When a customer is shopping at your online store, there are many factors that go into their experience that can impact their purchasing decision. Customers want to thoroughly examine a product before purchasing it online, so it is a necessity for online merchants to have compelling and high-quality product images. Product photography is a strategic tool that will help improve the overall professionalism and functionality of your online business, in addition to increasing your conversion rate.
Here are 5 tips for better product photography that are successfully demonstrated by Miva Merchant stores.
1. Zoom in on the Details
Being able to clearly see the product up close and in detail is extremely important for any ecommerce store, especially for stores with high-priced items. High resolution images allow shoppers to see details, as clearly as they would if they were buying it in-person. The zoom function allows shoppers to experience the project, to move it, and to view the product in fine detail. Small, non-detailed images make it feel like your store has something to hide, which obviously doesn’t invoke very much trust into your shoppers.
Using product zoom will increase your conversions dramatically and is actually considered a marketing channel of its own to drive business to online stores. Lotus Sculpture makes great use of the zoom function, incorporating angles in a 360˚ degree spin, allowing shoppers to examine the product from every angle in high-def zoom.
2. Ensure Great Lighting
Lighting is one of the most important parts of product photography. Natural light is a great (and free!) light source that will allow you to capture the colors of the product most accurately. Studio lighting is a great controlled environment, where you can ensure that the lighting remains the same for every shot.
Food is an especially tricky thing to photograph, as certain lighting environments (studio and flash photography) can make the food look un-appealing if not done right. It also has a short life-span. Using daylight for food photography will generally keep it looking the most natural and appetizing.
3. Simplify Product Backgrounds
Uncluttered backgrounds will help focus interest on the products, in addition to looking great on gallery pages. The consistency of your backgrounds will also reinforce the quality of your products, as well as being aesthetically pleasing.
4. Showcase Product Variations
It is hard for shoppers to visualize what something will look like in a different color from just a small little square sample on a website. It is much better for the user experience if you show the product in each color option.
5. Show the Product In Use
Online shoppers can’t physically handle or try out your product before they commit to purchasing it, which can be a barrier to sales. To overcome this challenge, add detailed product images or videos to demonstrate your product in use. This is particularly helpful when your product has a feature or function that may be unfamiliar to your shoppers.
Advanced product imagery and merchandising can also help your customers visualize what your product will look like in their homes. For instance, the visualizer tool on Decorative Films’ website allows shoppers to view what different window treatments look like in a variety of environments. Such virtual showrooms can help to engage shoppers and give them confidence in their purchases.
At the end of the day, your online store is there to sell products, so make sure that you don’t skimp on product photography. Follow the example of these Miva stores, and you could see a dramatic increase in your conversions.
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