You already know that product images help sell your goods and show consumers the benefits of buying from you. Did you also know you can use your product images to boost brand awareness? Consistency is key, but there are many other things you can do.
According to Bynder’s most recent State of Marketing report, 59% of marketers believe generating more creative output and digital content is the key to success. However, you can’t just throw stuff up willy nilly. It’s vital you create and stick to a viable plan for brand awareness.
When it comes to your product images, there are some specific things you need to focus on for success.
1. Seek Professional Quality
Your photos need to be professional with sharp resolution and proper lighting. For example, food photography has many different elements such as ways to make food appear fresh, shiny, or like it is steaming hot.
Pay attention to the types of images your competitors use. How can you step up your game? If your product photos look like a 12-year-old photographer shot them in the family living room, then it’s time to invest more in your content.
Ideally, images will be specific to your brand and products. If you must use stock images, seek high-quality ones with enough relevance to tie into your content. In photography, you often get what you pay for. You have one chance to make a good first impression visually.
Polywood uses beautiful images showing its chairs in various settings. Because they specialize in low maintenance, outdoor exteriors, the photos show locations where people might use the furniture. The brand uses a mix of isolated products on a white background with staged photos showing how their outdoor pieces look on a patio or around a firepit.
2. Use Multiple Photos
Consumers don’t just want a single image of your product. They can’t touch it in person, so they want to see all the different sides or a 360-degree video. They want to see how the item looks from a distance and up close.
You should also use photos for different versions of the same product, such as various colors or sizes. Make sure anything offering more than one size compares to items to give the photograph scale.
Think about what you’d like to know as a consumer. Can you show the features through an image? If a still photo won’t work, turn to video to showcase your products and how they function.
3. Utilize as a Reference
You can also use product images as a reference to other areas of your site. If you sell add-ons for a product, use an image of that item to guide users to the appropriate product pages. The image becomes an icon for your categories.
Advantage Outfitters uses vehicle types to help their customers shop for accessories “by vehicle.” They list some of the most popular work vehicles, such as the Sprinter, ProMaster, Nissan NV, or Metris. The visual cue helps users quickly identify where they need to go on the shopping site.
4. Find Correct Angles
Just as people want to see different images of the same product, they also want to view it from different angles. Your website must become the eyes, hands, and ears of the consumer. Show it from the top, bottom and all sides.
Different products may require different looks, so think about what angles you’d want to view the item from if you couldn’t see it in person. If you’re still unsure, talk to a professional photographer to gain insight.
5. Seek Consistency
Your product images should offer a consistent look for your brand. Do you have a personality, and does it show up in your photos? When you see a shot from Urban Outfitters, you instantly recognize their style. By the same token, Coach keeps things simple and elegant, making a statement about their brand.
You might use a particular type of setting, size, or colors in your images. Think through the message you want to convey and stick with it to tell a story with your visuals.
Tara Lane sticks with a simple, transparent background, putting the full focus on their products. The consistent look matches in image size and angle as well, giving the user a chance to compare at a glance.
6. Reduce File Size
Although much of your image improvement might be focused on the appearance of your photos, you should also consider the file size. Product visuals on the web should load quickly, which means you have to find a balance between high resolution and load times.
Look for ways to compress images without losing quality.
7. Allow Zooming
People want to zone in on specific elements of your product image. Allow users to click on an image to enhance it and move around to different sections. You’ve likely seen this feature on big digital retailers like Amazon and Target.
Fat Brain Toys offers the ability to look at a product from different angles and click on the plus sign to zoom in a bit. This gives the shopper a chance to consider different aspects of the product and how it might work for the gift recipient.
8. Use Alt to Make a Connection
Your images should always have descriptions and alt tags. Those who are visually impaired will appreciate your attention to detail and you’ll have an opportunity to enhance brand awareness with your tone and wording. Blend in keyworks your company should rank for.
You may want to add a logo or watermark to your images, too, as a further branding tactic. However, be careful watermarks don’t take over the image as you want the focus on the item you’d like to sell.
Take It to the Next Level
Paying attention to little details helps take your product images to the next level. You want to boost brand awareness but only in positive ways. Take the time to create professional-quality photographs that showcase your brand and your products and you’ll gain a positive reputation over time.
About the Author
Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. She was the creative director at a digital marketing agency before becoming a full-time freelance designer. Eleanor lives in Philly with her husband and pup, Bear.
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