eCommerce photography (or product photography) is the act of capturing products in an attractive and accurate photograph, designed to promote the sale and satisfaction of the product in question.
It’s a simple concept, but there’s no denying that eCommerce photography is one of the most important aspects of online sale. Think of how many times you find yourself browsing Amazon or scrolling through the masses of emails we get sent from companies. As we scroll past the hundreds of words we tend to ignore, what instead catches our eyes are the pictures of products we find interesting. More often than not, this is the first stepping stone for consumers on their way to buy a product.
Is eCommerce photography effective?
Did you know that a whopping 93% of consumers consider visual appearance to be the key deciding factor in a purchasing decision, according to studies by Justuno.
While a product description is important, what really sways our decisions to purchase are images of what we’re getting. It might sound superficial, but a good product image reflects the quality of an item. If an item up for sale has no image, how are we supposed to know what we’re spending our money on? Regardless of how good your item is, there’s no way for us as consumers to feel confident in our purchase without actually seeing the product for ourselves.
Furthermore, according to a study made by Etsy, about 90% of surveyed shoppers believe the quality of eCommerce images were very important when deciding whether or not to make a purchase.
Once again, the image reflects the quality of the item – if your product online does feature an image but this image is of poor quality, what does that say about the product itself? On the other hand, a well-made photograph says a lot about your product – what it looks like, how it works, how well made it is… If you’re going to show us what we’re getting into, make sure you show us something worth buying.
It’s also worth noting that the quality of your product image doesn’t just reflect your product, but your company itself. If you can’t take a good photograph of what you have on offer, what does that say about how you run your company? Just something to keep in mind when putting your products out there on the internet.
Is product photography right for your product?
The most likely answer is yes.
The beauty of eCommerce photography is that it can be shot using several different techniques:
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- Studio – featuring your product against a plain background. Simple, effective, eye-catching.
- Packshot – your product sold as a brand. A picture featuring not just your product, but its labelling and packaging too.
- Lifestyle – an action shot showing your product in use. Informative as well as assuring.
- Close-up – a highly detailed image of a part of your product. Great at showing consumers a particular element of your product.
- Group – several products pictured together. Great for promoting bundles or for advertising multiple things at once in an advert or on your website.
- Scale – Giving your customers a sense of size. Useful to avoid uncertainty and disappointment, and more useful than a simple description.
- Process – an image that tells the story of how your product is used or was made. Great at developing a connection between your product and your target audience.
These different techniques allow you to deliver your product in a variety of ways online, depending on what it is you’re selling and who it is you’re selling to. The bottom line is, from handmade to print on demand products, if you’re selling an item, chances are you’re going to be able to, and you’re going to want to feature at least one of these types of shots to promote a sale.
On the other hand, if you’re selling a videography software or product, you might instead decide to feature a video rather than a picture, but these shots and angles still apply.
If you’re interested in selling your product using some more advanced photography techniques, look at how you can boost your eCommerce sales by creating winning 360-degree photography.
So you’re interested, but how can you take great product photos?
Assuming that you’ve been sold on the concept of eCommerce photography and you’re reading this post to work out how you can best sell your product, here are a few top product photography tips for eCommerce:
1 – Choose a style that suits your product
Refer to the list above and figure out what style will most suit your product. Consider not just what you have on offer, but what kinds of people will be looking at buying your product. Once you’ve decided on how to present your product, think about what its selling points are. You might want to take a few different photos using different techniques before deciding which fits the most – or just use all of them!
2 – Use your company’s style
If you’ve already got your company website up and running, or if you’ve already got a few items up for sale with photographs already available, try to stick to your company’s style.
Consistency is a good thing. Not only will your company look more professional, but if people see your product advertised elsewhere at a shop or on a different website, they’ll immediately think of your company.
Another strength, a product photo taken in the same style as a different successful product generates a sense of confidence and assurance that this product will be just as good.
Noting down exactly how photos have been taken can be a useful reference for the duration of your photoshoot and future photoshoots as well.
3 – Reference other photos
Sometimes it can be hard to think of the best style for your product. Look to your other product photography, if you have any, and note what worked and what could be better.
Or, for more examples of professional eCommerce photography, check out Splento’s gallery here.
How else can you promote your product using product photography?
Product photography doesn’t just have to be professional. One of the best ways to show off your product is by sharing user-generated content. Showing (positive) photographs taken by previous buyers can help boost consumer confidence in your products and can be the edge needed to push a buyer into purchasing your product.
Involving user-generated content is free and effective, and boosts the connection between your company and its customers.
While they’re absolutely effective, due to the likely amateur nature of such photos, it’s best to keep these images as a bonus addition to your professionally made product photos.
In the age of internet dwellers and online shopping, using eCommerce product photography has never been more important. With over 20% of the world’s population buying online, there’s never been a better time to join the world of eCommerce, and using product photography is a great way to get in the game.
If you’re interested in getting ahead of the competition, contact Splento today to see how we help put your product at the top of the shopping basket.
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