There’s no denying that an expertly captured product image enraptures customers and boosts conversions. It’s what separates a successful online store from those that struggle to find their niche in the over-saturated e-commerce market. If you wish to succeed as an online seller, you must present your products in the most appealing and flattering way.

Failure to do so will cause your product to fade in the background, never to rise above the countless competition. That means business failure. And that’s easily rectifiable.

Here are strategies that you may want to employ to ensure that your product images stand out online.

Great photos do not mean expensive ones

If you can afford expensive photography equipment, then by all means invest in it. But that does not mean that the playing field is severely biased against those who need to work within a limited budget. You can still come up with captivating product images without breaking the bank.

A smartphone can do as good a job as any professional camera. For instance, an iPhone 11 Pro, priced at $999, is equipped with three lenses. These are enough to achieve tonal varieties and consistent color. A tripod costs as little as $15.Meanwhile, for lighting, you can always rely on natural light when shooting outdoors.

The best natural lighting happens during the golden hours. These occur an hour before sunset and an hour after sunrise. As for artificial lighting for indoor product shoots, a two-light setup should be enough. You could buy a softbox lighting kit from Amazon for $60.Remember that proper lighting is 90% of photography. Ensure that your product is expertly lit.

Clean vs. cluttered image

When it comes to effective product images, less is always more. The cleaner the photo, the better. Clutter proves counterproductive in this case because it distracts from what you are selling.

Keep in mind that clean does not have to mean boring or inert. This is where composition comes in. You can still create a dynamic image even when there’s very little happening within the frame. For instance, you can play with the depth of field and color saturation.

Also, the product itself needs to be visually flawless during the shoot. If you are selling a pair of glasses, make sure that the lenses are free of visible smudges and that the frame is polished to perfection. If you are selling a burger, make sure that the buns look plump and shiny enough to be appetizing. For this purpose, you could hire a professional product or food stylist.

Use a solid background. Black or white paper or fabric will do. This muted background will make your product pop out.

Multiple exposures

Chances are that you won’t be using film rolls, so don’t shy from clicking away at your product. Some subjects require shots in different exposures. This way, the littlest nuances of the product are captured.

Capturing multiple exposures of the same subject will also simplify your job during the editing process. You’ll have more options to play and tinker with. Whether you’re editing yourself or you’re outsourcing the job, you’re doing yourself or your hired professional a huge favor. To achieve multiple exposures, you might need additional strobes and reflectors.

Angle variety

Lastly, make sure to shoot your product from different angles. This rule might prove more relevant to specific types of goods. For example, you are a company that manufactures tarpaulin, awnings, tents, and signage. Make sure that the modular tents that you sell are shot at different angles.

An online shopper cannot touch a product posted online. They need all the help they can get in making their decision. A modular tent shot at different angles will allow a potential customer to better visualize the product. Product images that are zoom- and rotate-ready score high in efficiency, too.

Contextualize

This applies to products where size matters. If your product claims to be portable, make sure that you provide context as to its dimensions. For instance, compose a photo of a portable camping grill next to regular kitchen appliances for scale. That is on top of the product’s main photo on a clean background.

E-commerce is an ever-growing business platform. It’s one of the few industries not negatively affected by the current global pandemic. According to Business Insider, in countries such as France and the United States, the pandemic even boosted the growth of e-commerce.

More people favor digital purchases nowadays. That’s instead of visiting a brick-and-mortar shop with its accompanying health risks. Now more than ever, there’s money to be made online.

But you need a good product. And you need your product to look at its best online. Such is achievable with the suggestions mentioned above.