Animation: Helping Brands Dominate in E-Commerce Marketing
In 2023, there were over 26 million active e-commerce websites. With such intense competition today, brands are pushed to create innovative online experiences to stand out. On top of this, e-commerce shops are also up against traditional retail stores, where shoppers can physically interact with products in-stores.
This is where animation studios like CraveFX make all the difference. Why do you need animation for your business? Simple. By incorporating animated elements, brands can elevate user experience by capturing customers’ attention in a way that feels fresh and interactive—just like Netflix’s Arcane animated series did for the video game League of Legends.
And if you’re looking for inspiration, check out some must-watch animated ads that have transformed the way we engage with content. Here are the different ways animation can help brands dominate e-commerce marketing!
Methods to Dominate in E-Commerce Marketing
- Storytelling and Branding
- Product Demonstrations
- Explainer Videos
- Promoting Products Through Animated Games
- Interactive User Experience: Loading Animations, Product Features, and Call-to-Action Animations
- Interactive Product Customisations
- Seasonal Updates, Sales and Promotional Announcements
1. Storytelling and Branding
Using creative visuals, brands can tell a captivating story to connect with users. This helps to build brand credibility as users are more likely to remember and trust a brand when it has made a strong impression on them. By crafting stories that resonate with the audience, animation can build a brand’s narrative to influence purchase decisions.
Take a look at this example by Vans. Using clean, black and white animation reminiscent of the brand’s chequered colour scheme, the video narrates the brand’s humble beginnings as a shoe store for surfers. The animation then highlights Vans’ rise as the go-to shoe for skaters and rockers, showcasing the brand’s edgy, down-to-earth appeal despite its global success.
This kind of storytelling resonates with underdogs and those drawn to Vans’ rebellious, gritty image, inspiring them to explore the products. Brands can follow this approach by using animation to visually tell their stories, tapping into their history, values, or target audience’s lifestyle. This not only enhances engagement but creates an emotional connection that can drive sales in e-commerce.
2. Product Demonstrations
Filming a product’s inner mechanisms can be a complex process. However, with animation, brands can provide detailed product demonstrations. This approach not only makes the engineering and design process visually engaging, but also emphasises how the product was created with users’ needs in mind.
A great example is this video by Dyson, which uses satisfying animation to showcase the intricate engineering behind their V11™ cordless vacuum. Concise and impactful, the video swiftly takes viewers through the vacuum’s various components, illustrating its functionality and positioning it as an engineering marvel.
3. Explainer Videos
For products that are more complex, explainer videos are an excellent way to simplify the explanation process and help users understand key concepts. Customers can easily make an informed decision, significantly reducing the time spent on research. In fact, brands that incorporate explainer videos on their landing pages have seen conversion rates increase by as much as 86%.
Cell and gene therapy is a challenging topic to explain, but ThermoFisher’s animated explainer video effectively illustrates the journey of a cell during therapy, which showcases the brand’s services below.
Even for simpler products, animated explainer videos are a valuable tool to visualise how a product works. By including explainer videos in e-commerce, brands can enhance user understanding, boost engagement, and ultimately drive higher conversion rates.
4. Interactive User Experience
Besides animated videos, animation also offers an interactive experience for users. Instead of relying on a static webpage, populate your e-commerce sites with animated product features and dynamic visuals. Apple’s website is a prime example— key product features are presented with sleek animation, creating a contemporary feel that reinforces Apple’s brand as an innovator and trendsetter.
But animation doesn’t stop at just showcasing products. Even the oft-overlooked elements, like loading animations, can be personalised to your brand. A playful loading animation can keep users entertained during wait times, while a more serious tone could be appropriate for longer delays, offering helpful copy to reduce frustration. The key is to keep users engaged throughout their journey.
For the final touch, animating call-to-action elements like the shopping cart on the site, or pop-up banners, can make users feel rewarded for taking action. A shopping cart icon might bounce or glow when items are added, reflecting the quantity of shopping items. These small touches make interactions more satisfying and engaging.
5. Personalised Product Customisations
96% of retailers struggle with personalisation, but 81% of customers like it when retailers cater online shopping experiences to their needs. With animation, it’s easy to add personalised touches to a customer’s shopping experience.
Using Nike’s Nike By You campaign as an example, the website allows users to customise the colourways of their shoes. Through a 3D visualisation tool, the animation offers a real-time preview of what a customer’s shoes will look like in their preferred colours.
Though simple, this highly personalised e-commerce experience helps customers express their individuality, engaging and compelling users to experiment with the products.
6. Promoting Products Through Animated Games
Gamifying the e-commerce experience can be incredibly engaging for shoppers. By including animated mini games or time limited challenges, users are more motivated to explore your e-commerce shops more thoroughly.
Take Shopee’s addictive mini games – the e-commerce platform has leveraged these games to reward users for spending more time on the platform. With enticing prizes, such as tickets to Halloween Horror Nights, these games create an exciting atmosphere that encourages users to interact with the platform and enjoy the experience, drawing them to the platform and enticing them to make more purchases.
To attract customers to your e-commerce shop, consider incorporating animated games to enhance engagement and create a fun shopping environment.
7. Seasonal Updates, Sales and Promotional Announcements
During seasonal campaigns, attention-grabbing animation can effectively draw users in to explore offers and promotions. The time-sensitive nature of these campaigns adds a sense of urgency, motivating customers to make quick purchases. By incorporating animated countdown timers and banners to a landing page or email newsletter, brands can remind shoppers of promotion deadlines, heightening that sense of urgency.
It’s also an opportunity for brands to refresh their e-commerce sites during seasonal changes, offering a fresh look—just like Target’s festive Halloween animations.
With how fast e-commerce cycles move—looking at you, single-digit sales!—it’s crucial for brands to stand out during busy shopping seasons when competition is at its peak. Animated sales banners and promotional announcements are another effective way to grab attention and reduce bounce rates. These animated elements can entice users to stay and explore, ultimately driving sales.
Level Up Your E-commerce Game With Animation
From personalised shopping experiences to fun, interactive elements, animation can help you stand out in a crowded market by transforming your online presence into a dynamic, memorable experience.
Ready to elevate your e-commerce game? Contact us today to explore how our animation expertise can help your brand dominate the digital landscape!
