Why your online store needs kick-ass photos

If there is one thing that can make or break the success of an online store, it’s the quality and consistency of the photography.

Photos matter

Your customers can’t touch your products. So, if your photographs suck, guess what? So will your sales. A good e-commerce website relies on great photos.

Seriously. This is your one and ONLY shot to draw your customer in. Don’t mess this up.

1. Professional looking photos

Make sure your photos are stunning. You want to borrow your neighbor’s camera, eh? I’m sure it’s great, but it isn’t the camera that creates a great photo. It’s the person behind the camera that knows what the heck they’re doing.

Can’t afford to hire a photographer? You still have options. Call your local camera shop and ask for recommendations on some product photography lessons. Henry’s sells all the photo equipment you need.

Is your e-commerce website selling a product that isn’t unique to your store? Contact the manufacturer and ask them to send you high resolution photos of their products. Then send those photos to a service like ‘pixelz‘ to have the background removed and/or changed, colors retouched, etc.

2. Show as many details as possible

If you can, show the front, back & side views of your product. The more views you can show the customer, the more likely they are to be interested in buying your product. It really isn’t surprising how the tiniest detail missed can influence your customer’s decision making.

3. For the love of Pete, use the same background

Make sure you use the same background. Every. Single. Time. Pick a background color and stick with it. White or a soft grey are the best.

4. Size & shape does matter

Size of the photo? The bigger the better. Just make sure they’re always in the same proportion. Pick a direction (either landscape or portrait) and stick with it. All the time. An e-commerce website looks cleaner, more professional and credible when all the photographs are the same size & proportion.

So, are you ready to dive in and make some money selling online? Make sure you pay close attention to your photos.