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8 Things to Consider When Using Images to Boost Your E-Commerce Business

“It’s a visual world and people respond to visuals.”
                                        – Joe Sacco

The human eye loves images. Paintings drawing humongous auctions and films making millions testify the fact. The e-commerce industry also banks heavily on images and visuals to reach their digital customers and sell them products online.

‘Buying’ is a popular human activity. The more we see and know, the more we want to buy and own. There could be no better news than this for businesses. Cheers to that!

However, the catch here is to be smart enough to know and decide what relevant information about the product(s) is needed to be shared with the prospective customers visiting the site.

Have We Caught You Thinking of Marketing Your Products Online and Boosting Your Margins?

Well then, here is something you must try!

Write something for your consumers (about the product) or try to steal their attention by adding to the page an arresting image. The latter is sure to fetch you more curiosity and business than the former.

A study conducted by New York-based psychologist, Jerome Bruner, revealed that people remember only 10% of what they hear and 20% of what they read. Astonishingly, people retain 80% of what they see, as visuals have the maximum impact on the human brain.

E-commerce enterprises can use this to their advantage and present their products in the most engaging fashion to buyers. An image liked and retained does increase the frequency of visits by customers to the site. Also, positive word of mouth works like magic, so why not invest in creating visually appealing sites that people like to shop from and talk about?

Now that I have established the importance of visuals and images and discussed the impact they have on the human mind, the question to ponder upon is, “Is using images enough or should we make an effort to use the ‘right images’?”

With that thought in mind, here is what I have discovered and implemented the below-mentioned tips to promote businesses online and eventually boost the bottom line.

1. The Bigger and Clearer, the Better

What do you enjoy more – watching a movie on the television or the big screen? If your answer is the big screen, then you have got the concept of the human liking for visuals right. The bigger, the better!

Source

The product image should be large enough to capture the shopper’s attention. Show different angles and views of the product. Recall your own experiences that you encounter when shopping.

2. Impress with Looks

Don’t you like to touch and feel a product before buying it? When selling online, you need to create a similar experience of personal engagement between the product and the buyer, especially when it comes to shopping online because the buyer can only look at the product.

The zoom-in functionality is a great asset. Let the buyers get a wider view of the image, should they want to see it up close.

Engaging content supplemented with relevant images draws 94% more views as compared to content with irrelevant images. You will, therefore, do well to let the images speak for themselves.

In short, make your image the show-stopper.

3. Keep Colors Coherent

Have you ever got back home from a shopping spree only to realize that the color of the dress you just bought suddenly seems different from what it looked like under the lights at the store?

Yes, colors tend to appear different under different lights.

Many a time, customers complain of this issue after receiving goods ordered online. Products are returned or exchanged several times as they look different in reality, increasing the overhead costs for the e-commerce company. It is, therefore, crucial that the color shown on the website is same as the actual color of the product. Test lighting options before shooting images and during the uploading process.

4. Get the Color Profile Right

It is highly recommended to use the sRGB color profile for best results to keep the colors looking as accurate as possible across devices. Another advantage comes from the fact that the majority of devices, user applications, and web browsers default to sRGB and interpret color information accordingly.

A clean white background works the best and makes the product stand out.

5. Use High-Quality Images That Work

Using blurred and low-resolution images is a big no and can be almost lethal for an e-commerce business. The buyer has plenty of sites to shop from. You need to ensure to give the buyer enough reasons not just to hang around on your website, but also honor you with their patronage.

Upload clear images of the products. Capture the color, the style, the make, and the texture. The buyer will appreciate the luxury of getting to know the product properly before deciding to buy it.

When clicking images, use a tripod and avoid the flash. The glare of the flash takes away from the look and makes the product appear low in quality.

Every aspect of the product image is either convincing or discouraging the buyer from buying your goods.

6. Give People Some Perspective

Add an image which tickles the imagination of the buyer. Make it personal and allow the buyer to see the product as a part of his/her life already. A person has a higher probability of picking up the product which provides context and perspective.

Want to sell a couch? Show the buyer what it feels like to have one.

Couple Working Together at Home

 

Source

7. Create Happy Emotions with Colors

Make the products come alive through appropriate images and excellent photography. Create happy emotions for buyers through the pictures and half your job is accomplished. Don’t just intend to sell a product; aim at selling an emotion.

Colors have psychological properties, which is why they can evoke emotion. For example, too much use of the color red can bring about feelings of passion, excitement, and even anger. On the other hand, the color blue can have a cooling and calming effect on the onlooker.

It is, therefore, best to use images with the colors that can give rise to the desired emotions. Emotions play a vital role in our lives, leverage them to the maximum.

8. Do Not Compromise with Images

If you want to project an image that is playing in your mind but is unable to find one, then go out there and create it. Look for real-time situations and capture them, should it be feasible to do so.

Buy images for your site, if you must. It is a good investment. A fresh and rare image are sure to find space in the buyer’s memories. Let your site project what you would like to see on other sites as a buyer.

Your other option is to use designers to help you translate your thought into reality. Do not fish for free images and compromise on your thought and quality. A personal touch brings out the best and strikes a chord with the viewer.

If you want to sell to a customer, think and feel like one first.

Concluding Thoughts

The price, the quality, and the usability of the product are what sustain it in the long-term. However, the initial acceptance of and inclination towards the product comes from the projection of it. Projection is a critical aspect of marketing and one must drive sufficient attention and energy towards presenting the product in the right way. The power of online marketing and selling is not unknown. The challenge is to follow the unsaid rules and implement them before your competitor discovers them.

Think we missed out on something? Feel free to tell us about it in the comment box.

Written By

Simon Horton is the Founder of ShopIntegrator.com, a Hosted Shopping Cart Store Add-In. His years of experience has helped him setting up this platform. Feel free to reach him out on Google+.

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