They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In the world of e-commerce, a good picture is worth a thousand dollars! In fact, a perfect product image can mean the difference between underperforming sales and exceeding expectations.
Getting product images right is a critical component of any successful ecommerce website. Yours is no exception. That’s why this article will focus on ecommerce product photography.
What is E-commerce product photography?
Simply put, ecommerce product photography is the art of taking product photos for your ecommerce website. Yes, ecommerce product photography is an art as it captures the best features of your product. After all, how can you expect to persuade customers to buy if your product images do not highlight its best features?
Now, if you thought ecommerce product photography was just pointing a camera and clicking, you’ve come across something else. When taking product images, there are actually several factors to consider. This ecommerce product photography guide will walk you through everything you need to know about taking the best product images for your ecommerce website.
How important is product photography in ecommerce?
Ecommerce product photography is a key element of any successful ecommerce website. Essentially, the better your product images are, the better your chances of improving sales conversions. Of course, quality products can still sell despite poor product images. However, you have to remember that ecommerce product photography is a psychological phenomenon.
In other words, customers may still buy products, just not from your store. They will prefer the competition because their product images look better than yours.
The previous point underscores the importance of product photography in e-commerce. Here are some compelling facts to support our point.
What are the benefits of ecommerce product photography?
There are several benefits to using high-quality e-commerce photography. In particular, we want to highlight five of the most important benefits of ecommerce product photography:
Increased conversions: Great product images can give your customers realistic expectations of your products. Plus, they highlight the best features of your product, which increases conversions.
Reduce returns: When you have high-quality product images, you can drastically reduce product returns. Remember, 1 in 4 returns is because the item doesn’t match the product image.
Reduced costs: You can also reduce costs due to a lower rate of product returns. You don’t need to worry about paying extra shipping charges or dealing with excess inventory.
Increase customer engagement: Who doesn’t love a nice photo? Having great ecommerce product photography allows you to increase customer engagement. You’ll naturally pique your client’s interest while also increasing the shareability of your images on social media.
Brand Positioning: Brand positioning is the mecca of e-commerce product photography. When you position your brand, you put it in the minds of your customers. In other words, your brand and products become the first choice.
In contrast, low-quality product images can make your brand forgettable. Worse, customers may reject your brand and products. So it pays to focus on getting killer product images. You’ll be glad you did!
How Much Does E-commerce Photography Cost?
Ah yes… cost. Professional ecommerce photography can get very expensive. After all, high-quality product images require careful attention and proper skill.
Generally, hourly rates range from $90 to $270. However, completing a photo shoot can take several hours, increasing your costs.
It can range from $300 to $3,000 per day. Some business owners prefer to pay by the day because they can get a lot of product images done in one day. But you have to be sure that the photographer can finish the project in one day. Otherwise, you could end up paying for days of photography.