The power of product images in e-commerce
First of all, let's set the record straight by saying that an e-commerce store that displays its products with poor-quality photographs isn't doing a good job.
Take the time to consider how today's internet users spend a significant amount of time admiring high-quality photos of places and products they find interesting on social media and in online stores, so the importance of having quality product images for any online business has never been more evident.
Unlike a traditional brick-and-mortar store, your e-commerce store doesn't allow your online shoppers to physically touch your products. Therefore, shoppers are limited to their visual sense in assessing the value, quality, and reliability of a brand and its products.
Remember that images have the power to delight, attract, and inform your consumers. The right product images can help you stimulate and drive your marketing campaign agenda and help you generate more sales on your online store.
In this article, we'll explain the most pressing reasons why you need to step up your product photography efforts to improve your sales and run your online store successfully.
The competitive advantage
Your store has competitors, right? There are other e-commerce stores out there with a similar theme or concept, selling the same or similar products as yours. Naturally, you're doing everything you can to stay competitive, and one of the best things you can do to beat your competitors is better quality product images, making them more attractive.
Humans are visual creatures with a natural tendency to gravitate toward what looks pleasing and easy on the eye. When shoppers browse the internet and research a particular product they're interested in, they tend to compare products from different stores. When faced with identical products at identical prices, most tend to prefer the e-commerce site with high-quality, professional product photography, simply because it looks better.
Quality images improve perceived value
As humans who admire and are drawn to aesthetics, we tend to avoid products displayed by online sellers who haven't put enough thought and effort into their product photos.
It doesn't matter what you're selling. You could sell high-end designer jewelry online, but if your images are poorly lit with a terrible background, no one will be visually attracted to your products, so you can expect your store to have poor conversion rates.
This is because your customers will reflect the quality of your images on the value of the products you sell online. Poor-quality images will reduce people's perceived value of your online store and brand. Excellent product photography, on the other hand, will only increase people's perceived value of your brand and the products it offers.
What your potential customer notices first
Product images are what first capture your target audience's attention. Our eyes are naturally drawn to images of products we find interesting, even before checking the price. Good-quality photos have the power to capture your consumers' attention and imagination.
Your potential buyers also need to ensure that the products they're viewing with interest meet their expectations. Your images can help you showcase the qualities and specifications your customers might be looking for. For example, color, size, style, functionality, and other qualities will help your customer make their final decision. Images show your potential buyers what you have to offer. If your images are good quality, they might decide to stick around for more product details.
Provides product information
While online shopping is considered extremely convenient for many people for a variety of reasons, one disadvantage of online shopping is that your customers won't be able to physically evaluate the product they want to purchase. Many shoppers go through a product evaluation process and want to be able to consider the design, color, and other features before making a purchasing decision. Populating your e-commerce site with high-quality images will help you bridge the gap for your customers and help them make a decision.
As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. You should use your product images as a means of providing your customers with the necessary information. For example, be sure to include photographs of all available colors, include product images from multiple angles, show images of the products used in real-life situations, and more. When customers have all the information they need about your products, they're more likely to complete a purchase from your store.
It helps you build your brand
High-quality photography is an excellent way to build your brand and convey its personality. Even if you're not aware of the importance of branding, creating and building a brand is an integral aspect of your business. All successful businesses place their brand at the heart of their marketing efforts, and having high-quality images of your brand and products is one of the best ways to build brand personality and recognition.
Ideally, your brand and e-commerce store are populated by a consistent and unique visual style that will create recognition among your consumers. Since your branding instills your business's personality, your product images must remain authentic and consistent across all product pages, social media platforms, and advertising campaigns. The images you post and use on your product page should represent your brand.
Quality images are shared on social media
Having high-quality visual content available throughout your store and used in your social media marketing campaign will increase the likelihood that people will share images of your products online.
It's been discovered that in our social media-driven world, images are 40 times more likely to be shared. This is because many online shoppers enjoy discussing their purchases and experiences with brands on social media. Many of them also enjoy sharing images, which could potentially provide excellent exposure for your brand!
People who use social media tend to base their purchasing decisions on information and products they find outside of social media, and they share this information with their friends through stories, shared links, reposts, or pinning images on Pinterest. Having people repost your brand's images is excellent free advertising for your brand, so make sure the images you use are high-quality and represent the unique personality of your online store.
Conclusion
Investing in high-quality product images is a must for any e-commerce store because quality images make the sale for you. When you sell online, photos do a significant amount of work to ensure your store gets the conversions it needs.
Images are the first thing people see, not your product descriptions. In fact, most people skim content very quickly, stopping only when they find something attractive that captures their interest. Remember, your potential customers are very likely to buy from online stores with excellent image quality.
So, now that you know how important high-quality product images can be to the success of your e-commerce business, it's time to step up your game and beat the competition to the punch with vibrant, informative images.
