Jason Arena

With Google Catalogs and Facebook Gifts, it's evident the e-commerce industry is seeing an influx of industry leaders vying for a piece of the pie. It's also clear that a more dynamic, informative and interactive shopping experience is required long before consumers walk through a retailer's front door. Additionally, today's mobile shopper isn't just looking at your offering; their ability to find the best price is only a few touches away.

With mobile commerce sales expected to reach $10 billion in 2012, retailers are scrambling to identify new strategies to capture their share of the marketplace. The latest version of the iPad will play a role in the growth of mobile and e-commerce in 2012, but to reap maximum benefits retailers will need to understand the new iPad’s key features and how to leverage those features for bottom-line results.

From a business perspective, there are plenty of reasons why product videos and other forms of dynamic online content are essential components in any multichannel retail marketing strategy. But like any other marketing investment, product video spend needs to be weighed against expected business outcomes, return on investment and other factors. The key question isn’t whether to implement product videos into a brand strategy, but rather how product video spend can be leveraged to maximize consumers’ intent to purchase.