The quality of a store's product photos is one of the most important factors determining its success. If you want to start an eCommerce business, you must be skilled at product photography. When your customers can't touch or feel your products, they rely solely on the product images you post on the site to make their purchasing decisions. As a result, it stands to reason that if your product shots are poor, your customers will be hesitant to purchase from your store. As online shopping grows, businesses must work harder to make their online stores more appealing.
Product photos and other product details on the site must be comprehensive for customers to easily buy from your site.
The Advantages of Having Good Product Photos
Any online store's primary goal is to generate as many sales as possible. To do so, you must first create a sales funnel that attracts customers to your website. Customers must then find your store appealing when they finally arrive. This is where the quality of your product photos comes into play. Aside from making your website look more professional, good product photos add value to your site in various ways. Here are some advantages of having high-quality product images on your online store.
1. Emphasize All of the Product's Features
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If your product photos are high resolution, they will clearly show the contours of your product. In the product images, your customers will be able to see all of your product's features. Simply typing out your product's features in the description is insufficient. Visitors must be able to see with their own eyes what they will receive if they purchase from you. A good product photo also shows the product from various angles. This gives your visitors a three-dimensional view of the product, giving them a more realistic online shopping experience. If your original product photos do not turn out well, it is strongly advised that you edit them with a photo editing app or software before uploading them to your online store.
2. Showcase the Product in All Available Colors
A good product photographer will show your product in every available color in a different product shot. Each image must be uploaded in the best image format possible. It is difficult for your visitors to imagine the product in a color they cannot see in the product photos when deciding which color to buy. Displaying all colors in product images relieves customers of the burden of imagining what the product will look like in a specific color. When you add product photos in each available color individually, you can also specify how much stock is left in each color. The same is true for the various product sizes.
3. Differentiate Yourself From the Competition
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Not all online stores have good product photography. Some simply upload dull or blurry photos from their smartphones to the site. As a result, if your online store is brimming with good product photography ideas, you'll have an advantage over all other average sites. Before starting your own eCommerce site, do some research on others in your niche.
4. Make Your Online Store Look Good
Good product photography can completely transform the look of your website and make it much more appealing. People will want to spend more time on your site if it is visually appealing. The more time they spend looking at your product images, the more likely they will make a purchase.
5. Boost Sales Conversions
High-quality product photos are the shopper's first point of contact with your product. People who shop on e-commerce platforms like Amazon typically lack the patience to read through all product descriptions. A high-quality product image influences a buyer's purchasing decision in the face of numerous options. Great product images attract many customers to your product listing page and increase sales conversions.
6. Attract Customers' Attention
Images are the most effective way to capture customers' attention in e-commerce. Product images convey an impression of the quality of the actual product. Customers expect images that are clear and appealing. Customers are more likely to buy when they see high-quality images. On the contrary, low-quality images negate this advantage.
7. Keep Your Competitors at Bay
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On Amazon, thousands of sellers sell products with the same features as yours. You are close enough to your customers if your pictures are good enough. Great product photography helps customers choose between competing products and can tip the scales in your favor.
8. Improve Your Brand's Image
Customers perceive the quality of your product based on the quality of your product photos. Images of high quality create the impression of a high-quality product. A great photo allows you to tell your brand's story to your customers and create a lasting impression that will keep them on your product page. Low-resolution images simply appear cheap.
What You'll Need to Take Good Product Photos?
Now that you understand the advantages of having good product photos let's look at what it takes to do good product photography. The good news is that building a photography studio does not require a large investment. You can simply set up a home studio with some basic equipment. This method allows you to save money, create a simple studio design, and get your product shots faster. Here's everything you'll need:
∙ Camera
You do not need to buy an expensive DSLR camera. You can use a camcorder or webcam or your smartphone's built-in camera. Nowadays, even a basic smartphone includes a high-quality camera. You simply need to photograph your product for display on your website. You can take good quality product shots with your phone if you have good lighting, styling, and exposure. The best part is that you can edit product images on your phone using a photo editing app before uploading them to your website.
∙ The tripod
To take good quality product photos, you'll need to set the camera to a small aperture, which means holding the camera in your hand will be difficult. It will also be uncomfortable to hold your phone in your hands if you take pictures with it. That is why a tripod is required.
∙ White Background
It's critical that your product photos have a plain background so that the shape and contours stand out. White is usually the preferred color, but any other light pastel color can be used if white is too difficult. Make sure your product background does not clash with the background of your website. White sweeps are reasonably priced on Amazon. When using a sweep, you can cut it off and roll down a new piece if a section becomes dirty.
∙ Bounce Cards
When you use sunlight coming in through the window as your lighting source, you'll notice that the room has a bright side and a shadow side. To keep the shadows from becoming too dark, you'll need to reflect some light back. You'll need white bounce cards for this, which will brighten up the shadowed areas of the room. White sweeps are reasonably priced on Amazon. When using a sweep, you can cut it off and roll down a new piece if a section becomes dirty.
∙ Table
A table is ideal for displaying your product and taking product shots. If you place the product on the floor instead, you may have difficulty photographing it from various angles. This is best accomplished with a standard folding table.
∙ Proper Lighting
A window in your studio is required so that sunlight can enter the space.
Photography lighting is essential for taking good product photos.
How Do I Upload Product Images to Strikingly?
After you've finished photographing your products, you must upload them to your online store. If you build your store on Strikingly, uploading your product images is a breeze. Go to your store section and click on 'Add New Product' to add a product in Strikingly. Make a note of the product's name and description, and upload product photos. Before you set up product prices, you should research how to set sale prices on your online store. Fill out all product information, including the product price, sizes, colors, and the number of available pieces.
Image is taken from Strikingly
Image is taken from Strikingly
You can change the product information you enter at any time. Strikingly also includes a section where you can showcase your product. This means you can show detailed product images from various angles. It gives your product a premium appearance and feels. This section is primarily for displaying products and is not for selling. It's referred to as the 'Product Showcase' section. To add this, go to your site editor and select 'Add a new section,' then 'Product Showcase.' Add a product to the section to display it on the landing page of your website. In today's digitized world, you can get ahead of the competition by beautifully displaying your product photos and building a portfolio in Strikingly. Those who not only dream but also act achieve success. So, if you want to build and sell from an online store, sign up for a Strikingly account today.
Last Thoughts
That's it — a guide to product photography tips and resources to help you revamp your product photography and reap the benefits. These changes do not have to be implemented all at once. Creating consistent, high-quality product photos takes time, so some trial and error may be necessary to achieve the desired results. However, once you've mastered it, you'll be able to apply these best product photography tips to create beautiful product photos, a visually compelling brand, and profitable e-commerce business.
