The first impression is the best method to attract customers. That is something we all have grown up hearing. It is more real than ever in the case of eCommerce platforms. Ecommerce takes away the tangibility that physical shopping provides and replaces it with pictures and videos. Now because of this, these pictures must do an excellent job at conveying the right information to the customer.
The better the photos, the better the information is conveyed to the buyer and hence better the conversion at the end. It serves better to have relevant pictures, in the right context, with the proper lighting and the right message, that address the needs of the customers.
In this article, we are going to discuss the top 10 tips that will help you get more conversions for your eCommerce website:
1. Use Proper Lighting
The idea behind using lighting is that the product and the background should look like how it would look in person. It is crucial because that sets the right expectations in the mind of the customer, which increases their trust once they buy the product.
Now there are two ways to achieve this. The first one is to use natural lighting, and the other one is to use studio lighting. The kind of setup you should go for depends on multiple factors, including the platform on which you are going to promote the image, the type of product you’re promoting and the context of the background.
Take this as an example; if your product is something that is to be used outdoors, you should try to click the pictures under natural light, maybe even outdoors and if you are promoting something that is to be used indoors, artificial or studio lighting would be the way to go.
2. Select the Right Camera
Everything starts with this. The Camera. The better the camera you have, the better photos you will be able to click but then again, the camera is only as good as the cameraman who yields it. There are many cameras in the market to go around and considering your requirements, and you need to choose the appropriate one.
If terms like DSLR, aperture, f-stop, white balance etc. are new to you, then you should not invest in buying a high-end camera. In that case, a simple point and shoot camera would do the trick. Even if you do not use that camera, your smartphone can work just fine.
3. Use a Tripod
In product photography, you will have a product that is not moving, and you can click pictures of it in an environment that is still and controllable. You do not need multiple shots and hope to get a few right. All you need is stability, and a tripod provides that stability.
This stability that the tripod provides reduces the blurring effect that shaky hands can produce. It is imperative because it gives the photograph a premium feel. It ensures that the product photograph looks professional and high-quality.
In case the budget constraints do not let you buy a tripod, you can use a chair instead. The whole idea is to bring stability in the product photographs. For every kind of camera, there is a tripod available, even for your smartphone. A tripod makes for a worthy investment in the whole photography process.
4. Use Simple Props
The clarity in the product photograph is another significant factor that one needs to keep in mind. If the environment around the photo looks cluttered, it becomes difficult to distinguish the product and its qualities that make it unique.
Props do a great job at complementing the product but only complement. They should not overpower the product. It does not fare well to be overambitious with using the props. Props need to sit in perfectly with the background and the colour scheme of the whole setting.
5. Taking Multiple Shots From Various Angles
One of the most daunting thoughts that a photographer can have while editing is “Do I need to click this one again?”. When you have a complete range and variety of products, you need to click pictures of all of them. A good idea will be to have the pictures clicked from all angles. After all, it needs to look exactly like how a customer would use it.
You can click multiple pictures of your product and choose the best one that suits your needs. It provides you with the ability to see how the picture will look, rather than just imagining it in your head. You will get a clear idea of how to position your images and strategically choose the best one so that it shows the customer the best perspectives of the product.
This eventually gives the customer the right picture and hence drives more conversions.
6. Choose Proper Background
The background or also called as the backdrop is highly responsible for setting the environment around the product. It sets the context for the product, allowing the customer to visualize how the product would be viewed in a setting of their home and how it would look like when they are using it.
Choosing a background depends on the purpose for which you are clicking the pictures. In the context of your eCommerce website, a plain background works the best because it showcases the product fully and puts the complete focus on the product only.
With this being said, there are, however, different types of backgrounds that you can experiment with, provided that they communicate the right message to the customer.
7. Use a Proper File Type to Capture Maximum Details
There are multiple ways to save a digital photograph. Numerous file formats are available to save these product photographs. You should choose the ones that save the maximum detail and create high-quality photos.
While this should be a consideration, there are also set procedures that you will have to follow. Google Ads and Amazon have certain specifications that you need to abide by. These specifications are best practices that you need to follow to drive more traffic to your product and leading to higher conversions.
8. Check the Final Results Before Putting Away the Camera
Clicking product photographs and editing them is an expensive and time-consuming affair. What most people get wrong is that they first click a photograph and then spend hours editing them on Photoshop or some other image editing software.
The right idea is to have a clear image in your mind and click photographs according to that. This allows you to do minimal editing and saves considerable time on editing and make the image like you want it to be. Before you put away the camera, make sure that this is the image that you wanted to click. It makes the whole photography process much more efficient.
9. Putting Products into Context
The one primary factor that drives sales in a brick and mortar store is that customers can use the product and can feel the product. Moreover, it is the idea of watching themselves use the product and see how they would look like using the product.
While this feeling is removed in an online store, product photographs have the onus on them to help the customers visualize how the customers would look while using the product or rather how the product would look like in a setting of their home or the place where they are going to use it.
10. Show the Range of Products in a Single Shot
You probably have a range of products that you want to sell that belong in the same category. It’s important to show these products in a single frame because of two reasons. The first one is that it showcases your product variety, and the second one is that your customers might have different tastes, and these photos would appeal to a wider array of audience.
Showing off range never hurts. This might even give you an idea as to what does your target audience like so that you can focus your efforts on the same.
Considering all of these tips, this is not an overnight solution. Many of the steps mentioned take time and experience to master. Nevertheless, these are best practices and are sure to yield positive results, provided you are methodical and patient with them.
Happy Clicking!
About the Author
Ronak Meghani
A creative and passionate eCommerce Strategist with over eight years of experience in providing IT solutions across various industries. Ronak Meghani, the Co-Founder of Magneto IT Solutions, a full service of eCommerce Development in the USA, UK, and India. Ronak is closely working with e-Commerce ventures since 2009, and He has helped 200+ brands for building/improving their online investments in the area of UI/ UX, Development, Launching, Revenue Enhancement, Marketing strategy and much more and 90% stores are generating outstanding revenue.