Having an eCommerce company can be a very lucrative business. The cash is bound to flow when you know how to attract people to your website and convert them into paying customers. While it might be true that customers stay with you because of your product inventory, many of them were convinced to make their first purchase because of what they saw.
We aren’t talking about your cool website layout with intuitive navigation – though surely, those things might have helped. We are talking about your great product photos.
What Do the Numbers Say?
Eye-tracking studies reveal that people are more likely to explore websites that have aesthetically pleasing visuals. The first impression always counts. If your layout and images are not able to connect with your site visitors, chances are, you won’t be getting a purchase or a return visit.
People won’t believe the greatness of your product if you don’t know how to highlight its best qualities. They need to be convinced that what you’re offering them is the real deal. That simply won’t happen if your photos look unprofessional. In the world of eCommerce, superficial attributes are extremely important. Your website look can make or break your reputation, so it’s necessary to showcase your goods wisely. Reference websites: https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/conversion-rate-optimization/
https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/improve-conversion-rate-ecommerce/
In fact, 75% of online shoppers make purchase decisions based on product photos. These photos need to look so irresistible that customers see the words, “buy me!” the more that they stare. Your killer SEO content means nothing if, in the end, the customer doesn’t click the “checkout” and “pay now” buttons.
Of course, your products need to be as great as they look. You don’t want to go over the hassles of item returns because the customer wasn’t satisfied with what they got. Analysts estimate that 22% of item returns happen because the actual product is different from the website photos. Hence, photos must meet a customer’s expectation of the product.
Most social media platforms are highly visual in nature. Having platform-appropriate product photos can help a lot in boosting your sales. When product photography is part of your social media campaign, you increase your content’s chances of being shared by at least 40%. This is a great way of reaching more potential customers.
The numbers don’t lie when it comes to the power of website visuals. After all, it is the most convenient way of communicating with your audience without having to use actual words.
Solving Common eCommerce Challenges
Professional product photography brings a lot to the table. Sure, people may be drawn to your product line and reasonable prices, but how are you going to get ahead of your competition if you aren’t willing to step up your game?
- Studying the Competition
Unless your products are rare, you are bound to compete with businesses that have the same theme as yours. Thus, it is essential to plan how you can set yourself apart from the rest.
The saying, “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer” becomes useful in this situation. You will need to keep an eye on your competitors’ products, prices, promos, and social media activities to learn what they are doing right. When you know what makes their customers tick, you can use that knowledge to bring people to your side.
- Earning and Sustaining Customer Loyalty
Attracting new customers is a challenge while keeping them is another issue. Thus, you will need to create a positive experience for every type of site visitor. Investing in professional photo editing is a good place to start. After all, a polished look is enough to make people realize that you mean business.
However, customers must still feel the human side of your company, even if your primary goal is to sell goods. Make sure that they can easily contact you when they have any questions. Being active on your social media accounts is also a good way of showing that you are dedicated.
- Establishing Credibility
People can easily ignore your website when they see that you aren’t putting any effort in it. Nobody wants to waste another brain cell trying to figure out how to navigate a sloppy-looking online shop. Worst of all, people may be wary of giving away their hard-earned money because nothing about the website looks legitimate.
Investing in website layout and product photography can be all it takes to project a good reputation unto your target market. However, it’s not enough that you and your staff know how to act credibly. Your business’ visuals must also look credible to fully capture your customers’ hearts.
The Power of Good Product Photography
How can you convince people to choose your shop over others that offer similar products or services? Is it enough that they read good reviews from satisfied customers? When you and your competitors have the same goods and the same prices, what are the relevant factors that will cause you to lose or gain a deciding consumer?
Generally, the store with the better photo will win the game of sales. When customers are able to “feel” a product’s quality through a photo, a purchase is a lot more likely to happen. On the other hand, if a photo makes them doubt a product’s integrity, they may ignore the store and never give it another chance, regardless if it’s a legitimate business or not. Fortunately, a photo editing company like Clipping Path Asia can help you with that.
Every element of your website speaks for your company, that is why it is necessary to make sure that everything goes well together. These elements include color palette, font choices, image sizes and composition, navigation, and element placements. They must be able to convey an overall mood that will convince customers to trust your store and purchase products from you.
Successful sales require the perfect balance of “show and tell”. Product descriptions must be specific and complete, and they must be accompanied by an accurate and aesthetically pleasing product photo. Not only will this decrease the chances of item returns, but it will also lessen product inquiries. This means less time is wasted for both customers and staff.
5 Kinds of eCommerce Product Photos
You may own a long-established business that has decided to go online to expand its reach. Or you may be a budding business that is testing the waters with an online audience first. Whatever the case may be, all your customers will be looking for product photos. There is really no point in selling anything if you can’t even show what you have.
However, it is worth noting that there is more to product photography than making sure that your photos are pretty. The photo you choose must also be appropriate for the context. Products in white backgrounds provide the kind of contrast that will make the details pop out, but a product “in action” will make it more relatable.
Your photos must be able to bring out the unique qualities of your products. To properly put things into context, here are the five kinds of eCommerce product photos and the best uses for them:
- Basic Product Photo
This will just be your product on a plain or white background. The goal of this kind of photo is to show how a product looks like on its own or with other similar products. This helps customers gauge the relative scale of the product compared to what they may already have.
Best use: This is the mandatory photo for all eCommerce websites.
- Lifestyle Photo
Lifestyle photos show how the product appears “in action”. This gives customers an idea of how exactly it is used in real-life settings. If you want to convince your customers to get your product, you need to put them in a context that people will find themselves in. This is the best way to plant a seed in their mind.
Best use: Lifestyle photos are good for products that people use every day (e.g. clothes, accessories, jewelry). It is also recommended for decorative and quirky products, or for goods whose function isn’t best appreciated visually, such as perfumes or sports headsets. If you are posting on social media, lifestyle photos are good additions.
- Hero Photo
It is exactly what it sounds. Hero photos can be likened to movie posters in the sense that, it makes use of dramatic placements and texts to convey a certain point. These images are often bigger than your basic product and lifestyle photos.
Best use: Hero photos are great for website homepages. You can use them for showcasing a wide variety of products or promoting events like sales or product launches.
- 360º Photo
360º photos allow you to rotate images using your mouse. Not a lot of online stores have 360º photos because it is not as easy to integrate it into a website. However, it may be what you need if you are selling things that are better appreciated from all angles.
Best use: 360º photos are usually good for appliances and furniture, or for shoes and clothes that have an unusual style or fit. It’s up to you to decide if your product will be more appreciated by customers if it gets the 360º treatment.
- Video
Videos are recommended if the product’s purpose isn’t immediately obvious to the customer. It is also a great way of showcasing a revolutionary product that works like nothing we’ve seen before.
Ultimately, your photos should enhance your products and make them look good based on technical and functional aspects. Hence, it is essential to choose the kind of photo that will best communicate to customers why your products are worth having.
FAQs About Product Photography Editing
- Is it really necessary?
Again, when it comes to successful conversion and product sales, numbers don’t lie. Photos can really determine whether your business fails, stays afloat, or succeeds beyond expectation. Visual cues matter a lot more than we think, so show your stuff in the best light possible.
- What kind of set-up do I need?
If you are going to take your own photos, you will need the following:
-Good camera (DSLR and point-and-shoots can produce high-quality photos, but even your smartphone can do the job if it has good specs)
-Tripod
-Plain background (preferably white, though you may also go for something dark)
-Table
-Tape
-Lightbox or light tent
-A room with good lighting
- Is it worth it to have my photos professionally edited?
Taking your own product photos can be stressful enough. Why should you bother doing the editing and post-processing when you can just send your photos to a professional?
Yes, you may be able to save money if you choose to edit your photos yourself, but you will be able to save time and focus on other more important things if you let professional photo editors do the job. Epark IT has a number of photo editing services that can help you win customers.
- Are the rates affordable enough?
Epark IT prices are reasonable and affordable. In fact, their quotes are generally 25% lower than most of their competitors. The price of photo edits will mostly depend on complexity, but rest assured that you will get your money’s worth.
- How long does it take to process my photos?
The standard turnaround time for photo edits is 48 hours. The amount of time it takes will basically depend on the project’s complexity, so simple editing can be done in a little as 1 hour. Express and rush options are also available at a higher price.
Product photography is an important part of any eCommerce business. It can be pretty intimidating to do a product photoshoot when you are not confident with your photography skills. By researching the right tools and set-up, it is possible to pull it off. For your photo editing needs, however, you wouldn’t need to do the work yourself. Clipping Path Asia offers affordable photo editing services that will bring out the best in your products.