Can bad photos harm your business?
Can bad photos harm your business?
E-commerce and online shopping, in general, is at an all-time high. Last year, the global shopping market almost reached a whopping $3.914 trillion, according to Business Insider. Imagine that.
Other than the bare necessities and daily demands, many consumers buy items they have not tried before. Ever bought something cause you want to test it out or just finding out your new need for it? Some consumers buy out of curiosity and also because they find it appealing.
How do they find it appealing - through images, they see on the internet, and the raving reviews people have from your website and social media pages.
And here comes the part where I say, "that is why quality product images are important." It is your audience's first impression of your business. Pictures are what they see first; they initially attract them to click on that link and check out what your product is about.
BUT how can bad images hurt your business?
I can't tell you exactly how many times I've seen blurry food or product photos that made me close the tab and search for the same thing that looks better in pictures.
The photos you use for your business represent your brand. And a consumer's instinct always goes for what looks pleasing to their eye.
When you use unpalatable food images, expect not to get as many sales as a gorgeous-looking photo of your best seller item on the menu. We eat with our eyes. And we purchase products with what looks good in our eyes, too.
Low lead Conversion. Unforgiving quality images can create a negative impression. No matter how expensive your ingredients or materials are and how many hours you spent producing your product, if your visual content does not show it, it will look cheap or unworthy of adding it to the cart.
Say someone is looking to get a slice of brownies from your shop, but it looks more like dirt in the picture. That person has already exited your website and searched for another shop. You have lost the chance to convert that website visit to a sale.
Not Getting New Clients. Can they trust you? Marketing your products is also about making your target market feel connected to it and your business. Trust is one. Your business becomes more trustworthy when your brand's visual content looks appealing. It helps a consumer feel comfortable buying from your store, knowing that you provide quality products. It also gives an impression that you are paying attention to making your products look good even in photos.
For example, you sell peanut butter. And you're creating these peanut butter with only top-shelf ingredients. In-person, your packaging is gorgeous, your label and branding are on-point. But the image of that peanut butter product on your website is dark, blurry, labels are unreadable, the inside looks well, yuck.You may have existing clients who love your product because they have already built that trust with you. Now, how can you create new sales and expect consumers new to your website that they can trust you?
Slow downed brand reach. How will people recognize your brand if your website images are meh or blah? Bad photos can leave negative impressions, but they also can leave no mark or recognition at all. People need to see clearly what your brand represents. Images make it easy for them to understand your products and relate to your brand. Without this, you are slowing down your brand recognition and the growth of your business.
You are probably not the only one selling gummy bears in your area. If there is a considerable market for gummy bears in your city, will your brand be included in the list of notable gummies? Or will they even remember your brand exists after seeing it only a few seconds ago?Meh, and blah images can be easily forgotten - with your product in it. How can you make people aware of your business when it's easily washed out in the vast ocean of other brands offering the same products?
Not attracting leads. Imagine yourself shopping for a pair of shoes on an e-commerce site. There are, of course, hundreds to choose from. What are you most likely to click on and check out? A good quality image vs. a photo taken under poor lighting, pixelized, and you can't tell which shoe it is because there are about 5 pairs in the picture, and that specific shoe described doesn't stand out at all.
Good photos attract consumers. They want to see how it looks up close, right? How the seams look, how it looks from a certain angle, and how it would look on your feet. In general, we are drawn to images that look good.
But okay, reviews count. Yes, absolutely! You've read that review that says they're very comfortable on the feet, and they arrived on time. But they only have that pixelized picture. Are you still buying it? Chances are, you're moving on to a different shop and find something with both good quality images and sparkling reviews.
Be selective of the images you use on your website. Every product image you use represents your business, the quality of your brand, and the value you give your product. Provide your consumers with quality images that will show the quality of your product, and that will help them imagine their use for it.
This is not saying you have to go to a professional photographer if that's not within your marketing budget. This is me saying posting low-quality, sometimes blurry visuals with unidentifiable-looking parts or misleading colors are hurting your business.
Take part in the growing online-selling revolution. Help your business head towards growth by using the right visuals that look and feel good for you and your consumers.
Few tips to remember:
Stop using blurry images of your products. (Please!)
Make it easy for your target market to understand what your product looks like. Yes, there are businesses who ignore this—neglecting the fact that the quality of an image can hurt their business.
Keep in mind that good quality visuals can help it grow too! So do your business right. Use quality images that show the value you put in your brand and the hours you work to create that product.
Use the back camera.
Are you using your phone to capture your product photos for your website? Well, use only the back camera when doing so. No matter how "improved" front cameras are, it still does not have your rear camera's capabilities.
It is also easy to frame your subject when you can point and capture.
Portrait mode does not apply to all.
I have a lot to say about this, but I'm going to include that on a different blog. ☺️ Portrait mode is impressive for phone photography until it is not. And that is when you see weirdly blurred areas around your subject in focus. Do not expect your phone to mimic the actual bokeh effect of a good quality camera lens. Use the regular "photo" mode.
Invest.
Maybe it's time. Think of how much you want your business to grow and how much professional-quality photos can contribute to it. Spending your time doing it yourself compared to having someone professionally do it is also impacting your business. Instead of focusing on managing your business or creating the actual products, you take a chunk of time out of your precious schedule to take photos of your 100 different scents of your new perfume line.
Get a professional to do it. Get appealing images that showcase the quality of your products and the value of your brand. If it's worth $25, professional photos can not only justify that value but make it look even valuable than that.
Don't let bad-quality images ruin your chance of getting that sale. Every website and social media page visit is essential. Convert those visits to actual sales!
Be part of that online shopping revolution. Use the images that justify your hard work. Provide your target market the visuals they can relate to. Be the business that makes visual content work for them.