E-commerce has helped to spur the growth of several businesses, with consumers from all over the world now being able to order and receive anything they want from any place in the world. One of the sectors that have benefited a lot from e-commerce is the apparel industry. Today, online fashions stores can sell their clothes to customers from all over the world.
However, before these customers can place their order for what you are selling, they need to see what the apparel looks like. This is where product photography comes in place. While your products might be good and stylish looking, product photography (especially for fashion e-commerce stores) helps to hook the customers by making your products attractive and hard-to-resist. Therefore, with a perfect lookbook, one that has greatly shot photos, you can be able to increase the sales for your store.
Therefore, if you have not been investing in product photography (or have not been that keen on it) it is time to start paying more attention. Below is a look at some tips that can help you create great product pictures that will sell online.
1. Invest in a professional photographer
One of the many mistakes several online store owners make when taking pictures of their products is doing it themselves. This usually leads to low-quality product images, which are likely to do more harm than good, especially when selling fashion items.
Therefore, when taking product photos for your online fashion store, you should instead invest in a professional photographer. Doing so will guarantee that you get high-quality product images that will attract the potential customers, engage them, and persuade them to purchase your products.
Professional product photos are also more likely to be shared and viewed by millions of other potential customers, something that will help to bring more traffic to your store.
2. Settle on a great concept
High-quality professional product photos are a great start, but you will need more than that if you want to persuade your customers to buy what you are offering. This is why you need to come up with a great concept for the photos, which will ensure that the images communicate your brand to the prospective customers.
For example, an outdoor shoot is a great concept for a brand that offers outdoor apparel brand. With such a concept, the customers will be able to see how the items you are selling looks like in settings similar to the ones they are likely to use them.
A good example of a brand with great product photography is Ibiza swimwear brand Pondenco Eivissa. Their site, which sells men’s swim shorts features product photos of swim shorts in places such as the beach and swimming pool, thus making the products look more lively.
3. Choose a perfect location for the shoot
In addition to coming up with a great concept, you also need to find the perfect location that will showcase the best image of your products and brands. Some people opt for studios, but this can be too expensive. It might also not be ideal depending on your brand and the type of products you are offering. Therefore, you should consider a great location that will communicate your brand’s message.
4. Prepare the products for the photo shoot
The product photos you publish on your store’s website should showcase your products in their best image. Unfortunately, due to storage and transport, products can become dirty, wrinkled and creased (in case of apparel), or worn out. If the photos you publish on your online store happens to show these flaws in your products, potential customers will see them and will and will definitely shy away from purchasing them.
Therefore, before you take photos of your fashion products, it is thus advisable to prepare them so that the images come out perfectly. This is a better alternative than relying on editing or Photoshop, as these tactics might not work out.
5. Use a live model or a mannequin
When taking fashion product photos, some store owners just capture the product. While such photos will show your potential customers what your products look like, they might not be enough to persuade them to make a purchase. This is because the picture might appear “flat” and thus less engaging.
To avoid such a mistake, you should hire models to showcase how your clothes look. A live model will showcase how the product fits, which will give the potential customers the ability to visualize themselves wearing it. This way, they will be hooked more easily, and thus more likely to make a purchase.
In case you do not have the budget to hire a model, you can always result in a mannequin. While the product photos will not be as lively as with a live model, they will be realistic and engaging enough.
6. Take several photos
Another top product photography mistake people make is only taking and posting a few photos. If you only post one or two images of the product, customers will not get enough visual imagery, and they are more likely to pass over the product.
Therefore, it is important to take as many photos as possible so as to give the customers enough information about the product. If possible, make sure you have a photo showing all aspects of the product. For example, if you are selling clothes, your images should display how the garment looks from the front, back, and sides.
Also, if you have more than one style or color for each type of product, you should make sure that you take photos capturing all the different styles and colors. This way, the customers will be able to choose the color or style that best appeals to them.
7. Make sure that the images are processed perfectly
The last step to creating the perfect product images for your online fashion store is having the photos processed so as to remove any issues (lighting, contrast, etc.). With the correct editing, the photos will showcase the best image of your product, which will make them more appealing.
Summary
Product photography is a great technique that helps to show your potential customers how your products look. When it comes to fashion products, product photography is the best way to engage and convert the customers.
