In recent years, live stream shopping, also known as live commerce, has emerged as a growing trend in eCommerce. It is a novel shopping experience that allows people to shop online in real-time.
If you own an eCommerce firm, you already know that competition will be strong in 2023. It can be difficult to remain ahead of the curve, but one method is to use live shopping applications.
This article will highlight the top six live shopping apps and platform for 2023 and explain why you should use them. We’ll also go over the benefits and drawbacks of each app so you can decide which one is best for your company.
What is Live Shopping?
Live shopping is the browsing, buying, and selling of things via real-time video broadcast. Do you remember those home shopping stations on TV? These shows involve a presenter who exhibits or demonstrates things so that viewers can order them by calling in. Currently, live shopping occurs online more than on television, on sites such as Amazon Live, YouTube Live, TalkShopLive, Taobao, and many others.
Yet, live stream shopping is more convenient than TV home shopping networks. Because live video platforms have built-in features like live conversations and polls, these streams are far more interactive. They’re also accessible; viewers may access them from anywhere with an internet connection, on nearly any device.
How Does Live Stream Shopping Work?
Live stream shopping combines the greatest aspects of both in-person and online shopping – customized attention and easy purchasing.
Live stream shopping is similar to ordinary live streaming, but it includes additional capabilities that allow viewers to purchase the things they see on the video. If they see something they wish to buy, they can click on it and place their order right away.
Although social networks with live video features such as YouTube and Instagram have begun to integrate shopping functionality, not all major live streaming sites offer product purchasing widgets. Facebook had a live shopping option until October 2022, when it chose to discontinue it. Consider the following options to optimize sales from your broadcast:
- Stream on live shopping services such as Amazon Live or TalkShopLive.
- Flow to your e-commerce website, where you sell your wares.
The Benefits of Live Shopping
The retail e-commerce business grows year after year, with global sales expected to reach $10.2 trillion in 2023. E-commerce is lucrative yet it’s busy. If you own an e-commerce firm, live streaming your products or working with influencers to stream your products for you could be the most effective approach to stand out.
There are various other advantages to creating shoppable live videos, such as:
- Fewer returns: Refunds on products purchased using live shopping broadcasts might be up to 40% lower than returns through standard e-commerce methods.
- Interactive content: Shopping streams can help viewers feel more involved and connected to the brand and the products by including live comments, questions, polls, and other elements on live broadcasts.
- Increased social media engagement: When you broadcast a live shopping stream on social media networks as well as shopping sites, you increase the likelihood of audience engagement and raise your social presence.
- Brand awareness: Live shopping streams are another sort of material you can include in your entire content marketing strategy – another way to get your name out there.
- Client accessibility: Consumers may now purchase more easily thanks to the advent of online retail. Adding a live feed to the experience makes it much more beneficial because shoppers can learn more about a product before purchasing it.
- More publicity: With live shopping videos, you can utilize methods like limited-time deals or viewer-only discounts to generate hype for your products and drive additional sales through impulse purchases.
How to Begin with Live Shopping
To create live shopping videos, you must do five things:
- Select your products
- Look for a host.
- Choose a format.
- Choose a platform.
- Practice the broadcast
#1. Select your products
Live streaming is recognized for its spontaneity and improvisation, but you’re here to sell. So you need a plan. Choose the products or services you want to promote during your live broadcast first. There is no best practice for determining which products will sell better; it is entirely dependent on your business. Try presenting some of your current bestsellers, or products you plan to abandon soon. Experiment to determine which of your items performs best during live sessions.
#2. Locate a host
The highlighted items and services might be the stars of the show, but you need a host or presenter to showcase them. In general, you have two alternatives for a live shopping host:
- You or someone from your firm: This is the preferable choice if you know viewers will ask more technical inquiries about your items.
- Employ an influencer: If you want to maximize visibility, hire an influencer or brand ambassador with an existing fanbase to market your products or services.
#3. Determine the format
You have your merchandise and a host; now you must decide on the framework of your live shopping video. Some regularly used formats for live stream shopping are:
- Service or product Q&A
- Product demonstration and guide
- Existing client interview.
Choose the length of your live session and fill it with varied segments. You must pick how many products to include, how long they will be displayed or featured, and whether or not to offer coupons or discounts during the stream.
#4. Choose a live shopping platform
The next step is to select a live shopping platform for your broadcast. The following are the most important characteristics to remember:
- In-stream purchase feature: The platform should allow viewers to buy things that you highlight during the show — this is a must-have feature for a live shopping platform.
- Live chat: Interactivity is key to the live-stream shopping experience, so a live chat component where viewers can leave comments or ask questions is also a necessity.
- The user interface: Creating a stream and showing your stuff should be simple. It should be a seamless viewing experience for your customers too.
- Pricing: Not all of these platforms allow you to stream for free, especially when you’ll be making money from product sales. Examine the costs before committing to a platform.
- Integrations with e-commerce systems: You should be able to combine your e-commerce website with a live shopping platform (for example, using Shopify).
- Analytics: You’ll need audience metrics and insights to see how well your broadcasts are performing. Choose a platform that delivers analytics such as average watch time, concurrent viewers, and purchase volume.
#5. Rehearse the stream
Do a test run before going live to ensure that everything works properly. You don’t want any equipment failures during the stream, and you’ll need a backup procedure in case of internet connectivity problems. It’s also a good idea to offer your host an opportunity to go over what they’ll say about each product and, if necessary, adjust the sequence in which they present the products.
Live Stream Shopping Tips
Keep these suggestions in mind if you want to make your live shopping event a success and attract paying visitors.
#1. Determine your target audience.
Knowing your audience is the key to making shoppable live streaming. Create audience personas if you haven’t previously discovered the following about your potential customers:
- Where they reside
- Typical age and gender.
- Typical occupations or interests
- Recent occurrences in one’s life
- Content that they typically engage with
- The device or browser through which they view your site
The majority of this information about your target clients may be found by looking at your website statistics in Google Analytics.
Once you’ve determined who your target audience is, you can make decisions about your live shopping broadcast, such as which products to highlight, when to go live, how long to make it last, and which platform to employ.
#2. Create a community.
Identifying your target audience is one thing; keeping them loyal to your brand is a very different story. How do you establish a community around your products or services? With these two items:
- Consistency
If you currently have an e-commerce firm, you already know what your niche is and can continue to make streams about it. Your brand is well-established, and you may capitalize on it during live shopping sessions. If you’re a content creator that offers products from a range of brands, consistency will be much more vital for you. Once you’ve identified a product or range of products that resonate with your target audience, tap into that market and incorporate it into your brand.
- Genuineness
The most popular live shopping streamers thoroughly research the products or brands they offer. Don’t advertise anything you wouldn’t use yourself – viewers can tell when you’re faking it, and it will turn them off to your streams. If you’re a brand looking to partner with influencers for shoppable streams, be picky about who you work with. Identify creators who are really interested in your items and are concerned about their audience’s openness.
#3. Make your stuff interesting.
Live shopping videos are not advertisements. Don’t make them feel that way. Consumers watch these live performances for the social connection and entertainment value as much as they do for the items. You’ll need other techniques to keep viewers’ attention during the stream, no matter how engaging or wonderful your products are. Try some of the following activities to keep your content interesting:
- Q&A or AMA (“Ask Me Anything”) for more connection and authenticity
- Introduce a new product via a live shopping stream.
- Give a tutorial or demonstration with your items
#4. Promote your live shopping streams
Nobody will watch your stream if they are unaware that it is taking place. Advertise it on your social media networks by including the date, time, and link to join, as well as a sneak peek of the items or services you’ll be featuring. E-commerce enterprises might alert current consumers about the upcoming stream with an email or blog post. Create some enthusiasm for the event by having limited-time deals or discounts for viewers and make sure everyone knows about them in advance.
What is a Live Shopping Event?
A live shopping event is an online live stream that promotes items and services and allows viewers to purchase such products directly. Live streaming shopping can take place on platforms with shopping functionality, such as Instagram Live, or on platforms dedicated purely to live shopping, such as TalkShopLive.
Which are the Biggest Live Shopping Platforms?
The best live shopping platforms contain shopping features that allow viewers to easily purchase the products they see in-stream, as well as live chat and polls for interactivity, and can link with e-commerce platforms like Shopify. Instagram Live, YouTube Live, Taobao, TalkShopLive, Popshop, buy with, and Amazon Live are some of the greatest options for live shopping.
What is a Live Shopping App?
A live shopping app is a mobile application that allows customers to shop for products in real-time. eCommerce retailers generally use it to allow customers to view and purchase things from their mobile devices.
The app can be used in a variety of ways, including as a shopping portal for ordering things as well as a method to socialize with friends and family while shopping. Customers can also post photos and feedback on their shopping experiences using some live shopping apps.
Top 6 Live Shopping Apps In 2023
If you’re thinking about implementing live shopping for your eCommerce business, these are the top six live shopping apps for 2023.
#1. CommentSold
CommentSold is a live-selling software solution that also allows social selling. It has been around since 2017, and it has assisted over 4,000 shops in generating billions of dollars in sales.
With CommentSold, you can construct a branded mobile app for your online business and start selling live with video. It provides an excellent user experience because potential consumers do not need to leave the video to make a purchase. Furthermore, push notifications will keep consumers informed of promotions, new arrivals, and other crucial news.
Standout advantages for businesses include its consolidated real-time inventory and waitlist, which help to streamline the customer experience. With these capabilities, you may enjoy peace of mind that you won’t sell things that are out of stock, yet still benefit from this potential sale by having shoppers waitlist these items instead.
Cost begins at $49 per month, but if you want access to your own branded app, you must join up for the company’s Business plan ($149 per month). While it doesn’t provide a free plan, it does offer a generous 30-day trial.
#2. Instagram Live Shopping (IG)
Instagram has over two billion users, making it one of the most popular social networking networks. In 2020, the company expanded its Instagram Shop by introducing the Live Shopping option. Businesses can sell things directly on Instagram Live using this function.
You can modify your content, schedule your live broadcast, and even add up to thirty product images when you utilize Instagram Live Shopping. If you’re interested in harnessing influencers to help you sell your products, you may invite them to your live shopping broadcasts as co-hosts to get more engagement with your audience.
#3. Facebook Live Video Shopping Platform (FB)
Facebook is the second largest social media platform with over two billion monthly users. The company created the Facebook Live Video Shopping Platform in 2020 to help businesses sell their items on FB live videos.
Once you have set up your brand’s FB Page and FB Shop, you may construct a playlist of products that you wish to promote on your live broadcast. You can also set a start and end time for your live broadcast, as well as personalize the thumbnail image for your video.
#4. Amazon Live Shopping Events
It’s no secret that Amazon is the world’s most popular eCommerce platform. As a result, using Amazon Live, sellers can become content creators of shoppable videos, increasing the discoverability of their products. Companies may link shoppers in the middle of the sales funnel with product videos and then direct them to the buy page via their Amazon storefronts.
#5. Channelize Live Shopping Platform
Channelize is a top live shopping app that focuses on direct-to-consumer sales and white labels its solution for businesses. This implies that businesses may use Channelize to provide their clients with their own branded live shopping experience.
While there is a free plan that allows a restriction of four 20-minute live streams per month, Channelize offers subscription options that start at $49 per month, which extends your limits on the number of events, live stream time, and a permitted number of audience members per month.
#6. Bambuser Live Commerce Broadcast Shopping
Another popular live video streaming app that has been operating since 2007 is Bambuser. In 2019, the company introduced its live shopping app to assist businesses in increasing their sales and conversion rates.
With Bambuser’s white-labeled video player, you can go live on a worldwide scale. Alternatively, you have the option to make a private live stream that is only available to your VIP customers.
While Bambuser starts at $39 per month, the next tier increases to a whopping $399 per month. It may be a little pricey for small firms, but if you need an enterprise-level live shopping solution, this is the app to use.
What Are the Advantages of Live Shopping Apps?
The following are some of the advantages of using live shopping apps:
- Increased customer engagement: With live shopping, you can communicate with your consumers in real time and answer their inquiries. This helps develop trust and loyalty between you and your customers.
- Increase brand awareness and reach: by streaming live on sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and your own website or eCommerce store, you may reach a bigger audience and advertise your brand to potential customers.
- Improved sales and conversion rates: with the help of live shopping apps, you may enhance your sales and conversion rates by marketing your products in real time.
- Increased brand loyalty: By providing an excellent live shopping experience, you may increase brand loyalty and customer retention.
- Online communities: Businesses can use live shopping to develop online communities of clients who are interested in their items. This contributes to a better bond between the company and its clients.
- Savings on distribution costs: Because live shopping allows businesses to ship straight to customers’ homes, firms can save on distribution costs.
How to Use Live Shopping Apps
The future of eCommerce in 2023 is live-streaming online shopping to promote more sales for the consumer who wants an interactive, convenient, and personal experience.
Here are some pointers for making the most of live shopping apps:
- Select the best app for your target audience.
- Choose a platform with the functionality and integrations that you require.
- Don’t be afraid to contact the app’s customer service.
- Begin with a small stock.
- Plan and arrange the content of your live shopping events.
- Plan and promote your live shopping events ahead of time.
- Try the eCommerce shopping platforms . . . then test again.
- Create a backup plan in case the software platforms don’t operate.
- Engage your viewers during the live stream.
- After the event, follow up with your customers.
- Have fun and be yourself!
Last Thoughts
Live streaming has gained popularity among binge-viewing youth, who prefer watching variety shows and connecting with merchants in a casual setting. This year, as consumers continue to stay at home and purchase online, live shopping is projected to increase even more in popularity.
If you want to start a live shopping event for your eCommerce firm, choose one of the top applications on this list. The advantages listed above can help your company reach a larger market and produce more income.
If you’re not sure which app is ideal for you, try them all and see which one works best for you and your company. The key thing is to get started, arrange yourself, and have fun while selling. After all, that is the essence of live shopping.
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