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When it comes to having your business succeed in this increasingly digital world, investing in high-quality product photography is a must. Great images are more than just aesthetically pleasing; they contribute to the overall success of your business in a variety of ways.
Think about it: you spend hours, days and weeks designing your product to make it look perfect. You want the colors, textures and fonts to be just right so that people will fall in love with your design when they come across it online.
However, if you don’t take high-quality photos of your products, then all of those hours spent perfecting the details are wasted because the pictures won’t do justice for what’s truly amazing about your work!
Here are 6 reasons why product photography is important for your business:
- Product photography is the new marketing.
- Product photography is a chance to outshine the competition.
- Consistent product photography builds your brand.
- Honest product photography builds your reputation.
- Be ahead of search engine trends with product photography.
- Product photography boosts your seo.
Human brains process visual content at a much higher speed than any other method of communicating information, making product photography a powerful marketing tool. For 93% of consumers, visual appearance is the key factor in a purchasing decision.
For small business owners and entrepreneurs who rely on their own photographs to sell products, the quality and standard of product photography are directly related to their ability to make sales and therefore earn a profit.
Product photography is also important for consumers.
Because humans are such intensely visual creatures, we often rely on the emotions evoked by a photo to determine which product to buy, or if we’ll buy one at all. Product photographers allow consumers to see and understand the details of a product before they purchase.
As many online consumers aren’t inclined to read lengthy product descriptions, the product photograph may be the only impression they get of the product before they purchase.
Therefore, a high-quality product photograph, in addition to being visually appealing, should display the more prominent features and assets the product has to offer.
In the rest of this article, we’ll explore the 6 top reasons why product photography is important for your business. We’ll see the many ways it contributes to your business, all the way from its marketing to SEO potential.
Table of Contents
1. Product Photography Is the New Marketing
As times have changed, so have consumer expectations. Now, particularly with the X, Y, and Z generations, the perceived experience of the product can be just as important as the product itself. Consumers become attracted to what their life will be like with the product. A simple, clean photo of a dress may not carry the same attractive quality as a model wearing the dress, laughing, on the beach with friends.
By investing in product photography that creates a whole experience of the product, you’re able to help your customer envision what their life would be like if they click the “buy now” button.
Nowadays, especially with the various popular social media platforms, it’s easy to use these product photos as advertisements as well. Your best images can easily be shared as Instagram posts, for example. In this easily-consumed format, they can be liked and shared by your customer base.
Creative, attractive product photos can function like a well-designed advertising campaign. By creating a scene that both showcases the product and creates irresistible appeal, your listing itself serves as an advertisement itself. With so many visual social media platforms, the power of a captivating image is undeniable. People who view your image and are intrigued are likely to view your shop. These views can potentially be converted into sales.
2. Product Photography Is Your Opportunity To Outshine the Competition
Whether you’re selling your items on a marketplace like Amazon or your own website, chances are your featured product has a lot of competition. There may be other companies selling the exact same item or, for specialty goods, many sellers with similar visions and products.
Your product photos are your chance to stand out against your competition. By investing in high-quality photos that capture your product in an appealing way, you’ll be able to draw the eye of the customer to your product listing. We do this by using the “listing lineup” as a way to design a hero image that is different from the rest of your competitors.
This visual appeal is particularly important on large platforms like Amazon. When a customer searches for an item, they may be overwhelmed with the results. Many listings can appear for the same inquiry, and they can all look the same to the consumer. If your photo can stand out among the results, potential customers will be more likely to click on your listing and buy your product.
Standing out amongst all the online competition can be done in a variety of ways. Of course, high-quality, well-lit photos are a must. Additionally, the choice in background can make a big difference. A clean, white background with the product attractively placed can be very effective. Alternatively, a lively background that makes the product come to life can be another way to grab the eye of the browsing customer.
3. Consistent Product Photography Builds Your Brand
Since product photography can function as a type of visual advertisement, consistently creative and appealing professional photos are a chance to build your brand. If you find a style that works for your company, consistently photographing new items in this way will help with your visual brand recognition.
If customers are able to recognize your company by the style of your product photography, they’ll be more likely to click on your new listing out of brand loyalty simply because they think it might be from you. By putting time and creative energy into your photos, you’ll be able to solidify the marketing of your brand to your consumer base.
Additionally, attractive and consistent photos posted on social media create another opportunity when it comes to branding. When your customer base enjoys a particular product or the way you have photographed it, they may share this image on their account or create their post recreating your branding. An iconic product photo can spark a wave of activity online which helps boost your brand and build a community around your products.
4. Honest Product Photography Builds Your Reputation
Additionally, it’s important to consider honesty in your product photography. While you want to be creative and innovative in your images, it’s important that you’re accurately representing the products you’re selling. This honesty is key in building your company’s reputation, particularly in the world of online reviews.
If a customer buys a product and finds that it’s different in real life than in the photos, they’re likely to return it. They may even write a negative review of the product and give your company a bad rating. This can negatively impact your company’s online reputation, and potential customers may be hesitant to buy from you.
On the other hand, if the customer finds the product to be as described, he or she will likely be pleased with the purchase. This positive experience can help customers write positive reviews and leave a high rating for you. When they document their positive experience, they’re contributing to your company’s good reputation.
5. Be Ahead of Search Engine Trends With Product Photography
Technology is rapidly evolving in this digital age, and it’s a challenge to stay ahead of the curve with your business. One trend that’s becoming clearer is how people prefer to search when it comes to searching online. At one time, searching with text was the only option. However, this is no longer true.
Images are becoming a more popular way to search the world wide web. By using a photo to search Google Images, you’re able to find results similar to your desired product. The CEO of Pinterest, Ben Silbermann, has predicted images will be the future of search engines. Images will be increasingly used in search results, and your quality product photos will help you in this transition.
In a world where search engine optimization is vital for the success of an online business, investing in great product photos will be the key to ranking highly in visual search results.
6. Product Photography Boosts Your SEO
Finally, your images also provide you an opportunity to give your search engine optimization a boost. Original images with appropriate names will rate higher in search engine results than widely-used images with generic file names. Instead of leaving your image named “File01,” you can enter a name that matches the image content.
In addition to creating an appropriate image name, take a moment to enter some alternative text for your photo. Search engines will also use this alt text to gather information. By taking the time to enter this information for your images, you’ll be giving yourself the best possible chance when it comes to search result rankings.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to product photos for your business, investing in high-quality, clean, and creative photos is a must. These images will help your business in terms of marketing, branding, building your online community, and ensuring your digital reputation. Product photography is more than making your items look good; it’s about building a business that’s ready for success in the digital age.
But this is only part of the story. Check out our article on 20 important benefits of product photography. Or if you need help with your online image, get in touch with us for product photography services.
