It’s no surprise that product photography is influential in helping consumers decide whether they should buy your product online. In this post, we explore the different types of e-commerce product images you can display on your website.
In Etsy’s buyer surveys, 90 percent of shoppers said the quality of the photos was “extremely important” or “very important” to a purchase decision.
With online purchases increasing by 57% year-on-year in 2020, now is the time to have a look at your images and decide whether they are assisting consumers in their buying journey (from awareness to conversion).
Ideally, show your products in the highest quality possible. There should be no dust or dirt on the images, the colours should be reflected as accurately as possible, and all the design elements on the packaging should be clear. The main reason for this is to avoid disappointment and minimise returns.
Let’s take a closer look at six types of e-commerce product images for your online store.
1. White background photos
The majority of product shots (also known as pack shots or e-commerce photography) you see online are taken on a white background. There are a few different options that you can select:
- Have your products shot on a white seamless roll
- Using a reflective white surface (so that the reflections are captured in-camera)
- Shooting products on a plain background but deep-etching them in post-production and placing them on a pure white background (with RGB colour values of 255, 255, 255). Drop-shadows and reflections can be added in post-production.
Shots that require more post-production work, like the ones that are deep-etched, often cost slightly more than products simply shot on a plain background. This is because of the additional editing time required.
When briefing your photographer, think about how many angles you would like to show your consumer to be able to make an informed decision about your product. One angle may not be enough.
You may want to show the product with its packaging as well as without the packaging.
2. Coloured background photos
If you sell your products on third-party websites such as Amazon, there are strict image guidelines that you need to adhere to. However, if you have your own website then you have more flexibility with your photography and you can select something that may be more on-brand.
3. Group eCommerce product images
There are many instances where a product is part of a range. In this case, you will want to show the entire range, or set, of products in one shot. Please note that these also take more time than individual shots, and therefore cost more to shoot.
4. Lifestyle or in-context images
Lifestyle shots help communicate a story and show the product in context or in use to the consumer. Often these types of images are used in social media but they work well alongside your plain packshots.
5. Macro shots
If you can, set aside some budget to show the details and texture of your products. Consumers like details! It’s these details that could be the difference between converting (or not converting) the sale.
6. Scale photography
Showing the scale of a product can be very important for certain brands. These photos give context to an object in comparison to the size of other objects. For example, if you own a handbag, you can show scale by having someone model the bag, or alternatively, you could display it in a flatlay style with other products spilling out of the bag for context.
Over to you
If you are selling your product, think about whether you are showing your products online in the best light possible. Literally!
Remember, customers can’t touch and feel your products online. That means the photos of your products in isolation, and in use, will be some of the best visual marketing tools for your brand.
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