Great marketing and sales efforts can fall flat if your product images do not measure up. High-quality product photography does more than just look good. It drives conversions, reduces abandoned carts, and minimizes returns. The right images help customers make informed decisions, enhancing their shopping experience while boosting your revenue.
Here are six tips to ensure your next product photo shoot delivers results.
1. Capture Multiple Angles
Shoppers want to see your product from every possible perspective before making a decision. While the number of recommended images varies by industry, a general rule of thumb is to provide at least four images per product. Certain categories, such as furniture, require more detailed shots, including close-ups of interiors, finishes, and materials.
Online shoe retailer Zappos takes a comprehensive approach by providing multiple angles of every shoe, including top-down, side, back, and sole views. This ensures customers can see every detail, from the tread pattern to the stitching, helping them make confident purchase decisions.
(Source: Zappos)
2. Show Your Product in Context
A standalone product shot is essential, but lifestyle images take it a step further. By showcasing your product in a real-world setting, you help shoppers visualize how it fits into their lives.
A clear example of this is perfume companies, where the product is integrated into imagery that conveys a lifestyle.
(Source: Dior)
3. Answer Common Customer Questions Through Images
A common hesitation before purchasing is, Will this work for me? Addressing this visually can prevent uncertainty and reduce returns. Highlight essential details such as:
- Cables and adapters included in electronic products
- Compatibility with other products (e.g., showing a phone case with different models)
- Size references for items like bags, shoes, or furniture
A great example of this is Ikea, where they specify the exact dimensions of each piece, including the length of every side, the height, and the depth of the furniture.
(Source: Ikea)
4. Use Human Models to Showcase Fit and Scale
For wearable products, using human models makes a massive difference. Seeing a shirt or a pair of sneakers on an actual person provides an immediate understanding of fit, style, and proportions.
Examples from Patagonia and Go Pro commerce store help the user realize proportions.
(Source: Patagonia)
(Source: GoPro)
5. Optimize for Digital and Mobile Viewing
Most online shopping happens on mobile devices, so ensure your images are crisp, fast-loading, and optimized for different screen sizes. Use high-resolution images but keep file sizes manageable to avoid slow load times.
Ecommerce giant Amazon enforces strict image quality guidelines, requiring high-resolution images with zoom-in functionality. This ensures users can examine product details on any device without losing clarity.
6. Highlight Texture and Material Quality
One of the biggest disadvantages of online shopping is that customers can’t physically touch a product. Compensate for this by zooming in on textures, fabrics, and finishes.
Ceramic and flooring manufacturers make an effort to specify detailed attributes for each type of flooring, such as texture, finish, and material composition, allowing users to get a sense of how it would feel in real life.
(Source: Porcelanosa)
Final Thoughts
Your product images are more than just visual assets. They serve as powerful selling tools. By following these best practices, you can create a shopping experience that closely mimics in-store browsing. Whether you sell furniture, electronics, apparel, or accessories, high-quality photography can enhance engagement, build trust, and drive conversions.
Sales Layer includes a digital asset management function to help commerce store owners manage their photos across the buying journey. In conjunction with its product information capabilities, companies can deliver a seamless end-to-end shopping experience.
Want to elevate your product imagery? Follow these six steps and see your checkout rates rise.
