Update: This article was originally published in 2009. While the tools used to create product images have changed, strong eCommerce product photography remains essential for helping shoppers understand products and feel confident about purchasing online.
A few days ago, I wrote about using videos on your webstore.
Here is a good set of tips to using product photographs on your webstore. The key is to understand your customer and to learn what kind of images tell your story. The kind of images a jewelry store should have is very different from the kind of images an automotive parts store should have.
Why eCommerce Product Photography Matters
Online shoppers cannot pick up or examine a product before buying it. Clear images help them understand the product’s appearance, size, materials, features, and intended use.
Strong product photography can also reduce uncertainty by showing customers what to expect before the order arrives.
1. Use Consistent Lighting
Photograph products in even, reliable lighting so colors and details appear accurately. Natural window light can work well for smaller catalogs, while larger product lines may benefit from a consistent studio setup.
Avoid mixing different light sources because that can change how colors appear from one image to another.
2. Keep the Background Simple
A clean background keeps attention on the product and creates a consistent look across the storefront.
White or neutral backgrounds work well for primary product images. Lifestyle settings can be added as secondary images to show how the item looks in use.
3. Show Multiple Angles
Include front, side, back, and detail views when they help shoppers evaluate the product.
Customers may also benefit from seeing closures, textures, controls, labels, packaging, or other features that are difficult to understand from one image.
4. Show Size and Scale
Product dimensions are useful, but images can make scale easier to understand.
Show the product next to a familiar object, being held, worn, or placed in a realistic setting when appropriate. Make sure those images do not create a misleading impression of size.
5. Keep Colors Accurate
Edit images for brightness and clarity, but avoid changing the product’s actual color or appearance.
Color accuracy is especially important for apparel, home goods, beauty products, and other categories where appearance influences the purchasing decision.
6. Optimize Images for the Website
Large image files can slow down product pages. Resize and compress images before uploading them while maintaining enough detail for customers to zoom in.
Use descriptive filenames and image alt text so search engines and assistive technology can better understand the image.
7. Use Lifestyle Images Alongside Product Images
Primary images should clearly show the product. Lifestyle images can then demonstrate how it fits into a customer’s home, routine, wardrobe, or workflow.
The two types of images serve different purposes and work best together.
Product Photography Checklist
Before publishing a product listing, confirm that:
- The product is in focus
- The background is clean
- The colors look accurate
- Important details are visible
- Multiple angles are included when useful
- The image reflects the current product
- The file size is optimized
- Descriptive alt text has been added
Support the Experience After the Product Page
Strong product photography helps customers understand what they are buying. Accurate inventory, organized orders, and reliable fulfillment help ensure the experience continues after checkout.
Ordoro brings inventory, orders, and shipping together so eCommerce businesses can manage the operational side of every sale. Explore Ordoro
