The Importance of Product Photography for Ecommerce – Product Only vs In Context

We human beings are simple creatures. While a nice website with an easy to navigate user interface and architecture is non-negotiable, as is unique and compelling product copy which details all of the features, benefits and functionality of a given item, these simply will never replace our most basic and immediate need: to actually see the product. After all, 90% of the information that reaches our brain is visually obtained.Our first impressions are inherently visual. It is here that our first potential emotional connections are formed and when discussing products, this is where our interest peaks enough to continue with the sales journey or to move on. It’s no surprise then, that if you hope to run a successful ecommerce store, your product imagery is going to need to deliver to the expected standard of the audience if you are to have any hope of converting your page traffic into sales.Showing clear imagery of a product from multiple angles, open, shut, perhaps worn or unworn, creates a feel of transparency and ultimately trust between your store and the user. It’s the same principle as selling a car privately and allowing a potential buyer to look all around it, inside and out at their own leisure. There is nothing to hide.

When it comes to product imagery there are a variety of methods as well as a further variety of styles and types you can use to make your products stand out. These methods and tactics can also be used to instil a sense of your brand throughout the images you display. Never forget that every colour, every font, every angle you select when you build a website and fill it with imagery represents you and your brand to your audience. Product Only The first and most common type of image is a product only shot. This type of picture is also known as the ‘Clean Product Shot’. This is pretty much what it says on the tin. An image or collection of images containing the product and minimal to no background. You will commonly the products appears to almost float amongst a background of clean white.Ultimately this method is used to give a simple but effective view of the product which is clearly lit and void of any other distractions.
Premium bathroom accessories and soap brand Molton Brown does a great job of this type of product shot. Its minimalist, premium feeling website features a white background throughout so the products sit in their image windows without interrupting the site’s layout. The images use only a minimal reflective surface as the added detail. In Context Another pretty self-explanatory image type. In context product shots feature the product either in use or within its idealised setting. For example, a coffee machine sitting in a well-maintained kitchen, ready for use. You can also have action context shots. One example might be a pair of child’s wellington boots attached to a child enjoying a huge splash in a muddy puddle.Context shots provide character to the product and can inject considerable amounts of branding. This is where considering your audience comes in. That coffee machine we mentioned. Is it in a busy kitchen being used by a tired mum with kids and dogs running around her feet? Or it is sat elegantly on a marble kitchen surface surrounded by other up market items and fancy crockery? One of these scenarios speaks to the everyday adult/parent who wants the convenience of fast coffee when they need it. The other supports a far more aspirational lifestyle. An audience which cares as much about the look and feel of the product as it does the functionality.While context shots provide the ability to inject character, meet and reinforce brand ideology and even show the products in action, they require considerably more thought and are often more expensive to produce.Another tip – Even if you do have the resource to produce superb in context product images, do not neglect the basic need for the consumer to still also have access to basic product only shots. This is where trust is formed and those all important conversions begin.