Do you know that 75% of internet shoppers look at product images before making a decision? Success in the fast-paced world of e-commerce requires your product to stand out from the competition, hence first impressions are more important than ever.
When it comes to Amazon product sales, Product Photography has huge importance. The pictures you use to promote your products on this powerful platform have a huge influence on the success of your e-commerce business. Professional Amazon product photography can draw people in, increase conversions, raise your company’s search ranks, and eventually lead to increased revenue. In this article, we are going to explain the importance of having professional product photography on Amazon and offer advice on how to make your photos stand out.
What is Product Photography?
Product photography is basically taking pictures of products that are intended for advertising across various social media platforms and websites. It’s another form of commercial photography. Drawing in potential clients requires exhibiting the products in a visually appealing and educational approach. To emphasize the characteristics, intricacies, and distinctive selling qualities of the objects, product photographers employ a variety of techniques, lighting, and backgrounds.
Amazon is one of the world’s largest e-commerce platforms which believes in the importance of product photography. To maintain a uniform and enjoyable purchasing experience for customers, the organization provides particular criteria and specifications for product photos on its platform. According to Amazon, products with professional, high-quality photos have a higher probability of selling than those with low-quality visuals.
Guidelines and Requirements for Amazon Product Photography
Amazon has specific guidelines and requirements for product photography to ensure consistency and quality across its platform. These guidelines help maintain an enhanced shopping experience for customers and ensure that sellers provide accurate representations of their products. Some key aspects of Amazon’s product photography guidelines include:
Image Specifications
Amazon requires product images to meet certain specifications, such as a high resolution, aspect ratio, and file format. A vital rule to remember is the size of your Amazon image. Your file can be as tiny as 500px for the site, but if you want clients to be able to zoom in on your photographs, they must be at least 1000px, with the recommended size being 1600px or greater on the longest side, not exceeding 10,000px. Zoom has been proven to boost conversion rates, so enabling this option is strongly advised. These specifications ensure that images are clear, well-defined, and compatible with different devices. Moreover, Amazon also requires product images to have a clean, white background, allowing the product to be the main focus. Additionally, the composition should show the entire product clearly and avoid any distracting elements.
Number of Images
Amazon’s site standards for main product images require a pure white background with RGB color values of 255, 255, and 255. The images must be professional photographs of the actual product without any graphics, drawings, mockups, or placeholders. Props or accessories not included with the item should not be used. No text, logos, borders, or watermarks are allowed over the product or background. Multiple views of the same product are not permitted. The entire product must be shown in the frame, except for jewelry, and products should be shown outside of their packaging unless the packaging is an important feature. No human models sitting, kneeling, leaning, or lying down are allowed, except for models using assistive technology. Multi-pack apparel and accessories must be photographed flat and off of the model. Clothing accessories should not show any part of a mannequin, and men’s and women’s clothing must be shown on human models, not mannequins. Kids and baby clothing should be photographed flat and off of the model. Shoes need to be photographed facing left at a 45-degree angle, with only a single shoe shown.
Image Editing and Enhancements
While Amazon allows basic enhancements like adjusting brightness, contrast, and color accuracy, it prohibits certain editing techniques that could mislead customers. Images should represent the product accurately without any deceptive alterations. This is why Amazon has specific site standards for product images. These standards require that the images accurately represent the listed item and match the product title. The product should fill at least 85% of the image and be in focus, professionally lit, and photographed or scanned with realistic color. No pixelation or jagged edges should be visible. Images must not contain nudity or be sexually suggestive. When it comes to clothing for kids and babies, leotards, underwear, and swimwear should not be shown on human models. Additionally, images cannot display Amazon logos, trademarks, or anything that can be confused as such. This includes words and logos related to “Amazon,” “Prime,” “Alexa,” or the Amazon Smile design. Furthermore, badges used on Amazon or anything that can be confused as badges (such as “Amazon’s Choice,” “Premium Choice,” “Amazon Alexa,” “Works with Amazon Alexa,” “Best Seller,” or “Top Seller”) should not be included in the images.
The Impact of Professional Amazon Product Photography
Professional Amazon product photography has a significant impact on e-commerce business, helping to increase sales, improve customer engagement, and boost brand reputation. Let’s look at some examples of how this affects people:
Increased Sales
Product photos of high quality have the potential to greatly increase sales. Consider two listings on Amazon for the same product. The first one exhibits photographs taken with a smartphone that is poorly lit and low-resolution, while the second showcases professionally shot images with outstanding lighting, composition, and attention to detail. Customers are more likely to be drawn to a listing with professional product photographs because they perceive it to be a trustworthy and reliable alternative. Better visual appeal and credibility result in higher conversion rates and sales success.
Increased Customer Engagement
Professional product photography can fascinate customers and urge them to explore deeper. Customers are more likely to click on photographs that are visually appealing, well-composed, and highlight the product’s essential qualities when browsing through product listings. Engaging product photos that showcase the product’s distinctive selling characteristics, such as a product’s unique design, or features, can help potential customers connect with it. This increased involvement can result in growing attention, more time spent on the product page, and a higher possibility of purchasing.
Improved Brand Reputation
Presenting products with professional photographs consistently helps to develop a positive brand reputation. Customers naturally are drawn to products that consistently offer high-quality professionally graded product photographs. This favorable view increases the credibility of a brand, leading customers to prefer your brand over competitors. A strong brand reputation reinforced by quality product photography can also contribute to favorable word-of-mouth recommendations, repeat business, and higher customer satisfaction.
Competitive Advantage
In a competitive e-commerce market, it’s critical to distinguish your products from your competitors. You can gain a competitive advantage by using professional product photography. You can set your brand and products apart from competitors in the market by investing in visually attractive photos that successfully highlight the distinctive aspects of your items. Customers are left with a long-lasting impression, which makes your products stand out and raises the possibility that they will outperform their competitors.
Factors to Consider
There are a number of crucial variables to take into account while photographing Amazon products professionally to obtain productive and high-quality results. These elements consist of:
- Hiring a Professional Product Photographer: Take into account working with a skilled e-commerce expert who is familiar with Amazon’s needs and specifications. Find a photographer with a solid portfolio that demonstrates their aptitude for capturing products in an eye-catching and instructive way.
- Planning the Photoshoot: Before the photography, thoroughly consider the number of shots you’ll need for each product. Choose the perspectives, and close-ups that will highlight the qualities and advantages of your product the best. Prepare the materials, backgrounds, and other props required to produce eye-catching compositions.
- Lighting: Good lighting is essential when photographing products. Make sure there is adequate lighting, avoiding harsh shadows or overexposure. To obtain the desired effects, experiment with artificial or professional lighting setups, bringing out the product’s textures and fine features.
- Composition and Framing: Pay attention to how your product photographs are framed and composed. To make compositions that are both aesthetically pleasing and well-balanced, use the rule of thirds, leading lines, and negative space. Pay close attention to product placement, making sure the complete item is seen, and avoiding any pointless distractions.
- Image Editing and Retouching: Utilize post-production techniques to improve the quality and appeal of your product photos by editing and retouching the images after the photoshoot. This could entail changing the brightness, contrast, and color accuracy as well as getting rid of any small flaws or eye-catching details. However, be sure to follow Amazon’s rules and that the modified photographs still accurately depict the product.
- Consistency and Branding: Maintain consistency throughout your product catalog by employing the same background, lighting, and style for all of your product photographs. Your brand identification is strengthened by this consistency, which also makes your items simple to identify. You can add branding components like logos or watermarks to further enhance your business visibility.
Our Takeaway
Professional Amazon product photography has a commendable impact on e-commerce success. You can build a captivating online shopping experience, draw customers, boost conversions, and promote long-term success by investing in high-quality images. By utilizing the effectiveness of expert product photography, you position your company for success in the ever-changing e-commerce environment.
