I Try Not to Shop at Night
A few years ago a box arrived on my doorstep. It was big. And inside it was a special pancake printer. My only problem? I didn't remember ordering it. I spent days looking in every email account for a receipt. It was only a few weeks later – after a buddy saw a posted photo and was happy that his Christmas gift had finally arrived – that my family stopped making fun of me for making late night purchases that I forget about later.
I try not to shop at night because I'm more tired and end up not having the same guards or filters that I have during the day.
But last night I made an evening purchase…
It's Not My Fault. Blame the Product Photos.
I don't know if you've ever been to Satchel & Page and looked at their bags. But I got an email from them announcing a new bag and I really couldn't help myself. It's only available by pre-order right now, but I'm in no rush.
You know what pushed me over the edge? What closed the deal for me? It wasn't the copy. Or price. And I already knew and trusted the brand.
It was the 14 product photos.
Most folks publish a photo or two.
And if that's you, don't get me wrong, they're great.
But when you look at a beautiful photo like this, can you tell how tall or wide it is? You're only guessing.
That's why photos where the product is in use, like this one, are so important.
With a photo like that, you get a much stronger sense of the height of the bag, right?
There's another kind of photo that Satchel & Page added to this product page. It's what I call a feature image. And I'm not missing the “d.” I'm not saying it's the featured image. I'm saying it's an image dedicated to highlighting a key feature of the product.
The first two photos I showed you are perspective photos – taken as you move around the product. The third photo was an in-use photo. It helps us understand shape, size and helps us imagine ourselves using the product. And this last one points out a key feature, an extra dedicated space for a laptop.
They have another feature image of the same feature, from the top. Can you feel how soft that compartment is for your laptop? I can.
The Biggest Online Buying Season Ever
When I wrote about product pages before, I didn't spent a lot of time talking about product photography. In the talk I mentioned in that post, I spent time talking about the three kinds of photos that I've already highlighted above.
We're getting ready for the most online purchasing to ever happen in the history of the world. If you're running an online store, if you're selling anything online, then the main point today is to highlight that you need great photos.
But more importantly, that you need different kinds of photos.
- Perspective – It doesn't matter if you're selling shoes, shirts, or bags, make sure you have photos from the left, right, top and bottom. More if you need them. Some from far away, and others from up close. Help someone “experience” the product as if they were holding it in their hands.
- In-Use – Then, take photos of your product in actual hands. Give it context. A watch may look huge on a plain background but it's only going to make sense when you see it on a wrist. Make sure you profile your products in the context that helps someone really see it for what it is.
- Feature – Lastly, for as many key features as that product has, make sure you have photos of it. Is your product water-proof? Show it with beaded water.
Your Product Photos Matter
My purchase wasn't exactly an inexpensive bag. But it also wasn't the most expensive piece of luggage I've ever purchased. So the challenge, when it comes to conversion, isn't exactly price. But it is value.
If I don't think it's worth the price, I won't buy it. Especially if it's not yet ready to be shipped to my home.
What makes me still want to buy it? The product photos. They drive the purchase.
And that goes for you too – for what you're buying, and more importantly, what you're selling.
So get out there and hire that photographer and make sure your web developer is prepped to add a bunch more photos to your product pages!