How to sell more products online: Are pictures and visuals important?

Introduction

In the ultra-competitive online marketplace, crafting product listings that convert begins with outstanding visuals. Yet many sellers downplay photography, relying on quick smartphone shots or basic descriptions. The results speak for themselves – lackluster listings drowned out by eye-catching competitors.

Compelling product photography is not a nice extra – it’s a must. Research shows well-shot images can increase conversion rates by over 40%. Photography plays to our powerful visual intuition, conveying details and emotion text alone misses. In this guide, we’ll share tips for maximizing online sales through stellar product photography and visuals tailored to ecommerce. You’ll discover how to showcase products advantageously, tell visual stories, and elicit desire through professional images, video, and graphics that make items irresistible.

Hero Shots - Presenting Products Advantageously

Hero shots presenting products in their best light are the cornerstone of ecommerce photography. Images must highlight colors, features, details and uses clearly while stirring desire. Yet casual sellers often rely on quick smartphone shots or packaging visuals that fail to dazzle.

Invest in professional-quality photography emphasizing what makes products special. For apparel, showcase design details, silhouette, fit and material texture through solid lighting, clean backdrops and optimal angles. For electronics, hero close-ups, infographics of key features and lifestyle context convey functionality. 

Follow hero shot tips like:

- Lead with eye-catching tight visuals of products alone on white/simple backgrounds

- Use backlighting, angles and natural light to convey dimensionality  

- Style any key accessories, parts or attributes attractively around products

- Zoom in on emotional details and textures that elicit tactile reactions

- For tech/tools, incorporate graphic overlays showing features/specs 

Lifestyle Context - Telling Visual Stories

While hero shots present products themselves, complementary lifestyle images embed items within aspirational contexts through thoughtful backgrounds that align with brand values. Apparel on models conveys stylish aesthetics. Kitchen tools on countertops evoke utility and home.

Surrounding products with intended lifestyle settings helps make emotional connections with customers. For example, performance gear against outdoor backdrops kindles that sense of adventure. Fashion accessories on city streets enable imagining life in the hip new boots or bag.

In lifestyle context shots:

- Seek locations/settings reflecting brand identities and target lifestyles

- Style models, props and situations to tell stories matching product promise  

- Align mood, lighting, colors and focus to keep products prominent  

- Showcase both obvious and unexpected uses creatively

- Enable consumers to envision owning and using the products

Supplementary Assets - Building a Visual Ensemble

While hero shots and lifestyle imagery remain essential, additional visual assets create holistic brand stories. Consider creative photography formats like 360-degree spins giving interactive dimensionality. Videos demonstrating products in charming motion. Infographics efficiently explaining technical features. Behind-the-scenes photos conveying craftsmanship. 

For example, apparel brands can layer b-roll clips showing garments in motion on models. Electronics sellers can showcase devices from multiple angles spinning against CGI backgrounds. The goal is expanding beyond static shots through engaging supplementary assets.

Key benefits of expanded visual assets include:

- Videos increase product understanding and reduce returns

- Interactive 360 spins allow inspecting all angles/details 

- Infographics efficiently convey specs and complex parts

- BTS and macro shots highlight quality materials and construction

- Motion adds personality and showcases products in use

Optimized Presentation - Showcasing Visually

To maximize impact, ecommerce product listings must optimize the presentation of photography through visually-focused layouts. Avoid crowding images with dense text or burying them among busy ecommerce templates. 

Streamline listings through tips like:  

- Leading with strong standalone hero shots against clean backgrounds

- Using lightbox or slider galleries for easily navigable supplementary visuals

- Prioritizing larger image sizes to enable inspecting details 

- Writing succinct copy that doesn’t distract from images

- Adding zooms and alternate views to virtually “handle” products

The goal is putting compelling photography front and center. Let images lead product storytelling, with minimal text merely complementing. Scale product images prominently across desktop and mobile. Optimize presentation through professionalism, consistency and focus across all listings.  

Conclusion

In today’s crowded online marketplace, product photography is no longer optional. Compelling visual assets like hero shots, lifestyle context, supplementary images/video and optimized presentation make or break ecommerce conversions. Yet achieving outstanding product photography physically can require expensive studios, equipment, and production. This leads many sellers to compromise with lackluster smartphone shots and basic imagery. 

Want product shots against breathtaking CGI backdrops impossible in real life? Or flawless lighting and angles achievable digitally but not in-studio? Quickads.AI delivers transformative results.

So take your product visuals and ecommerce conversions to new heights through virtual product photography. Stop settling for images that blend into the marketplace. Partner with pioneering virtual studios ready to showcase your products like never before physically possible. 

The capabilities await. It's time to transform product photography from afterthought to centerpiece through cutting-edge virtual solutions. Let your brand finally shine online as it deserves!