Why Buyers Go Crazy For Spectacular Photos When Shopping

Published – June 29th 2018

Why do buyers and sellers need good photos? Being able to see photos of the product before you buy is crucial to any prospective buyer. It’s certainly a factor whenever I buy anything online or off.

It doesn’t even matter that much if the buyer can’t touch it or pick it up. After all, we’re talking online shopping here. If the buyer can at least view a decent photo then that’s usually good enough.

Whenever you list a product for sale, you need to remember that high quality photos are really important. If the quality of the picture is top-notch then that will make the buyer believe that the item is too.

Why are photos important to buyers? Humans are very visual creatures. This is why pictures are the eye candy that customers need. They have this in mind whenever they want to make any kind of eCommerce buying decision.

They are more likely to act on impulse if they see a picture that attracts them. Really capture something that tickles their fancy, floats their boat or whatever other silly expression you want to use.

As I’ve already mentioned, one of the first things we look for when we want to buy something are photographs. Buyers preferably want to view things from a diverse range of many perspectives.

How do sellers take great photos? Let me share with you a few ideas that will hopefully produce beautiful images for you. Ultimately, it will increase your profits and sales for your business because of these pictures.

What kind of camera should I use when taking photos?

You can use any old camera you want to, but why would you do that? You want to be a pro don’t you? If you just loudly exclaimed “YES!” then I need to fill you in on something.

Simply put, your photos need to be better than the pictures that your competition use. This will require you to have access to a top quality camera.

Is having a good camera important? If you want to go the whole hog then see if you can get your hands on the latest and greatest technology.

If affordability is an issue then it’s fine for you to use a low-end camera for the time being. However, think about saving up for a better camera. This will be a good investment for you and your business.

Try to take photos with a high megapixel DSLR camera for quality. You can then combine this with photo editing to touch up your snaps. There is plenty of free photo editing software out there if you go ahead and look for it.

I’m quite lucky in the sense that I get to borrow my brother’s fancy Nikon DSLR camera when I need it. I get that not everybody has that luxury. Although, at the same time you can get a good model at a decent price if you buy pre-owned. Keep up the search and try bagging yourself a bargain.

How do I set up a photo?

Use a neutral colored background that preferably contrasts with the item so that it can look its best. Whites are usually a popular choice but any pale/light color should do fine. You don’t have to buy a screen. You can be like me and just use a wall in your home if it is the right color.

If you are shooting a very white or light-colored item then you may inevitably want to use a black or dark background.

You may want to put a random object into frame for scale (like a coin for example). This will prove to your buyers that your item doesn’t look like it belongs in a world inhabited by giants.

On a more serious note, make a note of the scale object in your listing. You don’t want to mislead the buyer into thinking you’re selling it.

I sometimes measure the item and include dimensions (height, width and depth). You can consider this level of detail if it’s important to the buyer.

If you have shaky hands then use a tripod to prevent blurriness. A tripod is great even if you don’t have the shakes. It will upgrade the overall professionalism of your pictures anyway.

Why is lighting important in photography?

When you take your pictures make sure that you photograph the product in natural light if possible. People need to know what it would ordinarily look like in an everyday environment. The last thing buyers want to see is darkness and shadow. There will clearly be little to no clarity if this happens.

What are the perfect conditions for taking a photo? For photography, I like to pick the room in my house that has the most natural light coming in. It also doesn’t hurt to clear out some floor space so that you have some room to work in.

A black dress might look grey in a different sort of lighting. The buyer might then return it and want a refund if they feel it was misrepresented to them.

[bctt tweet=”Cropping your photos is useful as it cuts out unnecessary space or objects in the background.” via=”no”]

Check that all curtains, blinds and window shades are open to let in as much light as possible. There may be some distracting beams of light that will mess up your shot. In this case you will want to block these out.

If natural light is unavailable (at night-time for example) then you could use a flash to compensate for that. I would also suggest getting a lightbox. I can’t tell you how many times that this little gadget has saved my ass.

If possible, always time your photography sessions to fall within daylight hours. This way you won’t have to go to the trouble of taking these extra measures.

Although, I can understand how this would be impossible in some circumstances. You may have a full-time job working away from home for most of the day.

How many pictures should I take?

In order to cater to everyone you should take lots of photos, the more the merrier. Capture every inch of your item at plenty of different angles. There is no such thing as “too many” when it comes to this.

I’m never afraid to take too many pictures and neither should you. You can always scrap the pictures you don’t want later on. On the contrary, you’ll never be able to use the photo that you never bothered to take in the first place.

If you have a multiple item listing then take individual photos of all your variations. The buyers will then have a clear view of what the differences are. They need to know which shade of red a t-shirt will be for instance.

You may run out of available space for pictures in your listing. If this happens then you might want to take a wide shot of all your variations together in one photo. In my opinion, It’s better to improvise like this rather than missing any shots out.

How do I photograph a damaged item?

A lot of sellers sell second-hand or pre-owned items. If there is any damage to the item then be upfront about it. Take a picture aiming directly at wherever the flaw. Your buyer will be able to see it clearly and it will help them in their purchasing decision.

Don’t try to hide things from buyers as it will always catch up with you. You may also want to put down in words exactly what the nature of the problem is. Write this down clearly in your description or somewhere else in your listing.

Can I edit my photos?

You can partially edit your pictures if you think they really need it. However, don’t alter the images to the point where they don’t represent a true likeness of what the item actually looks like.

You don’t want your item to look like a glamorous model who’s been airbrushed to death. The last thing your buyers want is for you to sell them a lie. I wouldn’t bother adding filters to your photos as this can arguably count as misrepresenting the item.

Cropping your photos is useful as it cuts out unnecessary space or objects in the background. It will bring full attention to the entirety of your item. Personally, cropping is the main and sometimes the only feature I ever need to use for my listings.

Which editing software should I use for my photos?

There are a few good free photo editing programs such as Microsoft Paint. This is adequate for very basic changes. It will probably be the only program you will ever need to use. This is unless you’re planning on doing something really flashy (which I would advise against).

Even better is GIMP software which you can download for free. It is also rated very highly among both critics and consumers. It has many more features than Microsoft Paint as well and is much better for intricate fine tuning.

Can I use photos that don’t belong to me?

There is no real reason to do this unless you fall under special circumstances. This can mean things like:

not owning a camera
not having access to the item in person (dropshipping?)
wanting an ultra professional looking photograph

You shouldn’t use somebody else’s photos for your listings without their permission. If you don’t want to take your own photos for whatever reason then you can buy stock photos.

Sometimes money is a limitation (which is especially common for a lot of newbie sellers). To combat this, you can use free public domain stock photos. Only do this if the said picture accurately represents your product.

I do this quite a lot so I know for a fact that there is plenty of good free images out there. I’m sure you’ll find something that fulfills your needs.

Sometimes picking the default stock photo from the eBay catalogue is the best option. eBay screen their stock photos for quality. Their pictures are usually better quality than any photos regular sellers could take. No offence to your good self of course.

Don’t use a stock photograph if you are listing a used or pre-owned item. You don’t want to confuse buyers into thinking that you are selling a new item when you’re not. Again, this counts as misrepresentation.

[bctt tweet=”Photos are the eye candy that customers need whenever they want to make any kind of buying decision.” via=”no”]

How do I prevent copyright theft with my photos?

If someone is really adamant about stealing your photos then there isn’t a lot stopping them if we’re being honest. However, there are steps you can take to decrease the likelihood of it happening.

You can add watermarks to your photos to prevent theft. Word of warning, eBay doesn’t allow it to be a link/website to promote your business.

If you discover somebody illegitimately using any of your original photos then you need to report that immediately.

Conversely, you can contact them to request that they take it down. They may refuse or you could face some other kind of resistance. If things escalate any further then you may have a legal case against them.

You can always submit a complaint to the DMCA. This organisation is a free online service tackling internet copyright infringement.

There is a lot to digest here. It will all go towards progression in both your photography and eCommerce skill set. If you want even more relevant advice then check out my stock photo tips before you do anything else.

I think it’s safe to say we can accept that pictures are everything to people browsing the vast eCommerce marketplaces of the internet. We can also learn that there are lots of things we can do before and after we take the photo to ensure we get a great shot.

This can be anything such as:

ensuring we initially set up perfect environmental conditions for photography
tweaking the properties of the photo in the editing stage

Your next task might be to assign somewhere in your home to be your makeshift photography studio. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to create a checklist of parameters. These will include settings you require before you hit the shutter button on your camera.

This could be things like adequate lighting and background. You can tick these off one-by-one until you have everything in place.

I would recommend that you sign up to lots of free stock photo websites. You will then have a wide selection of public domain pictures at your fingertips, ready and waiting. You should also experiment with your editing program so that you know how everything works.

Ever had payment issues with your buyer? Get in the know with my How Top Sellers Handle eCommerce Payments, Returns & Refunds post.

Do you believe great photos are important for online sellers? What’s the best photography tip you would give to a newbie seller? Please don’t forget to share this with your friends and comment below. Thanks for reading!

17 eCommerce Online Selling Mistakes That Scare Away Buyers In Seconds!

53 Epic eBay Selling Tips To Skyrocket Your Profits & Reputation

17 eBay Selling Errors That Make You Invisible To Buyers

26 Postage & Packaging Tricks That Your Buyers Will Love

Shocking Secrets Of Sourcing Cheap Wholesale Inventory & Suppliers

Why Won’t My Buyers Give Me Positive Feedback & Reviews?

The Most Useful eBay Upgrades With Fees + eBay Store Guide

Which Top eCommerce Websites Are Best For Sellers?

Sell Your Dazzling Stock Photos & Earn Passive Income In Your Sleep. Don’t miss out!

25 Tremendous Stock Photo Selling Tips That Will Attract A Legion Of Buyers