If you had to choose to buy product (a), or product (b), which one would you choose?
If you chose product (b), you’re not alone.
Here are some of the reasons why people decided NOT to choose product (a).
‘It looks cheap’ – Jason
‘If the business owner couldn’t take the effort to photograph the mouse better, what’s the guarantee that they’re going to put any effort into making sure I get it in good condition?’ – Paul
‘It looks tacky. I’m uneasy about it. What if they take my money and never send it to me?’ – Lana
Notice a recurrent pattern in these comments?
The fact that seller (a) used poor quality photos made potential customers lose trust in the product. And if you don’t trust a seller, or a website, or a listing, you’re definitely not going to make the purchase.
Good quality photos are an absolute MUST when selling online. They build credibility and portray your product as one of superior quality.
Here are five benefits of having great photographs of your product:
1. Because the numbers say so
Needless to say that human beings are all about the visuals. More so when it comes to online shopping. Nearly 70% of e-commerce website shoppers say the product image is very important when making their purchase decision. And 60% of consumers who use online search say they prefer to contact a business whose listing includes an image. (Source: MDG Advertising Infographic)
2. It builds trust
If you have great product images, your customers will trust you. This may sound like a blanket statement, but refer back to how people reacted to product (a) and product (b) at the beginning of this article.
Trust once established, will serve as the greatest ambassador of your brand.
3. Allows customers to visualise your product
Good photos, taken with good lighting, and capturing all angels allows customers to have a 360 vision of what the product looks like. A comprehensive view of your product will result in complete customer satisfaction, which is more likely than not, going to make them push that add to cart button.
4. Sets you apart from the competition
Using unique photography techniques can make your product look far superior to that of your competitor’s. Scroll down for our unique photography tips that will help you achieve this.
5. llows your product to go viral
If your product photos are sexy enough to entice your customer, there is a good chance that it could go viral. For instance, let’s say you sell ADORABLE baby shoes. And you capture your product photos beautifully, and add little elements to enhance the ‘cuteness’ of your product. And then, a popular instagram mum or dad buys your product and loves it so much, and shares your pic on their page (which has happened!)
$$$, need I say more?
So, if great product images are this important for your eCommerce business, I guess it’s time to do something about it, isn’t it? Luckily for us, in this day and age, with technology encompassing every aspect of our lives, this is something SUPER simple to do. You DON’T have to be a professional photographer or a designer to implement these simple tips.
Top 7 Tips for product photos that make you more sales
Tip 1: It’s all about majesty & elegance
No matter WHAT you sell, whether it’s a slender eyebrow pencil, or a clunky vacuum cleaner, you HAVE to make it look majestic and elegant by giving your product visual authority in the frame it occupies. This effect is implemented by using a technique called “The Lower Angle Titan.” It is employed by capturing the shot of your product from a lower angle, in reference to the base of your product. By using a technique as simple as this, your product is showcased in an aura of majesty, magnificence and grandeur and this is something that will definitely play on the minds of your customers.
Tip 2: Zoom into the details
Close up shots are vital for capturing those super important USP’s of your product. You don’t need a fancy camera for this. A good smartphone does the job perfectly. Mobile phones cameras produce great depth of field for close up shots. They maintain focus on the subject whilst blurring the background, thereby highlighting just your product’s chosen feature or USP.
Tip 3: Have clean and crisp images
Once you’re done with photographing your product, make sure that you get a clean cut out of your product. Make sure that the edges of your product are smooth and not pixelated, and do not have bits of the background showing. Poorly cut out product images will make your product look tacky and of poor quality. Check out these two product images. Image (a) has a poor cut out, and this has a negative impact on the entire image. The product in image (b) on the other hand, has been cut out using ZapBG, a professional background remover tool for non- designers. Image (b), looks much more professional and so will naturally look more appealing to customers.
Tip 4: Use special effects like shadows and reflections
Shadows and reflections are simple effects that go a long way. Adding effects like this make your product images look more professional. This in turn will make your customers trust you more because they know that you have taken the effort to ensure that your images look good for them, rather than simply resorting to using mediocre images from your supplier.
Tip 5: Show your product in use
In use images are one of the best strategies to get your customers to understand what it feels like to use your product. Creating in use images from scratch is something that we’d usually need to rely on a professional designer for. However, eCommerce design tools like Glorify have premade templates that you can use, making your life much easier!
Tip 6: Use annotations
Annotations are a clever way of highlighting your USP’s. Remember, do not clutter your images with too much text. Save the annotations for the most important features of your product.
Tip 7: Add funky backgrounds to your images
To create fun and engaging product photos for adverts, try adding funky and relevant backgrounds. You can use your brand colors to increase brand awareness, or simply choose a background that goes well with your product. Adding a background is a simple process when using apps such as ZapBG. As soon as you’re done removing the background, simply select from a range of backgrounds to instantly create a compelling image
As an entrepreneur, it is absolutely necessary to ensure that your brand is trusted and recognised as one of high quality. And while there are several ways to accomplish this, having great product images is one that is way up there. Whether you are just starting an online business, or if you already have one (or many), it’s not too late to revamp your product photos and give your online store a facelift. These used to be costly ventures in the past, but with easy DIY softwares out in the market today, anyone can create a beautiful online store quickly, efficiently and affordably.
So what are you waiting for? Go give your online store the make up over it needs!