Designing high converting ecommerce product pages certainly isn’t easy. However, it’s not impossible. And if you learn how to properly leverage product imagery, you’ll be well on your way to experiencing success.

Getting Product Images Right 

Product images are perhaps one of the most underrated elements of running a successful ecommerce website. If your images are poor, you’ll find it difficult to convince visitors that your product will meet their needs. If your images stand out, you’ll remove a massive point of friction that often holds conversion rates hostage. Getting product image right starts with the following: 

  1. High Resolution is a Must

Shoppers are likely visiting your product pages on a variety of devices. From tiny smartphone screens to 27.5-inch Mac screens, your product images will be displayed across a variety of different devices.  The last thing you want is for your images to become grainy or pixelated when viewed on larger screens (or when the user zooms).

To maintain sharp, clear images regardless of the scenario, be sure you’re only taking high-quality, high-resolution images.

  1. Take Images From Multiple Angles

One of the distinct challenges of shopping online versus shopping in a brick and mortar store is that you can’t actually pick up the item. And without being able to turn the product over in your hands, feel the weight, and view it from a variety of vantage points, you sort of lose the ability to properly judge the product.

The best way to combat this shortcoming – which is admittedly hard to overcome – is to take images from multiple angles. This page from Mr. Aberthon is a great example. Notice how the phone is shown from a variety of viewpoints, which gives the visitor a better idea of the depth, size, and functionality of the product.

  1. Show All Options

If the product you’re selling comes with different options – such as color, material, size, accessories, etc. – make sure you’re including images with all possible combinations. This helps shoppers make more accurate decisions and prevents unnecessary customer service issues. This Amazon listing for Deconovo is a nice example to reference. Not only are there separate images for each color, but there are also unique images for each size/color combo.

  1. Show the Product in Use

If the product you’re selling is something that is used to perform a task – or belongs in a particular setting – it’s smart to show it in use. While videos are more effective, you can find similar images – the right images can go a long way towards putting your product in the right context (in the mind of the customer).

  1. Optimize Alt-Tags

It’s easy to gloss over an image’s alt-tags if you don’t know what they are, but they add important SEO value to your website.

“Adding appropriate alt tags to the images on your website can help your website achieve better rankings in the search engines by associating keywords with images,” ecommerce expert Mark Hayes explains. “As a matter of fact, using alt tags is probably the best way for your ecommerce products to show up in Google image and web search.”

Don’t Be Overwhelmed

If you don’t have a background in photography, it can be a little overwhelming to think about image optimization for your ecommerce web pages. And while it’s certainly beneficial to have some working knowledge of basic photography concepts, it’s not a prerequisite to ecommerce success. Learn what you can, hire people who can help, and make sure you’re presenting your product in the best possible light.