8 Ways Professional Product Photography Can Drive Sales
Professional product photography tells the story of your product in a visually appealing way. In fact, a product photo is an ambassador for your business. You wouldn’t hire an ambassador for your company who would place it in an unbecoming light, would you? Well, the same goes for your bread and butter: your product offering.
Using professional product photography will boost your company’s sales much more effectively than trying to take product photos yourself: 67% of consumers say product image quality is “very important” when they’re considering their purchases. An investment in product photography is an investment in your business. And because we know that savvy business owners don’t like to make blind investments, we’re here to give you the facts so you can make an informed (and powerful!) decision.
How a Product Photo Affects the Bottom Line
Here are eight ways that professional product photography can increase your overall sales.
#1 - It increases social presence
Facebook posts with images receive 2.3 times more engagement than their text-only counterparts. Tweets with images receive, on average, 150% more retweets than those without images.
Of those images, photos that don’t feature people receive 104% more comments than those that do. This means that professional product photography that focuses more on your actual product generates more organic engagement on social media and can greatly increase the likelihood of a sale.
#2 - It draws people in
In eye-tracking studies, the eyes are always drawn to visual elements first. If your visual elements aren’t up to par, potential buyers may quickly lose interest in your products and head elsewhere.
A bold product against a white background is hard to ignore. This is why white background product photography is so popular for retailers. By utilizing professional product photography, you’ll have a better chance of converting leads into customers.
#3 - It unifies your brand
Consistent branding is one of the keys to a business’s success. Customers notice if your products in the store look different from the product photography on your website, social media pages, and/or catalogs.
When companies have consistent, unified branding across all platforms, revenue increases by 23%. When you use professional product photography services, you aren’t just paying for the product photo; you’re also investing in the success of your business.
#4 - It increases perceived value
Realtors, for example, are ahead of the curve when it comes to utilizing imagery to increase perceived value. Homes on the market that feature top-of-the-line photos sell for thousands more than the asking price—and 32% faster than houses without. Why? The quality in professional photography can highlight details that amateur photos cannot. This approach goes for a product photo as well. Packaged goods will look more appealing when photographed in a certain light, at a certain angle, and with a certain lens. This can ultimately increase the perceived value of a product.
#5 - It reduces costs
Professional product photography and, more specifically, 360° product photography, can greatly reduce costs over time. Data offered by Joint Media Marketing reveal that return rates can be reduced by 15% to 50% and call center costs can be cut by up to 50% when there’s a quality product photo.
#6 - It gets more eyes on your products
Many people are visual learners, so pairing your product listing with stellar images can lead to more product or content views. What’s more, interactive product photography can keep them looking for longer. Average session duration is strongly correlated with more sales: Keeping users on your site for 35 seconds longer could increase your conversion rate by 10%.
#7 - It separates you from your competition
Hiring a professional product photography company does more than just provide your business with state-of-the-art product photography. It differentiates you from your peers. Take a look at what your competition is doing visually—they likely aren’t taking full advantage of the power of professional product photography.
#8 It establishes trust
Having more than one product photo increases consumer trust. A research study conducted by eBay found that a product photo can “help increase buyer’s attention, trust and conversion rates.” The more your customers trust you, the more likely it is that they’ll make additional purchases.