Professional Photography – Does your site need it?

Pictures are worth a 1000 words, but they can be worth so much more for E-commerce store owners!

Why is photography so important for E-Commerce stores?

When visitors are shopping on your site, product images are the closest they can get to an in-store experience. Photos are how shoppers judge the quality and desirability of your product and your brand. E-commerce stores need to convey all of the same information that a brick and mortar store does, but they are limited to photography, words and video.

What kind of photos should I use?

The types of photos you use depends on the desired goal and situation. For example, to showcase a product and display the quality, finish or texture of an item, use “product photos”. What are product photos? Generally, product photos are photos of the item on a white or plain background where the focus is on the item itself without distractions. Here’s a couple examples of good product photos versus poor product photos:

Cruiser Bicycle Product Photos

Braun Coffee Maker Product Photos

FitBit Product Photos

What about showing a product in use? These types of photos are usually called “lifestyle photography”. These bring out the emotion behind owning, using or interacting with your product. A coffee brewer might use a photo of someone relaxing at home with a cup of coffee, or a fitness tracking device might show someone working out at the gym wearing the device. Here’s some examples of lifestyle photos:

Corona Beer Lifestyle Photo

FitBit Device Lifestyle Photo

Garage Door Parts Lifestyle Photo

Again, the types of photos you use and where you place them depends on the situation. As a general rule, product photos are used on category pages, as related items or on the Product Page itself. Lifestyle images are more used for banners, advertisements or blog posts.

What’s the benefit as a store owner?

The care you put into your imagery reflects your business. The quality of your photography can either elevate your brand or it can drag it down.

Quality photography will improve the “perceived value” of your products and your site. When your item is perceived to be more valuable than others, sales and margins go up.

Even when given the choice of two identical products, with identical prices on two separate websites, it’s usually the quality of the photography that will win the sale.