Shopping online is a totally different experience than the more traditional form of shopping in a shopping center. The main difference is that the remoteness means you are not able to physically see the product you are buying. This is where the importance of high quality, professional photographs really come into play.

The Quality:
The quality of a website and its products can be obtained by the quality of the images displayed on the site. Users of a website have no other visual cues to help them when making purchases, therefore product shots are very important.

The more professional the images on a website, the more professional the website looks. The investment in high quality professional photographs and product shots is definitely worth the investment, with sales conversions having been known to double with the addition of better imagery.

The Quantity:
There is one thing that is clear. Users like seeing more than one image of a product. Unfortunately, many ecommerce websites only show one view of the product. This takes away the user’s ability to fully grasp the scope of the product.

The best thing to do by rule of thumb is to have roughly 2-3 images of a product. This will help give the impression and control the user may have of a product in a physical store, whilst helping them decide whether or not the product is suitable for them.

The Size:
To give the users the best possible shopping experience, images need to be available in a larger version, so the product can be examined in detail. The most common practice of this is having a “Thumbnail” (or small version) and an “Full View” (Enlarged high-resolution version).

It is also most common practice to have the image shots appear in a pop-up window, although with technology today there are many alternatives such as “Lightbox” which will backout the screen and focus the user’s attention on the large preview of the image in the centre of the screen.

The Speed:
Unfortunately, the larger the images and previews get, the longer the time it takes to download the images on a users internet connection. The best solution to this is to have a high quality web server. This will provide optimal speeds to the customers of your website, enabling them to download the images quickly, enhancing their online shopping experience.

If you have a large quantity of users viewing your website, you may also consider having additional media servers to serve the images from multiple locations around the world; this can help ensure all users have a pleasant shopping experience. Speak to your Rival Professionals for more information on web hosting services.

The Detail:
Depending on the products you are selling, they may have smaller or more complex areas that may require more detail.
For example, if you were photographing a laptop computer, customers would most likely want to see the connections on the front, rear and sides of the computer to make sure it meets their needs. The solution? Include close up shots of all the complex areas of the product.

A good method to use is to take 1 full view of the product, then smaller close up views of areas of importance. Having these detailed photos could be the difference in an online sale or not.

The Package:
Some products may include one or more smaller packages. For example a digital camera. It is one thing to include a photo of the camera itself, but what about all the extras? It is good to answer all the customers’ questions before they even think of them! The best way to accomplish this is to take a “Full Package Shot” of the contents of the package.

It is also a good idea to include the product box in these photographs if possible, jus in case the product has multiple versions which may be similar in one way or another.

The Relevance:
One of the most important things to remember when dealing with ecommerce imagery is relevance of the images. Irrelevant pictures detract from the message trying to be portrayed by the store owner. It is best to keep the image precise and clear, don’t include images that could confuse the user or make them doubt the products quality.

Summary
Professional, high quality website images help sell products online. Fact.

The internet sometimes gets a negative spin put on it because of users not getting the products they “thought” they were getting. It is best to keep your ecommerce site professional and remain loyal to your customers by providing precise and detailed images.

If you would like to discuss your ecommerce website with us, the friendly Rival staff will be more than happy to answer any queries you may have.
Stay tuned for the next edition of our ecommerce guide.