As eCommerce is projected to account for nearly 25% of global retail sales by 2025, with U.S. eCommerce sales anticipated to surpass $1 trillion for the first time, brands are facing a competitive landscape. To stand out, merchants are innovating their shopping experiences to drive purchases. Inspired by trends in Asia, live commerce—or shoppable live streaming—has gained traction in the U.S., propelled by intuitive platforms like eStreamly.
Utilizing Amazon Web Services (AWS) solutions, including the Amazon Interactive Video Service (Amazon IVS)—a managed live streaming solution designed for swift and simple setup—eStreamly enables retailers to seamlessly incorporate live commerce into their existing content channels. eStreamly’s co-founder and CTO, James Parker, chose Amazon IVS after careful consideration of various cloud providers. “No other service matched the capabilities of Amazon IVS. The ease of integration and advanced AWS solutions allowed us to hit the ground running,” Parker noted.
Launched publicly in October 2021, eStreamly has been refining its offerings, now featuring interactive elements such as audience polls and simultaneous video streams. Retailers can enhance their websites and apps using Amazon IVS to create live streams that offer high-quality video with shoppable links, allowing purchases without leaving the stream.
Implementing a live stream strategy not only boosts conversion rates but also reduces returns as customers gain a clearer understanding of the products. “Typically, eCommerce conversion rates hover around 3%,” explained eStreamly co-founder and CEO, Sarah Johnson. “However, our retailers see an average of 17%, with some achieving up to 47%. This reflects the power of an engaged audience.”
During an eStreamly live stream featuring an Italian coffee brand, 11.1% of viewers made a purchase—a not unusual outcome. A subsequent live stream by the same brand demonstrated even greater potential, with a staggering 29.4% conversion rate, and a 61% growth in audience size post-event.
eStreamly harnesses Amazon IVS’s timed metadata feature to present shoppable links at optimal moments, alongside chat functions, audience polls, and graphic overlays. After each live stream, users can access performance reports detailing audience engagement. Videos can also be made available on demand with shoppable links, providing additional revenue opportunities. These videos are stored securely in Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), utilizing the auto-record-to-Amazon-S3 feature of Amazon IVS. Each video undergoes transcription for enhanced SEO, ensuring discoverability in search engines.
As Parker emphasizes, “The streaming quality delivered by Amazon IVS is exceptional, comparable to other leading streaming services. This quality is crucial for brands striving to differentiate themselves and effectively convert their audience into customers.” Johnson added, “While there is much emphasis on cultivating social media profiles, actual customer conversion tends to occur on merchants’ sites. Offering engaging, unique content drives traffic to their sites, making potential customers more informed about the brand. Additionally, live stream data allows brands to gain insights into customer preferences, tailoring products and content for improved sales.”
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