Product photography. How to choose the right photos for the website?

The role of images in online shops

When it comes to e-commerce, visuals are a key factor in helping customers make decisions. High-quality product images provide potential customers with all the information they need to make a purchase, from size and color to texture and material. Photographs also help customers form a connection with the product, making it easier for them to imagine owning it.

In addition to helping customers make decisions, product images can also boost the visibility of your online store. Search engine algorithms prioritize sites with visually compelling content, so product images can be a major factor in driving organic traffic and sales. In other words, the more attention-grabbing and engaging your product images are, the more likely you are to increase your organic search engine ranking.

Lastly, images can be used as a form of marketing, allowing you to create campaigns that highlight different products or collections. You can use them to create visual stories and promote seasonal or special offers. Product images can also be used in email campaigns or social media posts. They can be used to create promotional banners and display ads, as well as featured collections and sliders on your home page.

What is product photography and why is it important?

Product photography is a specialized form of photography that focuses on capturing images of products in the most attractive and eye-catching way possible. It is important for online retailers, as it helps them to show off their products in the best light and attract customers. With good product photography, customers can see the product’s details, and make an informed decision about what to buy.

Where to get photos?

When it comes to choosing the photos for your website, it’s important to consider where you get them from. Producers’ photos can often be licensed for free and have already been designed specifically to showcase the product. This means they are usually of very high quality and can save you time and money.

However, you can show your products in a more creative way, by using own photos. This can be a great way to show your products in exactly the way you want and ensure that you have total control over the context of the photos. It can also give your site a unique look and feel, as well as provide valuable content for SEO purposes. It is worth considering hiring a professional photographer at this point.

What makes a good product photo?

A good photo is the end result you are striving for. In order for it to fulfill its function, you need to focus on a few basic elements.

Quality

Quality is a major factor in product photography. Photos that are too small, grainy, or blurry can be distracting and can put off potential customers from buying. However, the higher the quality, the longer it takes for the image to load and the slower the page. This can be remedied by using optimization techniques. This is primarily about compression, and if you know the right tools to use you can achieve great results with high-quality images without having them take up a lot of space on the website.

Light

Good lighting can make a huge difference to the final image, as it can bring out the detail and color of an item, as well as giving it an overall professional look. When taking product photos, ensure that you use natural light sources such as windows, lamps and other lighting equipment. Natural light is often the best choice for product photography as it does not cast any harsh shadows which may make the item appear dull or distorted.

Different angles

Also, it is important to capture different angles of the same product. This allows customers to get a better understanding of what they are buying and helps them visualize the product in their own environment. Depending on the item, customers might want to see it from different angles in order to assess its size and shape, how it looks in different settings, and how it interacts with other items.

Size and colors

When selecting photos, make sure they are big enough to show off the details of the product, but not so large that they slow down the website. If you don’t have access to high-resolution images, try zooming out to capture more of the item in a single shot. When it comes to color accuracy, take into account that digital cameras and monitors may distort some of the tones and shades of the product, so use an editing program to tweak the photo for accuracy.

Context

When you’re shooting your photos, you should always take into account the environment of the product. This means that you should consider the background of the image, and the surroundings in which the product is placed. It is worth creating the conditions in which the product will be used. Then the customer will better understand its use and functionality, which will be additionally described in the content.

SEO-tips

• Alternative descriptions. Take care of what you can’t see. This extra detail can help search engines better understand what the product is, thereby improving its chances of appearing in relevant search engine results.
• Rich snippets. By including structured data markup in your HTML, you can give search engines like Google more information about your products, such as their price, availability, ratings, etc. This can result in more attention and higher click-through rates in the search engine results pages.
• Featured snippets. These snippets usually include a title and a description. To maximize visibility, make sure that the content in your product page is well-formatted, easy to read, and provides answers to any potential questions that customers might have.

Last words

Product photography is essential to the success of any online shop. By following the tips outlined in this article, you will be able to create great product images that both attract customers and improve your visibility in search engines.