Anyone new to eCommerce may assume that product photography is as simple as pointing the camera towards an item they want to list on their store, grabbing a shot, and then wait for customers to come calling.

However, every seasoned eCommerce merchant understands the vital role that product photography plays when it comes to turning visitors into paying customers and even regular shoppers.

For instance, A recent Weebly study noted that 22% of online product returns are because the final item received by the customer looks different than in the photos.

While it is true that the online shopper’s core attention for hitting the buy button is based on trust (belief) and transparency, a well-shot photograph of their desired item goes a long way to make the buying decision easier for them.

Conversely, when eCommerce product photography isn’t up to par, and cannot be clearly distinguished from a random photo on the internet, other marketing efforts, including cross-selling and up-selling, become unfruitful.

Before we go ahead to narrate the primary ways that product photography can increase sales for your eCommerce store, let’s provide a clear cut definition of what it involves.

What Is Product Photography?

In the eCommerce field, the product photography is the process of capturing quality product images for items listed on-sale on an online store. The captured images serve as a visual aid for potential visitors to see their desired purchase item and thus decide whether or not to place an order.

Essentially, the product photography is a component of both online and offline marketing as prominently featured on sales pages, magazine ads, online ads and other places where customers can be found.

How Can Excellent Product Photography Boost Sales For Your ECommerce Business?

Well, in ways more than one, excellent product images can significantly improve conversion rate optimization, and contribute to sales numbers.

1. Visual Aspects Retain a Shoppers’ Interest

Undoubtedly, one of the most relevant challenges faced by every online shopper is that no matter how interested they are in a particular product, there is no way they can see or touch the actual items that they want to buy.

With that in mind, excellent eCommerce product images represent the only way for a merchant to show the visitors the visual aspects of the item. This often determines whether they’ll continue browsing and eventually make a purchase.

Consider, for instance, a Shopify study which revealed that only 0.52% would be comfortable with seeing a single product photo and making their buying decision based on it. 

A more significant number,  33.16% said that they prefer to see multiple photos, with 60% of respondents confirming that they prefer images that will provide a 360º vision of the product.

Putting these numbers into perspective, low-quality product images will drastically reduce sales as customers will not be satisfied. In the same manner, the best product photography ideas and strategies will yield different [impressive] results for an eCommerce business owner.

2. Excellent Product Images Complement Branding Efforts

Ecommerce merchants invest significantly in helping customers to develop a high perception of their brand.

Putting these efforts into perspective, going beyond the product photography basics, and mastering the game provides another outlet for potential customers to understand the quality of a brand they’re engaging.

Irrespective of the quality-branding used on an eCommerce website or on the actual products, it is nearly impossible to convince a visitor to part with their money if the image quality is unappealing.

3. Bridge the gap Between Shoppers and Sellers

As noted earlier, the fact that eCommerce transactions are conducted on the internet without any point of physical contact before purchase means that a significant gap exists between shoppers and sellers.

High-quality eCommerce product photography perfectly bridges that gap and brings both parties back on level terms to transact.

What Are The Types Of Product Photography In ECommerce?

Having established the need for product photography in eCommerce, let’s discuss its two basic types:

1. White-background Product Only Images

This type of photography requires that the product photographer capture a series of a clean-cut, white background picture that prominently features the product from different angles that a potential customer needs to see.

The best product photography ideas for white or plain background product only image include allowing the product to take no less than 75% of the main image, but no more than 90%, as this could be less appealing to customers.

In a nutshell, embracing product only images promotes consistency, giving your eCommerce website a uniform and appealing look.

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