The COVID-19 pandemic has of course led to exponential growth in online retail over the last year. More and more businesses are realising the importance of using the online channel to their business and investing heavily in their website presence. With this increase in competition, it is more important than ever for e-commerce businesses to focus on user experience. Having a well-designed website is an essential part of this, but strong product photography can be the difference between making, and not making, a sale.
People See Product Photos First
It sounds obvious, but the first thing a person notices when looking at a product online is usually the image. Our brains are much better at receiving visual information than information presented in text format, so a well-captured image is not only going to make your product stand out from the others on a results page but is also going to give the customer their first impression of your product.
Give the Customer as Much Information as Possible
When selling something online, it’s important to give the customer all of the information they need in order to decide whether or not to buy the product. This means that not only does the description have to be accurate and informative, but so do the photos. Getting someone to make a purchase online can be a lot more difficult than in person as they can’t physically see or touch it (we buy with our eyes, remember?). Having well taken, matching photos can give a person the information they need to convert. It also avoids the disappointment of someone returning an item because it didn’t match the photos, something that happens a lot with online shopping. Multiple photos of each product should ideally be used, with the ability to zoom in on them and see the product details – giving the user as close an experience as possible to that they would have in a physical store.
Stand Out From Your Competitors
This is especially important in heavily saturated markets. You may have the best product out of all of your competitors, but people can’t tell that if it looks the same as the rest of the results on the page. Great product photography can make your products memorable and you seem more trustworthy. How often do you come across two or more merchants selling the same thing? More often than not, the one with the better photos is the one that looks more legitimate and the one you’re going to click on. It is best practice to take your own product photos rather than using the manufacturer’s standard pictures – otherwise, you’ll just be one in a sea of identical product images.
Build Your Brand
Keeping your brand consistent is an important part of maintaining a successful business. You use consistent language in your content, and the same colours for your logos and artwork, so why not continue this consistency with your product photos? A product page where all of the photos have the same lighting, background colour, and angles helps to bring everything together and gives your website that polished, professional look that gains users’ trust and makes them more likely to buy from you. For more information on how to optimise your e-commerce website, talk to one of our experienced team members at info@ascendancy.agency or take a look at some of our other blogs for some helpful tips on taking your business to the next level.
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