Product photography

Beginners’ guide to eCommerce product photography

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eCommerce product photography is an important aspect of the eCommerce environment. A good product image can capture the interest of the customer and convince them to make the purchase. However, if the image is bad, it can lead to the complete opposite result.

Besides the overall design of your eCommerce site/ product page, the quality of your product photography will affect whether or not customers decide to complete a transaction. Good Product photography knowledge and its application can significantly improve the usability of your eCommerce store. 

Since shopping online does not provide the same sensory experience as in-store shopping. Customers can not touch, try, or feel the products you sell. A great product photo will not only show what a product looks like, but will also demonstrate its fit, texture, and appearance from a variety of angles and settings. 

For this reason, we’ve compiled a list of tips for your eCommerce product photography. Make your eCommerce site/products listed on the platform look more professional and generate more revenue next time you take pictures.

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1. Use High-resolution Images With Proper Focal Point

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We’ve all heard the adage, “better the images, more likely, your products sell.” eCommerce product images are one of the essential elements of your online store. It is essential to have high resolution, good quality images so that the customers can see the product clearly and want it.

But it is not enough to just have clear pictures. The focus should be on the products so that the customers can see every detail clearly, especially if they are buying something which could be different from what they actually see online.

Irrespective of whether or not your product is good, if the image quality is not up to the mark, it will be a big dampener because the main image serves as a major purchase deciding factor.

2. Be Careful With Reflections

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Image reflections are a key factor to consider while framing your picture. You can’t just randomly place your images and expect a perfect shot. It’s all about strategically placing the image in the right spot, in the right direction, which makes it look impressive.

It’s best to keep reflections to a minimum, most of the time. The best way to do this is to adjust your lighting setup before taking the pictures. Shadows can be eliminated instantly with blackboards, diffusers, and absorbers.

3. Find the Perfect Zoom

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Source: Newegg

Zoom is all about finding balance. Zooming in too far can distract attention from the product, while zooming in too little can be useless. To make it look like an actual brick and mortar store, the image should be zoomed in so that the user sees each relevant detail.

The right balance of zoom functionality will give a better experience to the shopper. In-store customers can pick a product and examine it closely because they can pick it up in real-time. With the proper zoom balance, they will be more comfortable when making a purchase.

There are several ways to display the colors in your product with the zoom effect. To emphasize your branding, you can use props of the same color. Alternatively, you can choose to use contrasting colors.

 

Also, don’t drown the picture in too many colors, no matter what you desire. In addition to complementary colors, even contrasting colors can detract from the main product.

4. Connect users with lifestyle images

lifestyle images
Source: Fiverr/Maria Varez

Images from lifestyle photography are an important component of eCommerce image galleries. You can use product lifestyle shots to tell the story of a product and add exciting visuals to the display of your products. Displaying your products in action allows customers to visualize themselves using them and, consequently, leads to higher conversion rates.

Brands and categories can benefit from lifestyle photography. From electronics, FMCG to home products, and beyond, we specialize in showcasing products through lifestyle photography to attract consumers’ attention.

Researchers have shown that people connect positively with human faces, and a customer who feels engaged is more likely to buy your product.

5. Showcase product variations

Product variations
Source: plugins

A product usually comes in different colors, sizes, and variations but if its product image only depicts one color, which is the case on many eCommerce platforms, it can lead to lost sales, since customers are not able to see how the product will look in ‘X’ variation. However, when you include photos of all the available colors, sizes, and flavors. You are adding value and credibility to the brand.

Regardless of whether your product has functional variations, images showcased should have color variations in them. Make sure you highlight all the colors. Trustworthiness will rise as a result of a zero-variation approach.

6. Try lay flat photography

lay flat photography

Lay flat photography is a technique that captures all of the products’ attributes from multiple angles using a single photograph. It is unique as it allows the product to be viewed from all angles without moving or rotating it, allowing viewers to see every angle-both front and back. It provides customers with an in-depth view of the products they want to buy online.

Using this method will allow you to capture the most intricate details of your product, whether it’s 3D detail or delicate texture. Make sure the products appear flat, i.e., face the tabletop or floor directly towards the camera.

In flat lay photography, multiple snapshots are presented with the same “flat” feeling, ensuring visual harmony.

7. White background – how important is it?

White backgrounds can pull off a new ball game in e-commerce. It’s not just about parallax or animation or any of that stuff. It’s about standing out more, standing up strong, standing tall.

Product photos with white backgrounds capture a sense of originality that generic product photos don’t. However, this entirely depends on your eCommerce platform. Some platforms only allow white backdrops. So make sure you check the specifications of your platform before shooting.

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8. Make sure your photos are top-notch and mobile-optimized

Make sure that the photos you have clicked are not blurry and are of optimum quality. Bad quality eCommerce photos are a bummer and should not be used for eCommerce purposes. The whole point of having a shoot is to reflect the quality and attract customers. So, if you still have bad pictures, keep going until you have the best photographs of your product.

Another crucial part of imagery is keeping mobile-first in mind. With phones being the most popular tool for shopping, you have to have an optimized mobile site, or your business will lose customers. 

Since images create an emotional response and it sticks in your mind. And most of the browsing occurs on smartphones nowadays. That’s why you need to make sure that your images are mobile-optimized; otherwise, they will slow down the loading time and damage your conversion rate. Follow this guide to make sure you always use high-quality images on your e-commerce website.

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Source: Pixelz

9. Keep your images SEO friendly

The most common way to rank high in searches and ensure your eCommerce site appears at the top is to perform SEO. How do you optimize your online photographs for search engine optimization? Labels are the key.

Keywords can be the titles of your photographs. Additionally, you can upload the alt text in order to improve your product’s ranking on the first page of search results.

Likewise, keep the size of your picture small so that it loads faster. It is better if your images load quickly since they are what your customers will notice. Therefore, if your image is large, reduce its size so that it loads quickly.

10. Hire a professional

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We have already established that it’s no secret that your product images are the most important part of any eCommerce site. However, what many people don’t know is that having good-quality photos in an online store is not enough! Professional e-commerce photography is all about making sure your products look as appealing as possible. A good photographer will have the skills and experience to capture the right angles and lighting for your products so they can really shine in their best light.

Paxcom has a team of specialized content and design professionals that assists brands in creating and optimizing their eCommerce content to meet the brand guidelines as well as industry best practices.

In conclusion

Hold on to your hats! Once you take it all in, you’ll be amazed at what you add to your brand. Taking and selecting product pictures is not an easy task, but it gets easier with practice. Use these tips to maximize your eCommerce success!Marketing your business with product photography has never been more important.

For visuals that convey emotions and establish a connection with your customers, contact us today to book a free demo of what we can do for your next campaign. Feel free to connect at info@paxcom.net.

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