. Users can watch real-time videos showcasing products, ask questions and make purchases without leaving the platform. Live shopping was first popular in China, where it became extremely popular thanks to applications such as Taobao Live and JD.com. Since then, it has spread to other parts of the world, notably Europe and the United States.

a woman presenting ready-to-wear products in Live Shopping

Live Commerce, by its other name, has grown rapidly, thanks in part to the increasing popularity of social media platforms and changing consumer habits (online shopping, health contexts closing stores). Shoppers are increasingly looking for personalized and interactive shopping and interactive shopping experiences, and live shopping meets this demand by offering engaging content and an enhanced, humanized shopping experience. humanized. Live Shopping is therefore becoming an indispensable tool in any effective marketing strategy, enabling a brand to get its products adopted.

Who's betting on Live Shopping?

Many brands have taken the plunge with Live Shopping, and use this tool on a regular basis. They collaborate with influencers and experts to present these live sessions, enabling them to attract a wider audience and increase engagement. These experts play a crucial role in the success of a live shopping session, providing their analysis, while humanizing the presentation of products, making the shopping experience more appealing to consumers.

Live Shopping view of the Orange cell phone brand for Christmas 2023
Orange Live Shopping in December 2023

Caast has more than 100 customers and has carried out more than 1,000 Live Shopping events in all areas of retail and e-commerce:

  • multimedia,
  • IT,
  • household appliances,
  • mass distribution,
  • culture,
  • cosmetics,
  • technologies,
  • ready-to-wear,
  • mobility

Leading retailers such as Norauto, Leclerc, Boulanger and Sephora have all adopted Live Shopping.

Current trends and future prospects in live shopping

Live shopping continues to evolve and adapt to changing consumer preferences and technological developments.

A number of Live Shopping solutions companies and brands are working on various innovative topics:

  • the integration of augmented reality (AR ) into live videos to enable users to virtually try out products before buying them,
  • the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to personalize product recommendations.
  • diversifying their live content, offering tutorials, demonstrations and special events.

In the future, it is likely that live shopping will continue to develop in sectors with few live-shopping companies, such as cosmetics and beauty. Brands and solution providers will need to stay on top of trends and innovations to take full advantage of this growth opportunity.

If Live Shopping is a solution for e-commerce sites, it can also be used in a"Drive-to-Store" logic for in-store collection.

The benefits of live shopping for brands and retailers

Enhanced customer engagement through live shopping

Live shopping enables brands to create a stronger bond with their customers by offering an interactive and personalized shopping experience during the broadcast and available replay videos. Consumers can ask questions directly to the presenters and get answers in real time, boosting trust and engagement. Live shopping sessions are also an opportunity for brands to showcase their products in a more authentic way, demonstrating how they work and addressing customer concerns.

Live Shopping with a salesperson and an expert who cook and use a product to sell it.
Boulanger Live Shopping featuring a food processor product expert and a consultant host

In addition, brands can leverage the potential of influencers to increase customer engagement: they can mobilize their communities, which are likely to be interested in recommended products and interact with the brand. By collaborating with influencers, brands can benefit from increased consumer exposure and engagement.

Stimulate sales and increase average shopping basket with live shopping

Live shopping offers considerable potential for boosting sales and increasing the average consumer basket. Live sessions create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, encouraging shoppers to act quickly and make more spontaneous purchases. This prevents shoppers from going to the end of the buying process, without leaving a full basket without confirming the order. In addition, presenters can highlight special offers and promotions to encourage purchases during the session.

The interactive nature of live shopping also enables brands to respond to customer objections in real time, which can help convert hesitations into sales. Brands can use live shopping to present product launches, offer expert advice and answer customer questions, facilitating the buying decision process and leading to increased sales.

Improve brand awareness and image with live shopping

From a marketing strategy point of view, live shopping can also help improve brand awareness and image, enabling companies to stand out from the competition and create a unique shopping experience. Live shopping sessions offer brands a platform to share their story and values, while presenting their products in a creative and engaging way. This entertainment-oriented Live Branding experience enables guests to use a product without presenting it in detail. It's a great way to raise awareness of a new brand or range, and establish the brand's image right away.

By choosing the right influencers and creating interactive content, brands can reinforce their image with consumers and increase brand awareness. Live shopping can also help create lasting relationships with customers, offering them a memorable shopping experience that encourages them to return, recommend the brand to friends and family, and follow the brand on Social Networks.

a female expert or influencer testifying live

Keys to success in live shopping

Choosing the right platform and presenters for successful live shopping

To succeed in live shopping, it's essential to choose the right platform and the right influencers: it's all part of your sales and marketing strategy. Brands need to consider their target audience and objectives when selecting a live shopping solution. It's also important to choose guests and presenters who match the brand's image, and who have an engaged fan base interested in the products on offer.

Once the platform and guests have been chosen, brands need to work closely with them to plan and prepare the live shopping sessions. This can include defining objectives, creating a scenario and coordinating logistical aspects such as shipping and inventory management.

a tablet presenting the prompter for a live broadcast

Several platforms are available for Live Shopping:

  • Your own boutique site
  • Your distributors' e-commerce sites
  • Your social networks

It's important to point out that video broadcasting on social networks enables an audience acquisition strategy through the Social Media community, but does not enable direct sales on the network. In this case, you need to include an invitation to watch the live video on your e-commerce site to turn these Social Media audiences into potential buyers.

Create engaging, interactive video content to capture consumers' attention

Content is king in live shopping: it's crucial to create engaging, interactive videos to capture consumers' attention.‍

Brands need to develop different concepts to keep viewers interested throughout the session, and thus guarantee a positive impact on sales:

  • engaging product presentations
  • live demonstrations
  • question-and-answer sessions.

It's also important to encourage interaction between viewers and presenters, using features such as polls, games and contests to encourage users to get involved and stay engaged throughout the session. By offering an interactive and entertaining experience, brands can maximize consumer engagement and increase the chances of converting viewers into buyers.

Measure and analyze performance to optimize live shopping results

Finally, to succeed in live shopping, it's essential to measure and analyze results in order to optimize performance. Brands need to track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as views, interactions, sales and average basket to assess the effectiveness of their live shopping sessions.

By analyzing this data, brands can identify the strengths and weaknesses of their live shopping sessions, and make adjustments to improve future results. This can include content modifications, influencer strategy adjustments or platform changes if necessary. Companies like Caast.tv can also help with this analysis as a complement to the installation of the Live Shopping solution.

In short, live shopping is an innovative and fast-growing opportunity for brands wishing to offer a human and engaging shopping experience to their customers. By understanding the trends and major players in the sector, harnessing the benefits of live shopping and applying the best practices for success, brands can take full advantage of this emerging trend and stand out in the competitive e-commerce landscape. Live Shopping in 2024 is therefore the essential tool to integrate into your marketing, sales and social media strategy, enabling you to sell your products even more effectively from your online store.