The Internet makes shopping utterly convenient, which is why it’s no wonder the e-commerce industry is still on the rise. When it comes to experiential and luxury purchases, though, consumers still prefer shopping in brick-and-mortar stores. In the fashion industry alone, more than 70% of purchases are still made offline. It’s not hard to see why.
Especially when a lot of money is involved, you want to make sure you’re buying the right product by seeing, feeling, or touching it in person first. This is why it matters that your e-commerce photos offer a relatable visual experience to your target audience.
With a professional product image, you’ll grab their attention, make an excellent first impression, and even entice them into buying your products without having to try it on first. In this handy guide, we’ll tackle the elements that make a sellable e-commerce product photo.
1. Presentation
Ideally, your e-commerce page must feature two types of product images: product-only and in-context images. The former are clean-cut photos in a white background that showcase your product from different angles. The latter are creative shots of your products intended to evoke emotions from your target audience.
2. Elements
For the product-only shots, you want to achieve crisp, sharp images of your products. To do that, make sure to use professional DSLR or point-and-shoot cameras. For the background, a white or light backdrop is your safest bet. Don’t forget to set up your tripod to avoid blurry shots.
3. Lighting
To achieve good lighting, you can either use natural or studio lights. For natural lighting, try to shoot during early morning or late in the afternoon. Setting up a studio is your best bet if you want more control over the lighting. Make use of equipment, such as lightboxes or light tents.
4. Post-processing
No matter how well-taken your photos are, the post-processing makes or breaks the consistency and presentation of your product photos. Luckily, there are lots of free image editing tools you can find online, such as Canva, Pixlr, and Snapseed. If you want your photos done right and professionally, though, it’s best to leave the task to the pros. We recommend hiring someone to do the e-commerce product image editing for your brand.
5. Search Engine Optimization
You should optimize your product photos to give your e-commerce website a boost in organic traffic. Here are some pointers to keep in mind:
- Upload high-quality photos.
- Compress the images to boost page load speed.
- Name your photos correctly.
- Include the relevant metadata and keywords.
6. Consistency
To make sure all your product photos have the same look and feel, create a photography style guide, which could include any of the following factors:
- Color Palette
- Composition
- Consistency
- Focal Length
- Location and Context
- Saturation
- Shadows
Wrap Up
No matter how well-written your copy is, the majority of your consumers will rely on your images for their purchasing decisions. Don’t make the mistake of settling for less. If you want quality visuals, make your e-commerce product photos presentable and relatable.
