Tag: product photography ideas

Tips to Make Your Product Photos More Effective

September 3, 2019 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Do you find that people don’t read anymore? I have purposely been trying to make my blog posts shorter and use more bullet points because today’s society has no time to read, even if it is useable information.

However, people will look at photos. So a tip that I always give my e-commerce clients, is to use their product photos more effectively – with headlines, size scales and flyouts that point out key features. The goal is to treat each product photo like an ad. I found some good examples on Amazon.

Add Headlines to Photos

Adding a headline to a product photo can be very effective. For example, take a look at this photo from O Naturals:

tips for making product photos more effective

Now, even this might be too much text on one photo, but it is the right idea to make headings out of the main things a customer would want to know. I would actually consider making each of these points a single headline on six different photo slides.

Add Size Scales to Photos

Have you ever had someone return an item because it ended up not being the size they thought. I saw this photo from a company called Aienid and thought they did a pretty good job of answering all size questions (among other things, such as the closure), right in the photo:

tips for making product photos more effective

Add Flyouts to Photos

Flyouts that zero in on certain features on the product itself, are also a good idea, as seen in this product photo from dog collar company, Kurgo:

tips for making product photos more effective

Now, always leave one product photo with no text on it for editorial purposes, but otherwise, start taking the text from your descriptions and add it to your photos to see if it results in more sales conversions and fewer returns.

Also to Read:

You’ll Sell More If Your Product Photos Show Solutions to Customers’ Problems

July 1, 2014 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

I have written before about product photography ideas, including how to Up-sell More of Your Products Using Vignette-Style Photos, and How to Make a Photo Sell Your Products, but I wanted to give you an example of a photo that got me to buy.

I saw these framed letters at Ballard Designs recently and thought they were nice, but felt that I had no need. Then I saw the second photo on their design blog and changed my mind.

I had been looking for something to fill up a long narrow wall in my home and this was the perfect solution. But as a customer, I had walked away initially because I didn’t understand right away how I could use these letters. Not only does the second photo solve the decor dilemma I was having, but they just sold 4 instead of 1.

Product Photography Ideas

How to Get a Product Photo That Solves a Problem

If you sell home decor, you always have to remember that not everyone is decorating savvy or fashion savvy or immediately understands why they need your product. Sometimes a visual that creates a need and/or solves a problem works a lot better than words. For example:

If you are selling décor products, think of a decorating dilemma (what to do with a long narrow wall).
If you are selling fashion, think of a fashion dilemma (what to wear to a wedding).
If you are selling kids products, think of a parent’s dilemma (is this product safe for my kids).
If you are selling vintage products, think of a buyer’s dilemma (will this work with my current décor or wardrobe).
If you are selling food products, think of a cook’s dilemma (how can I use this in tonight’s dinner).
If you are selling wedding products, think of a bride’s dilemma (will it make my wedding more unique).
If you are selling gadgets, think of a buyer’s dilemma (how will it make my life easier).
If you are selling pet products, think of a pet owner’s dilemma (is it durable enough for my big dog).
If you are selling beauty products, think of women’s most common dilemmas (will I look better).

And now think of a photo that will immediately capture the solution to this dilemma and you might make more sales!

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How to Effectively Use Your Photos to Sell Your Products

January 24, 2013 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Using Photos to Sell Products Are you using your photos to sell your products in the most effective way?

Take a look at the photo below. It is from a wedding blog called, Style Me Pretty. The photographer took a photograph of the bride holding a variety of clutch purses, which are obviously gifts for her attendants. This photo caught my eye because I actually thought it was an ad for the shop selling the purses. It wasn’t, just a good photographer capturing every detail of a wedding.

Now, if I was selling clutch purses, I would add a photo like this to my shop. Why? Because with one photo I just gave a visitor another reason to buy that they may not have thought about.

Show Who the Product May Be For

What if a bride is visiting my purse shop, but just looking for one for herself. She sees a photo like this and it automatically registers that, yes, these purses would make a great attendant gift. Much more effective then just putting it in the product description because photos convey the idea so much faster than words. While you need photos that are strictly of the product (as these are the ones that tend to get picked up for editorial) you also need photos that quickly tell visitors the need and uses for your product.

Show Uses for the Product

Another example for you. I recently saw a lot of baby onesies online with a Santa or Christmas motif. Every shop just had a photo of the onesie, or the onesie on a baby. However, I thought why doesn’t anyone have a photo of the baby wearing the onesie sitting on Santa’s knee? Wouldn’t it be the perfect thing to wear for baby’s first photo with Santa? A visitor to your shop would see a photo like this and think, I will get more use out of this than just Christmas morning, I can use it for the Santa photo. Therefore the product now has more value, and I am more likely to buy. So think of all the people who would buy your product, or all the reasons someone would buy your product, and see if you can come up with a photo that conveys this to visitors. It may do your selling for you

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