E-commerce is big business in the US, but running an online store is easier said than done. The pandemic boom has made the domain more competitive than ever. Moreover, convincing buyers to shop for products without seeing and experiencing them in person is challenging. Yet the massive revenue of $ 925 billion and a retail sales market share of 15.4% make it an alluring prospect for business owners.
However, getting your share of the market is about building a strong and memorable brand presence. Additionally, your e-commerce store should be alluring enough to convince people to click to buy. Strategic brand photography can help create a compelling shopping experience and consolidate your brand.
We will share a few actionable tips to elevate your e-commerce store by effectively using brand photography.
Prepare Photography Guidelines
Taking clear, crisp, and high-resolution photos of your product is a great start for brand photography. However, it gets you nowhere if you lack consistency because aesthetics can go wrong when every picture looks different. You can overcome the challenge by preparing photography guidelines to keep your branding consistent.
According to “2021 State of Brand Consistency”, 85% of organizations state they had guidelines to set the tone, look, and feel of their brand. However, only 31% enforced these guidelines in reality. Being one of them can set your business apart. When deciding on photography guidelines, cover details such as location, color scheme, prop combinations, focal length, saturation, and composition.
Highlight Product Details
The e-commerce conversion rate in the US is around 2.5%, which means only these many customers out of 100 complete their buying journey. Most of them fail to close the sale because they cannot trust website images enough. Highlight your product details through brand photography to create a visual impact.
Think beyond clicking the best shots of the product from all angles because that is just half the work. You may consider a background remove tool to leave it transparent or add a new background to lift the image. It enables you to show the unique product features to gain the attention and trust of buyers.
Pixelcut suggests playing with image backgrounds, such as using white or colored ones or adding a beautiful shadow. The best thing is that you can do it in a few clicks instead of spending loads of time and effort to create a perfect picture.
Make the Most of User-Generated Content
HubSpot notes that 90% of buyers rely on user-generated content more than search engine results and promotional emails when it comes to making buying decisions. Likewise, 75% of marketers consider it the most authentic marketing content. Integrating user-generated content into your brand imagery can give your e-commerce business a winning advantage.
Images of real customers using your products can foster trust among other buyers through emotional connections. All you need to do is encourage them to share such images and repurpose them to ensure consistency with your marketing assets. Once again, you can play with backgrounds, sharpen images, and make minor edits to create brand consistency.
Leverage Visual Storytelling
According to statistics, storytelling can increase conversion rates by 30%. Adding visual elements to your stories is even better because buyers likely pay them more attention than text. Remember that brand photography is not just about showcasing products. You can use it to create a compelling narrative that resonates emotionally with customers.
For example, you can use images to showcase the craftsmanship behind your products, capture behind-the-scenes shots of your team, and narrate the story of your brand’s journey. A cohesive visual narrative often strikes a chord with the audience and makes your brand more memorable in the competitive e-commerce industry.
Optimize Images for Mobile
A product photo that looks great on your e-commerce store may fail to impress when displayed on mobile devices. You cannot miss out on this segment of the audience because mobile retail e-commerce spending in the US exceeds a whopping $ 387 billion as of 2022. The best solution is to optimize your photography for smaller screens.
Invest in high-resolution images that maintain quality on mobile devices and allow users to zoom in on product details. Additionally, they should load quickly and seamlessly on mobile devices because online shoppers are an impatient lot. A unified customer experience across all devices leads to higher engagement and conversion rates.
Conclusion
Brand photography can serve as a powerful tool to elevate your e-commerce store. However, it requires a strategic approach instead of pasting random product images all over your online store. Follow these tips to create a compelling visual presence that builds an emotional connection with your audience and drives them to convert. It will help you generate revenues and set your business apart in a crowded market.