Product Imagery for Ecommerce: A Best Practice Guide

Product imagery is the most powerful component of ecommerce sales—you’ve heard this.

But even still, strong product imagery remains one of the most overlooked and underinvested pieces in the ecommerce puzzle, even in home furnishings where inspiration is paramount. Getting your imagery right will make a huge difference in driving conversions, creating more marketing opportunities and showcasing your brand value to customers.

Research shows that when brands incorporate robust imagery into their ecommerce marketing, they experience a significant lift in sales. Our internet retail partners have seen double-digit lifts in conversion when a product has three or more images; and when a product meets the “best-in-class” image standards we’ll outline below, the conversion lift is even higher.

Strong Imagery Reflects Your Brand

Humans are inherently visual creatures, and imagery is our primary means of making judgments online. And in this era of information overload, consumers are more likely to overlook the written details in product descriptions and features, making a quality image even that much more important.

What’s more, images are easily shareable through social media, which means that a great image can actually increase brand exposure. According to SproutSocial, 74% of consumers rely on their social networks when they’re looking for information before making a purchasing decision. The more attractive the image, the more likely it will end up in the social feed of a retail partner or an influencer…which we know is a powerful way to get exposure to customers.

To that end, the quality of the image is crucial to the perceived value of your brand. Poor lighting, awkward composition and other aesthetic ills can damage the way potential customers view your brand or a particular product. Conversely, expertly shot and edited photos can enhance a customer’s opinion of your brand and make them more comfortable in their purchasing decisions.

In short: Product images are ultra-important, and not something you want to skimp on.

The Basics of Ecommerce Product Imagery

Good—scratch that, great—images for your products are table stakes in ecommerce. Here’s what you’ll need at a bare minimum:

High-Resolution Images

Minimum Requirement: Ideally 3000 x 3000 pixels; 300 dpi

The why: From mobile devices to desktop monitors, screen quality is better than ever, and consumers won’t think highly of your brand or your products if what they see is blurry, low-quality imagery. Manufacturers may be able to get by with a lower resolution, as retailers’ requirements can vary widely. But because some retailers ask for imagery that meets print requirements of at least 3000 x 3000 pixels and 300 dpi, we recommend aiming for that standard. Using the larger end of the scale as a rule of thumb will ensure you can meet the range of requirements and not have to scramble to make any size adjustments that can diminish the quality.

Image File Format and Size

Requirements: Typically .jpeg, .jpg or .png; 70kb or below

The why: Bigger is not always better. The larger the file size, the longer it will take to load on a page—and the less likely it is that a customer will stick around to see it. Most retailers also have size requirements to make sure your product page doesn’t impact their website speed.

Number of Product Images

Requirement: 5+, but as many as possible

The why: There’s no consensus on the magic number of photos a listing should have. That said, the more excellent photos you provide a retailer with, the more attractive the listing looks and the more you are offering a customer to be able to consider, envision and ultimately choose your product. Including 4 to 5 images is a great place to start. You’ll want variety, as well—but more on that in a bit.

Getting the Images Right for Every Product

No matter what the product, there are two main types of ecommerce images you’ll want to have: white background shots and lifestyle images. There are also additional image considerations depending on the type of home furnishings product.

White background images

White background images are exactly what they sound like and essential to any product. They should take up 3-5 images on a product page and show four critical angles: front facing, three-quarter angle, side angle and back. These variations give consumers a great understanding of how the product looks from different perspectives.

When it comes to images, more is merrier. Showing your product at different angles and perspectives helps set a customer’s expectations and confidence in purchasing. Shown here: Copeland’s Estelle Side Chair

The next evolution of silhouettes is 360-degree images. They essentially achieve the same outcome of providing a holistic view of a product but allow for additional user control—like turning the product in different directions—at the click of the mouse.

Detail shots are also a different type of shot on a white background. Think of detail shots as a more focused image of a particular feature or component of your product. Detail shots are a great way to highlight the most important aspects of your product and help answer lingering questions a customer might have.

Lifestyle images

Lifestyle images showcase your product in a real-life setting. For example, a patio table set in a backyard. Lifestyle images are great visualizations that bring a degree of inspiration to the customer and help them get an idea of what the product will look like in their own home.

Lifestyle images are also what people share across mood boards, social networks and to get buy-in from family members. Done well, these images serve as marketing for your brand all on their own.

Lighting Product Images

Detail images are especially important for lighting imagery to communicate additional features. These might include:

• Showing the light both on and off. Materials like glass or wood veneer can change their appearance when lit and unlit, so this is an important detail for customers to see.

• A detail image of the shade showing the texture or other selling points up close.

• Functional elements like the cord or chain, switch, canopy or backplate. For many customers this is a design detail they want to be able to visualize.

• Scale or dimension drawings. Even though this information might be in your product description or copy, having a visual is especially helpful.

Furniture Product Images

While there are many types of furniture products, images for any category should consider:

• Key features that are described in product copy, such as material, fabric, hardware or other details.

• Functions like an opened drawer or a folded-out daybed.

• Special features (like hidden storage) or dual functionalities (like a sofa that folds to a sleeper)..

• The back of the product, even if it is not meant to be seen.

• A scale or dimension drawing.

Rug Product Images

Rugs need special attention to some of the key details that customers consider when shopping for floor coverings. Images of rugs should always include:

• The corner of the rug to show finishing.

• The backing of the rug.

• A close-up that showcases the fabric, material and pile height.

Décor and Accessories Product Images

To make sure an end customer’s purchase meets their expectations, décor and accessory imagery should include:

• A close-up of fabric, material or construction.

• Any components like backing, hardware or framing.

• A scale or dimension drawing.

Taking Your Images from Good to Great

We know creating best-in-class imagery is a big investment, but there are multiple ways to build your visual catalog. There are a few approaches you might consider:

Shoot Your Own Product Images

Let’s not sugarcoat it: Shooting product imagery is no small feat. The degree of difficulty depends on several factors, including logistics, access to equipment and space, skill level and the sheer number of products at hand.

There are a few ways to tackle product photography: If your brand is shooting the photos on your own, you can start with the top SKUs and work your way down your catalog. This is a project well-suited for an in-house photography team.

If your brand doesn’t have photographers at the ready, opt for an external, professional team who can help you plan, coordinate and execute a shoot that will showcase your products properly for online sales.

Create Computer-Generated Imagery

From renderings to 360-degree perspectives, CGI (computer-generated imagery) has come a long way and can be a much more economical option to build an image library that includes multiple sizes, angles and lifestyle shots of your products.

Using 3D renderings also allows you to go beyond the swatch, and show your products in every finish, color or customization so that the end customer can truly visualize it. Today’s visualization artists can also match your brand’s existing photography style to maintain a consistent look across your imagery, without the time and effort it takes to produce a photo shoot.

Getting great images for every item in your product catalog probably seems overwhelming. To maximize the payoff, start with your top 25 best-selling products. Audit the images for those products to make sure:

1. You have a silhouette image of every finish and color option

2. You have several lifestyle images that follow our “do’s and don’ts” above

3. Product features and details are captured visually

If the answer to any of those is “no,” create a plan of action to get the images for those 25 products up to snuff. Once you have the images you need and have shared them with your retail partners, analyze the ROI. Seeing how those products performed will give you an idea of what impact upgraded imagery really has—then you can decide how to tackle the rest of your catalog.

The adage “You only get one chance to make a first impression,” rings true here. Great product images are a staple of a successful ecommerce strategy. If your image library isn’t delivering on the basics outlined here, it’s time to make a game plan to improve it.

From decreased returns to higher conversion, improving your product images will benefit your online business for many sales to come.