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Mastering Product Photography for Amazon

mastering product photography for amazon

Amazon serves as the primary shopping platform for over half of online consumers. However, companies with Amazon product listings face such strong competition that only those with an acute attention to detail will rise to the top. 

Among the most impactful elements of an Amazon listing is high-quality product photography. This guide outlines key strategies for optimizing your product photos for Amazon and how Nogin Studio can support your efforts.

Create Visuals That Tell a Story

Visual storytelling is essential for success in e-commerce, as data shows its direct impact on consumer behavior:

  1. Research indicates that 75% of online shoppers rely on product photos when making purchasing decisions.
  2. Compelling product images yield a 94% higher conversion rate than low-quality counterparts.
  3. 22% of returns are due to discrepancies between the product image and the actual product.

Clear, accurate, and high-resolution images not only enhance conversions but also reduce return rates, strengthening customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. The following are three primary reasons why investing in captivating product photography for Amazon listings is crucial:

  1. Brand Differentiation: Professional imagery can set your brand apart from competitors and enhance its perceived value.
  2. Transparency: Accurate product representation fosters trust, meeting customer expectations and driving purchase confidence.
  3. First Impressions: Strong visual content is crucial in encouraging customers to click on your product listing. Without this engagement, the likelihood of conversion diminishes.

Play by Amazon’s Rules

Amazon enforces strict image guidelines, and non-compliance can result in suppressed listings, reducing your product’s visibility in search results. Therefore, it is essential to adhere to these core image standards:

  • The product should occupy 85% of the image frame.
  • File dimensions must be at least 1000px on each side to enable zoom functionality.
  • Maximum image size should not exceed 10,000px.
  • JPEG is the preferred file format, though TIFF, PNG, and non-animated GIF files are acceptable.
  • Images must be sharp, clear, and free of pixelation or blurring.
  • Any association with Amazon branding is strictly prohibited.

In addition to these basics, the first image in your product listing must feature a white background and clearly show the entire product. Regularly reviewing Amazon’s product-specific guidelines is a good best practice, as adhering to these rules can significantly enhance your listing’s search engine performance and overall visibility.

Quality and Quantity Matter

Amazon allows sellers to upload up to nine images per product, and it’s best to include at least six images and one video. These visuals should comprehensively showcase the product’s features, use cases, and advantages over competitors.

Here are some tips to enhance your product images:

  1. Use Multiple Angles: Showcase the product from various perspectives to give shoppers a complete view.
  2. Demonstrate Use Cases: Include lifestyle images that illustrate your product in action (e.g., a bicycle in motion during a race).
  3. Highlight Key Features: Emphasize unique attributes such as material quality or functionality to stand out from competitors.

Additionally, ensure your product is photographed under optimal conditions. Natural lighting, a white background, and a high-resolution camera (preferably a DSLR) are all recommended to meet Amazon’s image standards.

Use A+ Content on your Amazon Product Listing

Amazon’s A+ Content feature enables brands to elevate their listings with enhanced visuals and additional product information. There are three tiers of A+ Content available to sellers:

Basic A+ Amazon Content 

This tier allows for expanded product descriptions, enhanced images, and comparison charts. By providing greater detail and facilitating side-by-side comparisons, Basic A+ Content aids customers in making informed decisions quickly.

Amazon sellers with a Professional Selling Plan who are enrolled in Brand Registry are eligible for the Basic A+ Content tier. 

Brand Story

This option enables sellers to integrate their brand’s mission, story, and values across all listings, which helps promote brand recognition and loyalty. Through carousel displays and links to other product listings, companies can drive traffic to their Amazon storefront and encourage cross-selling.

Premium A+ Amazon Content

Premium A+ Content offers an immersive shopping experience through larger visuals, videos, interactive hotspots, and comparison charts. Eligible sellers can further engage customers through Q&A modules and dynamic content elements to improve the overall customer journey.

Only select brands are eligible for Premium A+ Amazon content. You can log in to see if you’re eligible

Amazon Sellers Who Are Doing it Right

These top-selling brands offer examples on how to effectively promote products through photography on Amazon:  

Google Nest

This smart thermostat is displayed in both clean, white-background images and lifestyle photos, allowing potential buyers to visualize the product in their home environment. The interface is prominently shown, as well as the app that controls the device, offering a comprehensive view of the product’s ease of use.

Furbo

As a treat-dispensing camera for pets, Furbo highlights its key features with lifestyle images that include both pets and their owners. An infographic image succinctly explains the product’s functionalities, while other visuals emphasize its intuitive app interface.

Waterpik

Waterpik showcases its flossing tool through a combination of lifestyle images and infographics, effectively demonstrating its benefits and ease of use. Additionally, product videos offer customers a practical understanding of how to operate the device, reinforcing purchasing confidence and potentially reducing return rates.

Compete with Nogin’s marketplace experts

Nogin’s marketplace experts can help manage every aspect of selling on Amazon and other marketplaces, including the creation of compelling visuals. From casting and production to creative photography and videography, our team draws from cumulative decades of experience to help you surpass brand goals. We’ll pinpoint your needs and produce content that converts with minimal stress and maximum impact. 

Explore how Nogin’s comprehensive photography services can help your brand excel in 2024 by visiting our studio page.

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