Great product photos are at the core of modern-day marketing.
Present-day marketers value visual content. The logic is simple- humans are wired to remember and respond to visual cues. Excellent images can inspire a connection between the brand and the consumer. And, they can motivate buyers to keep browsing or make a purchase.
However, image-driven marketing requires some careful navigation to reach the desired results. That’s where the need for product photo editing arises.
It’s All about the Images. Quite Literally!
Images have the power to invoke emotions in us and change our perception. No matter how incredible the written word is, the majority of website visitors are initially engaged by the visuals.
Especially in eCommerce, product photos carry heavy influence.
- 60% of customers prefer a business that shows up in search results with images
- 70% of online buyers rate product images as a prime influence on their purchase decision
- 22% of all returns are issued because the product looks different than its image
- Marketers consider images to be more important than text and videos
- 67% of buyers consider image quality an important factor in purchasing the product
- Pages featuring in Google’s mobile snippet have 12 images on average
Simply put, eStores with good product photos are more persuasive than others. That’s a major reason why many eSellers choose to outsource product photo editing services.
The Science behind Editing Product Images
Captivating photos drive responses. That’s no surprise!
An image, when edited and positioned appropriately, can instantly connect a product’s value with a buyer’s need. That’s especially useful in eCommerce. Online buyers can’t see or touch a product to assess its quality or nature. With product photos, they can visualize the product’s size, shape, colors, dimensions, designs, styles, etc.
However, a good product photo begins to take shape even before the camera is out of its shell.
The journey of creating a compelling product photo starts with understanding the buyer persona. So, do some research to get a clear idea about-
- Who would buy the product?
- Why would they purchase this specific product?
- What pain points does this product solve?
This analysis, albeit time-taking, can help you exhibit the product in the most attractive way possible. At the same time, it will answer the buyer’s questions & help them determine the product’s worth.
Other Advantages of Product Photo Editing
- Good-quality images establish a context, impart information, and create intrigue
- Excellent product photos, consistent throughout an eStore, help in building brand credibility
- Using shots from different angles allows the buyer to interpret the product better
- High-quality images have better chances of being shared on social media, thus increasing brand exposure
- A CTA supported by visual content is more likely to be followed through by buyers
- Quality photos coupled with a decent product description can promote sales and reduce return rates
- Excellent images make product listings more enticing and engaging, thus providing a competitive advantage
Best Practices to Follow when Editing Images for an eStore
1. High-Quality
High-quality product images are compelling by nature. They stand out in a list of search results. They quickly grab a buyer’s attention and often result in a hike in click-through rates.
When a customer visits your product page, high-resolution product photos enable them to analyze the product appropriately. It helps them make a more informed decision quickly.
Quick tip- in addition to picture resolution, pay attention to data compression as well. Compression techniques help in reducing the size of the image without affecting its quality.
2. Background Removal
Background-removal adds a professional touch to any image. It directs attention to the product’s distinct features, eliminating all distractions that come with a cluttered background. Plus, images without any background appear clean, polished, and aesthetic.
Many eStores hire image enhancement services specifically for background removal to give their product pages a touch of perfection. That’s mostly because images with a white/transparent background have become a semi-official industry standard. Some platforms, like Amazon, strictly suggest this practice. Others prefer it for the benefits it offers.
3. Color Correction
The use of color correction depends on the lighting and background at the time of capturing a product’s photos. This technique is primarily used to-
- Make an image pop
- Fix color intensity in the image
- Balance image illumination and saturation
- Fix the hues and shadow-related problems
- Adjust brightness, lights, shadows, saturation, clarity, & vibrancy
- Correct sharpness and white balance
Color correction should never be avoided. After all, it can vastly improve an image’s outlook with minor changes.
4. Resizing for Technical Image Requirements
eCommerce marketplaces, like Amazon & eBay, provide sellers with particular guidelines. This is another reason why eStores choose to outsource product photo editing services. It’s too much work to capture a decent image & retouch it properly while following the varying guidelines for different marketplaces.
For instance, take a look at Amazon’s image requirements.
However you go about this, you will need to resize the final photo as per these rules. The same applies to other eCommerce marketplaces and their preferences regarding image size and quality.
5. Retouching
Often, people confuse retouching and color correction as the same. Not quite!
Retouching is all about eliminating distractions from an image. It is focused on improving the natural strengths of an image while removing unwanted elements like dots, stray fabric, wrinkles, spots, etc.
Retouching and compositing go hand in hand. While the former refines the product photo, the latter makes sure that every aspect of the product is adequately exposed. Retouching is primarily used for cleaning up the picture. Compositing makes use of art and illustration to enhance every detail and feature of the product.
Quick Tips to Keep In Mind When Capturing Product Photos
- Use a curved background, preferably white, to keep away shadows & avoid sharp angles
- Use soft lighting that scatters evenly across the product
- Capture the product’s identifying features through different angles and shots
- Use props, like stands or mannequins, to better accentuate the product
- Avoid noisy backgrounds and pixelated images
- Use a tripod for stability, whenever possible
- Ensure proper exposure and white balance settings
- Use reflectors to avoid deep shadows
Outsourcing Product Photo Editing Services VS. Doing It Yourself
So far, we’ve established two things.
- Captivating, high-quality images increase the chances of eStore success and can improve sales
- Editing images that qualify for eCommerce requires a good enough understanding of photography elements
However, the dilemma remains- hire product image editing services or do it in-house?
The answer is situation-specific and business-specific. More often than not, outsourcing photo editing services for eStores wins over doing it in-house. The reason- Opportunity Cost.
When choosing between two alternatives, Opportunity Cost is defined as the loss of benefits produced by the foregone alternatives. In this case, when you give up the option of outsourcing, you also miss out on the benefits of third-party assistance. Instead,
- You spend your time & energy on tasks that inspire little growth
- You miss out on more critical tasks, like meeting potential clients
- You focus on repetitive tasks that yield low value and sap your creative energy
A general principle that many companies use to solve this dilemma is cost calculation. For example, if the cost of editing in-house is more than the price of outsourcing image enhancement services, choose the latter.
It’s also important to remember that a professional is more likely to deliver better results. An external image editing service will dedicate their productive time and resources to perfect your eStore product photos. Indeed, that’s better than doing it in house, where many tasks will compete for your time, causing delays/errors.
Get Help from Professionals
Data-Entry-India.com has helped many eCommerce sellers boost their eStore conversions through visually appealing product photos. Using specialized software, we provide professional photo editing & image enhancement services, modified to suit your requirements. Just drop a line at info@data-entry-india.com and we’ll take it from there.