All the experiences in the online space are related to a certain type of visual image. From the mid-1990s, marketers became interested in the growing impact and opportunities available in virtual space.
In today’s digital world, as more businesses invest in e-commerce and more and more consumers prefer online shopping, high-quality product images are an integral part of the strategic marketing plan of companies and merchants.
Photos in online stores are not just photos, but a tool that creates a first impression, captures and retains consumer attention. In fact, the main mission of a good product frame is to communicate non-verbally with consumers. Influence their emotions. And to cause specific action on their part.
A product frame can be called successful if it succeeds in evoking in the mind of the consumer the thought: “I want this.” To distinguish our products from those of our competitors, to build brand identity, to engage our attention and, above all, to sell, we need personalized and authentic product photography.
We mentioned a marketing strategy, but what is digital marketing?
“Instead of one-way interruption, web marketing is about delivering useful content at a particularly appropriate time when the buyer needs it.” – David Meerman Scott
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Digital marketing are all those ways, methods and opportunities to use advertising channels targeted at a specific target group or broaden the reach of a specific company, brand, etc. Part of the channels of digital marketing is online stores, social networks, emails, various content publishing platforms.
When content is backed up with an appropriate image, it draws users’ attention. Product quality images are a major force in increasing website traffic and conversion rate. Consumers like to spend hours searching for products online or keeping track of the best deal.
Photo: freepik.com
How can their intentions be best met?
By maintaining a clear, concise presentation of a product and its features with just one frame. The commercial aspect consists specifically in designing product photos in such a way that all information and properties are reproduced from a single illustration.
Before deciding to buy an item, the user usually focuses their attention on the size, shape, texture, color, etc. It is this essential information that he will seek and it must be expressed in a product image.
Product photography is like a mechanism triggering the process of product transformation, which, in the form of an image from a gallery, goes into a shopping cart, like a real sale.
Photo: freepik.com
Therefore, the distinctive look and feel that a photo can nurture is a key point in any marketing strategy, and product photography is an integral part of digital marketing. Or visual presentation is the most successful strategy for making sales in ecommerce.
Experience has shown that when we search for products, we directly monitor and focus on images, titles and descriptions. If visual matching meets our search criteria, then the item you want ends up in the shopping cart with just one click. Therefore, a well-designed web with valuable content and quality product images is a marketing masterpiece.
Product photography is important and should be used to enhance the overall experience of a particular online store. The more information an image (or group of images) provides, the more confidence online users gain.
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More and more manufacturers and marketers are realizing the need to create high quality content. Building trust with their customers and followers starts with providing information, guidance or fun.
For this purpose, multiple visuals are needed with different focus, infographics, videos, personalized blog images. Through product images, they must not only adapt and survive in the digital universe, but also thrive.
In fact, it is not just about the product images themselves, but also about optimizing them in each platform and channel selected for presentation in the respective marketing strategy. Clearly, product photography is crucial to the success of sales and branding of any online business.
When and how can it be used?
In short, product photography in e-commerce falls in the following areas:
- Product only photo
- Lifestyle product photography / contextual product images
- Photos of social media products
- Product Pictures for PPC Campaigns (Pay Per Click)
- Photos for the website and product categories
The first step of creating e-commerce business images is the message or awareness. Or the potential these images have to share sufficiently detailed information about your product to engage the attention of future buyers.
In addition, these images also increase the likelihood of social sharing. Social platforms are becoming more effective, taking companies’ brands to the next level.
Photo: https: //www.freepik.com/rawpixel-com
When it comes to planning a great social media marketing plan, in addition to creating quality content, value must also be added through creative images. Photography impresses and attracts sensations. It creates a visual plot.
Of course, social media is a spectacular field of expression as they can serve all kinds of functions, from driving traffic and sales, to building brand awareness, engaging an engaged audience, connecting with customers, etc.
The impact of images on social networks is paramount. On a platform like Instagram, stories are 100% visual. As a rule of thumb, we only attract users with images without text.
In short, visual style and elegant impact are vital.
Instagram is one of the most appropriate channels for building a brand, organically, mostly because of the way it can communicate with the audience.
Instagram has also become a natural place to shop.
https://www.instagram.com/dior/?utm_source=ig_embed
Product images are now also an essential part of online advertising campaigns.
Whether ads are on Google, Facebook, channels like Amazon, eBay and other shopping platforms, strong and ambitious visual content, such as a combination of lifestyle photography and a clean product image, can be extremely powerful. By shooting products on a white background or just on a product, our goal is to provide enough information to the buyer.
While with lifestyle photography we convey emotion. We associate the product with the lifestyle of the potential consumer.
Regarding the pictures used for optimizing product campaigns for PPC purposes, it is important to note that each online marketing channel has its own image policies and requirements. Both contextual product photos and combinations of product photos are used to emphasize their functionality and features.
As for photos of ecommerce products for a website and category pages, creativity is needed to distinguish products from those of competitors and at the same time be attractive to the audience.
Here’s an example of inspiration:
In addition to promoting products on social media, good marketing practices recommend building a blog connection with consumers. The blog is another platform through which essential product information is conveyed admirers, followers, customers and last but not least are sales.
The main strategy of digital marketing is to increase customer, sales and attention. Of course, this strategy is dependent on product images that increase engagement and in some ways influence consumers to take specific action.
Images that are the product of product photography act as a messenger with a specific message that they convey through the product site, online store, marketing channels for online and offline advertising.
The visual media are heading for new and exciting directions. The role of images as part of the interactive space is increasingly dynamic. Content visualizations are expected to become even more interesting.
High quality product videos and 3D images increase conversions and are an extremely popular focus everywhere. Surely this trend will continue in the coming year.
Above all, people are looking for a stimulating, interactive shopping experience. Therefore, a good strategy is to add 360 ° product photos. They provide the viewer with the extra confidence they need to buy products.
No matter what industry you are in – appliances, kitchen equipment, toys, fashion, travel services and so on, you need representation. Among the many strategies you can think of, there is one that has a huge impact on buying behavior – product photography.
According to JUSTUNO, 93% of consumers consider visual content to be a deciding factor when making a purchase decision. And the most important thing about the visuals used to present the products is their quality.
The statistics show more interesting facts.
Before targeting a purchase, 85% of customers make a fortune online. As a result, images that complement the content lead to 94% more website views than non-content content. Today, businesses are beginning to use digital marketing strategies more often and invest more than ever in a smart online presence, which is a step towards great success.
Bold, creative and original photos are always a marker of identity. They give the audience a unique look at the products. And most of all, they affect sales.
Everyone who wants to grow and make money through the various online shopping channels should be aware that quality product photography and video content are no longer an option but a necessity.