But coming up with fresh photo ideas or perfecting your visual strategy isn’t always easy.

That’s why we rounded up 50 ecommerce websites with standout product photography—organized by industry. These examples highlight how top brands use composition, lighting, styling, and editing techniques to elevate their imagery and move more product.

30,000 sales and marketing pros get our insights, tips, and best practices delivered weekly.

Browse for inspiration. Steal a few ideas. And if you need help turning your own shots into polished product images, we can lend a hand there, too.

Clothing/apparel and footwear

1. Girlfriend Collective

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This set of images features clean, high-resolution portraits of models in active poses, styled against a neutral, seamless background. The garments are front and center, with no distractions from props, textures, or harsh lighting.

This style of photography strikes the right balance between editorial polish and ecommerce clarity—a smart direction for any brand focused on performance, comfort, or versatility.

2. Quince

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Quince uses warm, natural light and textured backdrops like stone, sand, and wood) to create a sun-soaked, lifestyle-driven aesthetic. The product photography feels candid and cinematic, blending fashion with storytelling. Clothing is styled casually and captured in movement or relaxed poses, helping customers imagine how pieces feel and function in real life.

3. Victoria’s Secret

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Victoria’s Secret has secured its spot on the top of the list for product photography for years. It knows how to present their products in a way that speaks to its target audience, and even makes more than 20 million people tune into its annual televised fashion show. 

4. ModCloth

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ModCloth shows its products on models of different shapes and sizes, showing the versatility of various items and allowing its customers to better predict how it would look on them. It does the same with color variations, too.

5. Thirdlove

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Instead of using image editing to create color variants for its products, Third Love shoots custom photography for most of the variants. This creates a more lifelike effect that appeals to shoppers.

6. SSENSE

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This split-screen from SSENSE showcases the brand’s signature editorial-meets-ecommerce photography style—bold, artistic, and culturally tuned-in.

A street-style inspired shot featuring a flowing, pastel-toned skirt, structured black bag, and plush accessory charm. The blurred background and candid motion capture personality, movement, and context—showing the product in the wild.

The flat lay shows a green bikini submerged just below the surface of a rippling pool. The water distortion and sun reflections turn a simple product shot into an abstract composition. It’s aspirational, seasonal, and emotionally evocative—perfectly suited for a trend-forward audience.

7. Coterie

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These product photos from Coterie offer a clean, clinical, and elevated aesthetic that aligns with the brand’s premium baby care positioning. Shot against a soft, gradient blue background, the diapers are perfectly centered and isolated—creating a sterile but comforting environment that enhances product trust.

What works well:

• Perfect symmetry and clarity: Both the front and back views are shot with precision and balance, emphasizing shape, texture, and material. This symmetry helps customers understand fit and structure at a glance.
• Soft, diffused lighting: Gentle lighting minimizes harsh shadows and ensures every detail of the diaper—such as the elastic bands, fabric texture, and wetness indicator—is clearly visible.
• No distractions: The minimalist backdrop and absence of props keep the focus entirely on the product, reinforcing a sense of hygiene and quality.

Symmetry sells—especially in fashion. Learn how perfectly mirrored product photos boost conversions and trust.

Learn more

Jewelry 

8. Deliqa Gems

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Each ring is photographed against a seamless white background, allowing the viewer to focus solely on the craftsmanship, color, and cut. This is essential for high-conversion jewelry ecommerce.

The lighting is soft but directional—eliminating harsh shadows while enhancing gemstone brilliance and gold luster. It’s especially effective for faceted stones, making them pop with fire and depth.

Deliqa shows different angles—front, top-down, and profile views, giving online shoppers a true-to-life sense of scale and form, mimicking an in-store experience.

Retouching is used judiciously: reflections are polished, shadows are uniform, and every gem is color-corrected for maximum vibrancy.

9. Electric Picks

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Electric Picks’s jewelry product photography strikes a perfect balance between lifestyle and studio shots—an ideal approach for modern ecommerce. The left image shows the necklace worn on a model, adding context, warmth, and emotional appeal. The other two are clean studio shots that focus on detail and form. This blend helps shoppers envision the item both in real life and up close.

All three images use natural-looking, diffused light that avoids harsh reflections (a must for shiny metals like gold). The earrings in particular benefit from soft-edged shadows that give them dimension without distraction.

10. ROEN

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ROEN’s jewelry photography example delivers a premium, high-end aesthetic that aligns with luxury engagement ring shopping—balancing emotion, clarity, and craftsmanship.

The leftmost image shows the product on a hand in warm, soft lighting, immediately evoking romance, elegance, and aspiration. It adds emotional weight to the otherwise clinical product lineup.

The remaining three images showcase the rings against clean, light-gray backdrops with subtle shadows that lift the products off the page. Each shot is expertly lit to maximize sparkle, metal luster, and form—especially in the center stone.

Side views, angled shots, and direct front views all help customers evaluate details like band thickness, setting style, and stone cut. 

11. Susan Alexandra

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This playful product photo brilliantly blends creativity and humor to showcase a beaded dog leash set. The real dachshund and its beaded twin—linked by matching rainbow leashes—instantly grab attention and make the image unforgettable.

This image is a strong example of how injecting personality and playfulness into product photography can make a brand stand out—especially for fun accessories.

12. OUTOFOFFICE

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This set of product photos uses clean styling and close-up detail to showcase modern jewelry in a minimal, elevated way. Each frame focuses on a different piece—earrings, rings, bracelets, and necklaces—while keeping the background simple and distraction-free.

This style is ideal for luxury, designer, or minimalist brands that want to convey sophistication and clarity in their product presentation.

13. Jewels & Aces

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This series of close-up earring shots exemplifies how subtle styling and soft lighting can elevate small, intricate jewelry. Each image highlights a layered ear stack featuring dainty gold chains and diamonds, worn in unique yet coordinated pairings.

Here’s what we like: 

• Warm, natural light: The lighting enhances the gold tones and gemstone sparkle without harsh shadows.
• Tight framing: Zoomed-in ear shots keep the focus on detail, allowing customers to see how each piece fits and drapes.
• Consistent tone: The cohesive color palette and similar poses across models create a polished, trustworthy brand image.

Want your jewelry shots to sparkle like ROEN or Electric Picks? Learn the secret techniques for high-converting images in our expert guide: How to Edit Jewelry Product Photos Like a Pro

Learn more

Footwear and accessories

14. Glasses Direct

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While Glasses Direct has straightforward yet beautiful white background product photos, supporting visuals round out the impact for potential customers. Illustrations that outline dimensions help shoppers estimate how the frames would fit on their own faces.

15. hardgraft

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With a muted, desaturated palette and soft directional lighting, each item is photographed with studio precision against a neutral background. hardgraft’s deliberate use of shadows adds depth and dimension without distraction, allowing the tactile richness of suede, leather, and wool to take center stage. 

The styling is minimal but intentional—products are cleanly isolated yet carry subtle lifestyle cues, like an unzipped kit or a pencil-stuffed wrap. This clean and cohesive look highlights craftsmanship and quality, appealing to discerning customers who appreciate quiet sophistication.

16. Mulberry

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This campaign showcases handbags in vibrant, outdoor settings that feel both editorial and approachable. Rather than sterile studio shots, these lifestyle images embed the bags into real-world fashion moments—making them feel aspirational yet accessible.

Each look is styled to suggest a narrative—countryside strolls, spring fashion—adding depth and relatability to the product. Shooting outdoors brings out texture and color in the bags, while the blooming florals and tree-lined road evoke seasonal charm. Bold outfits and confident poses draw attention, but the handbags remain the focal point, always held prominently and clearly lit.

17. Birkenstock

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Birkenstock’s product photography strikes a balance between lifestyle and studio visuals. From sun-drenched sidewalk shots to clean, floating product images, each photo highlights the brand’s signature comfort and craftsmanship. The use of natural textures—brick, stone, and foliage—adds warmth and tactility, making the sandals feel at home in any setting. 

Meanwhile, crisp lighting and soft shadows emphasize material quality, like nubuck leather and contoured cork soles. Their floating product shot, set against a cool gradient background, draws the eye to every strap and buckle with sculptural clarity. Birkenstock’s visuals are proof that even casual footwear can look iconic with the right photography.

18. Chalo

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This image series presents handcrafted leather boots through a rich visual narrative that blends craftsmanship, product detail, and styling. From top-down flat lays to styled shots and macro textures, it balances artistic flair with product clarity.

Warm, earthy hues echo the natural materials and craftsmanship, making the entire set feel cohesive and tactile. Including the artisan’s hands working on the leather gives authenticity and emphasizes the handmade quality—connecting product to maker.

Technology

19. Bang & Olufsen

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This photo is a stellar example of minimal, lifestyle-oriented product photography that speaks volumes without clutter—a highly effective way to market portable tech like Bluetooth speakers.

Shooting the speaker partially buried in sand immediately communicates durability, portability, and outdoor utility—perfect for beach days or travel. Plus, the fine mesh texture of the speaker contrasts beautifully with the rough, grainy sand, drawing the eye directly to the product.

The subtle motion blur of sand being brushed aside adds energy and realism, reinforcing the “on-the-go” lifestyle. And the soft pinkish-gold tone of the speaker and tan leather strap blend seamlessly with the neutral sandy palette, creating a warm, aspirational tone.

20. Apple

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The iconic tech brand has made smartphones, computers and other tech devices look sexier than ever. The brand has such a strong visual aesthetic, and all product photos support that image—including photos on its distributors’ sites.

21. Sonos

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This image from Sonos showcases a Bluetooth speaker and a pair of over-ear headphones in a highly polished, product-centric style that’s ideal for ecommerce and tech retail. The clean, white background removes all distractions, keeping the focus entirely on the product design—perfect for a high-end tech brand.

Subtle drop shadows under both products add depth and dimension, helping them stand out while maintaining a crisp, modern aesthetic. The matte black finishes are lit specifically to highlight contours without losing the rich, dark texture—key for showcasing premium materials.

Plus, including the TIME Best Inventions 2024 badge for the headphones subtly reinforces credibility and innovation without overwhelming the visual.

Beauty, cosmetics, and skincare

22. Max Factor

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The bright white backdrop keeps all the focus on the products and makes the colors pop. It’s also super consistent, which is great for brand identity and gives everything a polished, high-end vibe. 

Each product is facing forward in a clear, easy-to-identify way. No weird tilts or artsy shadows—just straightforward, scroll-stopping clarity. You immediately know what’s what: foundation, mascara, lip color, and an eyeshadow palette.

Max Factor doesn’t just show product containers:

• The lip color shows the wand and box.
• The mascara is open, showing the brush (which is a key selling feature).
• The eyeshadow palette is open to show the actual shades.

Basically, the photos answer the unspoken “But what does it look like inside?” question before you even have to ask.

23. Essie

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This photo nails the vibe. The mix of bright turquoise, fiery red, and cheery yellow nail art really pops against the warm-toned background. It draws your eye to the nails without needing a spotlight. Each nail tells a mini story—smiley face, abstract flames, a playful “X”—making it feel custom, not cookie-cutter. This is less “salon menu,” more “expression in progress.”

And you get more than just the nails. The texture of the fabric, the paintbrushes, the speckles—it adds a sense of realness and movement, like we just walked in on an artist mid-project.

24. Wiselands

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Wiselands uses rich, moody lighting to elevate its product photography, giving skincare essentials a luxe, tactile presence. The close-up shots highlight the amber glass packaging and gold typography, with warm shadows that enhance the sense of calm and care. Subtle skin contact and soft textures create an intimate, grounded feel—perfectly suited for a brand focused on clean, conscious ingredients. 

The lighting is deliberately imperfect, mimicking golden-hour warmth that flatters both the product and the skin it’s meant for. It’s a masterclass in using tone and minimalism to communicate trust and quality.

25. Crown Affair

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The minimalist layout and monochrome color palette for Crown Affair’s product photos ooze luxury. It’s giving calm confidence without shouting for attention. 

Each product is centered, evenly lit, and spaced the same—perfect for a sleek grid or product catalog. Cohesion like this builds brand trust fast. And the soft shadows and contrast between black and white bottles add just enough depth to keep things visually interesting without losing the clean aesthetic.

26. Vacation Inc.

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Sunscreen brand Vacation Inc. uses bold, retro-inspired design. The packaging and photo styling lean heavily into a nostalgic ’80s/’90s vacation aesthetic, reinforcing the brand’s identity. Everything from the fonts to the saturated colors supports this.

Despite the vibrant branding, the layout is clean. Products are isolated against a pale gradient background, keeping attention on the packaging.

Outdoors and sporting goods

27. Linus 

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This example from bike brand Linus takes a lifestyle over product approach. We’re sold on the vibe before the bike. It’s aspirational but also relatable—perfect for parents and cool kids alike.

The mid-movement shot adds energy and makes the product feel fun and adventurous. The text placement is smart: bold, centered, and readable without overpowering the image.

28. Pow Gloves

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Pow Gloves delivers high-impact product photography that leans into performance, texture, and environment. Shot in snowy alpine conditions, its imagery captures real-world functionality while keeping the product in crisp focus. 

Frosted lenses, fleecy knits, and matte leathers pop against blurred white backdrops, highlighting both material quality and cold-weather capability. The models are active but cropped, letting the gloves and headwear shine without distraction.

29. Beestinger

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Beestinger’s product photography balances precision and action, capturing the high-performance world of archery stabilizers. Each image speaks directly to its audience—whether it’s competitive target shooters or camo-clad hunters—by showing the gear in realistic, high-stakes contexts. 

Sharp detail on textures like carbon fiber, metal finishes, and compound bows communicates quality and durability. Meanwhile, the use of tight crops and dynamic angles keeps the focus on function, not fluff. By pairing lifestyle imagery with close-up product visuals, Beestinger hits the bullseye on authenticity and trust—two essentials in any performance-driven category.

30. CamelBak

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The top-down flat lay showcases CamelBak’s water bottles in a scattered, playful arrangement. Each bottle is angled differently, giving the scene energy and allowing each product to stand out while still feeling part of a cohesive set.

The smooth teal gradient adds visual interest without stealing the spotlight. It complements the product colors and adds depth, helping the matte finishes of the bottles pop.

The lighting is soft but directional enough to highlight the textures—especially the powder-coated surfaces and engraved designs. This gives a tactile sense of quality without relying on close-ups.

The photo manages to feel unified while showing a range of products: mugs, tumblers, bottles—each in a different color and size. It’s a great way to communicate customization options without crowding the frame.

31. Lift Foils

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Lift Foils captures the thrill and elegance of hydrofoil surfing through cinematic, lifestyle-driven photography. Their imagery effortlessly blends action and atmosphere—highlighting both product performance and the aspirational lifestyle that surrounds it. 

From crisp shots of foil boards slicing through tropical waves to grounded moments of riders gearing up at the shoreline, every frame conveys motion, freedom, and connection to nature. The gear is presented in real use, allowing water, sunlight, and setting to act as natural visual enhancers. This approach not only showcases the quality of the product but also sells the lifestyle it unlocks. It’s adventure marketing at its finest.

32. Landyachtz

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Landyachtz uses clean, minimal product photography to make bold skateboard designs pop. Set against bright white backgrounds, each board is perfectly centered and evenly lit, allowing the intricate deck artwork—from hand-illustrated mountains to surreal portraits—to shine without distraction. 

This studio-style approach highlights every detail of shape, texture, and color, making the craftsmanship unmistakable. The consistency across the images also creates a seamless browsing experience, while the sharp, high-resolution shots invite zoom-level inspection. It’s a textbook example of how white-background photography can still feel expressive and brand-forward.

33. Ethnotek

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Ethnotek’s product photography perfectly reflects the brand’s vibrant, adventure-ready identity. Shot in natural, wild settings, their bags are photographed in real-world use—slung over shoulders, perched on rocks, or trekking through fields. 

This lifestyle-forward approach puts the product in context, emphasizing durability and design for travel and outdoor enthusiasts. The saturated colors of the bags stand out beautifully against the natural backdrops, and each shot is carefully composed to showcase both form and function. The result is photography that feels aspirational, authentic, and deeply connected to the brand’s do-good, go-anywhere ethos.

Furniture and home goods

34. MADE

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MADE’s product photography captures the harmony of modern living with a refined, editorial edge. Each image is carefully styled to showcase not just the product—sofas, lighting, or beds—but the ambiance they create. The lighting is soft and consistent, emphasizing texture, shape, and color in a natural way. Warm, muted tones pair with clean architectural lines, drawing the eye through the space and highlighting each design detail without distraction. 

The result is an inviting, aspirational scene that feels livable yet elevated. MADE’s photography doubles as interior inspiration, turning every product into part of a cohesive lifestyle story.

35. LOEHR

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LOEHR’s product photography is a prime example of modern minimalism. With sharp, architectural compositions and pristine lighting, each image distills furniture design down to its purest form. 

Materials and textures are foregrounded—brushed metals, matte lacquers, and soft upholstery—without unnecessary staging or visual clutter. The crisp shadows and natural gradients from ambient light add depth while preserving the clarity of shape and line. 

The result is bold, geometric forms. LOEHR’s photography doesn’t just display a product—it reflects the brand’s design philosophy: functional, thoughtful, and quietly radical.

36. Simon Pearce

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Set against airy, sun-drenched environments, Simon Pearce’s imagery brings out the artisanal quality of each glass and ceramic piece. The clear sparkle of handblown glassware, the creamy textures of stoneware, and the golden tones of sunlight on surfaces are all captured with refined precision. Lifestyle compositions feel warm and inviting—perfectly styled without feeling staged. 

Whether it’s a mimosa brunch or champagne on the patio, the photography captures the brand’s essence: craftsmanship, comfort, and understated luxury. This is storytelling through light, texture, and good taste.

37. Motel a Miio

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Motel a Miio’s product photography bursts with color, warmth, and Mediterranean charm. The brand highlights the artisanal quality of its handmade ceramics through rich textures, sunlit surfaces, and thoughtful arrangements. 

Each image showcases the uniqueness of glazing and form—from the dreamy aqua blues of bowls to the peachy-pink blush of plates. Natural shadows and earthy backdrops give the shots a tactile, sun-kissed feel, inviting viewers to imagine relaxed outdoor dining or cozy kitchen moments. The photography is not just beautiful—it’s transportive, evoking a laid-back, design-forward lifestyle rooted in craftsmanship.

38. Studio Neat

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Studio Neat uses minimalist product photography. In this example, each item is suspended against a clean, white backdrop with gentle shadows, emphasizing their streamlined form and material finish. The floating composition gives the products a modern, weightless feel, aligning with their functional and design-forward ethos. 

Every visual choice—neutral lighting, soft gradients, centered framing—supports a sleek and utilitarian aesthetic. 

Cars and automotive

39. Carvana

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Carvana takes a clean, uniform approach to product photography by displaying each vehicle category in profile against a pure white background. The consistency in angle, lighting, and car color (white) helps customers compare models quickly while reinforcing trust through visual clarity. 

For ecommerce brands managing large SKUs or configurable product categories, this style benefits from clipping path, retouching, and shadow effects to ensure clean, scalable presentation across all digital platforms.

40. CarBahn

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CarBahn’s product photography leans into a high-performance, gearhead aesthetic with bold contrast, sharp lighting, and industrial backdrops. Each category image emphasizes material texture and mechanical precision. There’s a tactile, real-world feel, with shots that oscillate between clean studio setups and gritty workshop environments. 

This style is ideal for performance auto brands. Related edits might include color correction, reflection and glare removal, and precision shadow work to enhance contrast and depth without over-editing the hardware’s raw appeal.

41. Mercedes-Benz

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Mercedes-Benz’s product photography captures futuristic elegance with cinematic precision. This concept vehicle is shot under ambient, gradient lighting that complements the sleek contours and metallic finish, making it feel like a luxury object from the future. The low angle and subtle reflections emphasize design innovation—fluid lines, illuminated details, and aerodynamic form—while keeping the focus on craftsmanship and vision.

Lifestyle and miscellaneous

42. StickerBrand

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StickerBrand’s product photography transforms wall decals into immersive, real-life design statements. Each wall is staged in context—whether it’s a moody café corner or a leafy bedroom escape—so shoppers can picture the product in their own space. The lighting is soft and natural, allowing the decals to blend seamlessly with furniture, textiles, and finishes while still standing out with crisp lines and vibrant color.

43. Bambi Baby

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Bambi Baby’s product photography blends lifestyle and catalog styles to showcase both the function and feeling behind its premium baby gear. 

The left side of this example shows a warm, everyday moment—a family on a walk at golden hour. This emotional lifestyle shot balances beautifully with the crisp, isolated product shots on the right, which highlight detail, color variations, and pricing. This dual approach supports both storytelling and conversion. 

44. Bentley

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Bentley’s luggage line embraces bold, clean, and ultra-modern product photography that celebrates color as a core brand identity. The suitcases are displayed in a tight lineup with seamless lighting and minimal shadows, highlighting each hue without distraction. The gradient floor and backdrop also complement the tones of each suitcase.

45. Walmart

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Walmart uses bright, consistent, and brand-forward product photography to energize its promotional graphics. Each product—from beauty tools and smart tech to outdoor gear—is presented against soft, uniform color backdrops that create an airy and cheerful visual experience. Items are expertly isolated, often enhanced with clipping paths, drop shadows, and vibrant retouching to make them pop while maintaining a cohesive brand aesthetic.

Food and drink

46. Candy Club

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Vibrant gummies, chocolates, and sour belts spill playfully from jars across a crisp white background, letting the intense colors and textures take center stage. The overhead layout creates a sense of abundance, while the neatly styled candy piles maintain a polished, crave-worthy aesthetic. Candy Club’s photos are a visual sugar rush that makes every sweet treat look like a party.

47. Rauch

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Rauch brings a playful, shelf-ready polish to its product photography. Against a smooth gradient backdrop that shifts from citrus yellow to cream, each beverage line is given equal spotlight with symmetrical placement and minimal distractions.

Each product floats with a subtle shadow, allowing vibrant packaging to take center stage. The lighting is soft yet evenly distributed, enhancing the saturated colors and fruity visual cues without harsh glare. 

48. Backyard Butchers

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Backyard Butchers nails a clean, trust-building presentation that’s perfect for high-value food subscriptions. Its product photography highlights premium meat packs in pristine kitchen settings with natural light, fresh produce, and minimal props—immediately reinforcing freshness, quality, and home delivery convenience.

49. Tony’s Chocolonely

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Tony’s Chocolonely brings the same bold, joyful energy of its packaging into its product photography. Vibrant, solid-color backgrounds create instant visual impact while keeping the focus squarely on the products. Items are shot straight-on with clean clipping paths and slight shadows to create a floating effect, lending a sense of playfulness and modernity. Every shot is bright, color-blocked, and punchy enough to pop in any feed or grid.

50. Ghia

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Set against a creamy, sunlit backdrop, Ghia combines perfect product symmetry with unexpected moments—like a pour shot mid-air or cans balancing precariously on glassware. The lighting is soft yet directional, giving glass and liquid a gentle glow while letting label colors pop with vintage flair.

Create your perfect product photos

Great product photography doesn’t just capture what you’re selling—it captures why someone should care. Across industries, from fashion to food to tech, the most successful ecommerce brands use thoughtful visuals to build trust, spark desire, and drive conversions.

If you need help making your own photos stand out, we’re here to help. From background removal and retouching to full-on image enhancements, our team can take your product photos from functional to phenomenal.

Ready to elevate your product visuals? See how our photo editing services work and get started transforming your images today.

Learn more

The post Product Photography: 50 Ecommerce Websites With Inspiring Photos appeared first on Path Edits.

For ecommerce brands wanting to stand out in crowded product searches, an opportunity lies in focusing on visual search optimization. As image searches gain momentum, shoppers are looking beyond keywords to find products.

30,000 sales and marketing pros get our insights, tips, and best practices delivered weekly.

Let’s take a look at how you can optimize your content for visual search and get your products in front of customers.

What is visual search optimization?

Visual search optimization is the process of optimizing digital content to enhance its visibility and relevance in visual search results. Visual search involves using images or videos as queries instead of text. Users can upload an image or take a photo to search for similar or related visual content.

A visual search is a query that is made with or about images. You might take a picture or screenshot of a product and use it to search for similar products online. When you use visual search, technology analyzes visual patterns to find similar images and return them to you.

In contrast, image search helps users find information using text, like typing in a Google Search “black boots for women” or using voice search to find relevant results.

How to optimize your ecommerce site and product photos for visual search

• Understand how consumers use visual search
• Use multiple images for each product
• Make sure your images are high-quality
• Put images in your sitemap
• Add Google image badges
• Learn how to optimize your images for visual search
• Go beyond just images
• Create your own visual search
• Remember Google Snippets

Understand how consumers use visual search

Before you can understand how to optimize your site, you need to know how consumers use visual search. This starts with putting yourself in the consumers’ shoes and considering the context and intent of their visual search.

For example, are your customers searching for gift ideas, solving a problem, or looking to buy? How do they like to shop online? Understanding these motivations allows you to meet their needs better with visuals and photo descriptions that align with their intent.

To learn more about your customer behavior, you can study your site’s and social channels’ analytics to see how your audience interacts with visuals and what they click on. Pay attention to any effective competitor visuals, too. What aesthetics and multimedia do users respond to? Reverse engineer what resonates.

You can also send post-purchase surveys, monitor social conversations about your brand and products, use focus groups if resources allow, and keep up with visual search trends from Pinterest, for example. Using Pinterest Trends, you can change the region and the search period, select interests for trends within specific niches, add demographics filters and keywords, and more.

Although these trends constantly change, the top Pinterest searches and categories at the start of 2024 were:

• Dinner party
• Nails
• Fashion
• Valentine’s Day
• Winter outfits
• Prom dresses
• Tattoos
• Braids

Use multiple images for each product

Using more than one product photo to represent your merchandise isn’t just good for the user experience, it’s also good for visual SEO. Google has repeatedly said it prioritizes the user experience when determining rankings. Plus, you can use different keyword variations for each of your image files.

Check out Maik in the example below. The ethical sock brand shows a mix of white background images with contextual settings and people photos. The variety of images lets the brand target unique visual search terms that can appear in varying Google searches and visual browsing queries, like “colorful socks with jeans” and “animal-themed socks.” 

Make sure your images are high-quality

High-quality product photography benefits more than just on-site users. It also gives you an edge in visual search results. When images are crisp and detailed, shoppers are more likely to click on them over low-quality competitor images.

For example, when users browse visual search results or image-based platforms like Google image search, clear, appealing photos stand out. You only have a small space alongside other brands in those results.

As seen in the example search below for children’s bedroom ornaments, top-ranking images allow shoppers to clearly see each product. With multiple thumbnail options competing for attention, ensure your product images are high-quality and clearly show the product to entice clicks. 

Be aware that low-quality images can be as bad as having no images at all because it can lead to disappointment and show a lack of care.

Put images in your sitemap

Your sitemap is essentially a “map” of your website—it houses information about the content on your site and the relation between those elements, such as text and images. Search engines use this file to crawl your website and learn more information about it. It helps search engines understand what is on your site.

If you create an image sitemap, you’ll give crawlers more information about the photos—and make them more primed to appear in searches. You can learn more about sitemaps and how to submit them on Google Search Central.

Add Google image badges

Google released an Image Search update back in 2017 to include small badges on search results thumbnails. These badges let users know what they’ll see when they click on the image, such as a recipe, a product in an online store, or a video.

To this day, you can see these badges in search results, and Google Images and Google Lens also use them. Follow Google’s guide to add this structured data to your product pages. 

Learn how to optimize your images for visual search

Size and format your images appropriately

Google’s image optimization guidelines include recommended file formats. They say PNG and JPEG files are best for still images, and WebP and AVIF files are best for animation. 

Reduce your image file size

A big part of SEO is having a quick-loading site—and large images can slow load speeds. Compress your images so the file size is smaller, without using image quality

You might also consider lazy loading to reduce the page load time, but it requires some technical knowledge to set up.

Use keywords in file names and alt tags

Uploading a product image titled “Photo_123” will make it difficult for search engines to understand what’s in the photo and when it’s relevant to people’s search queries. Instead, be descriptive about the subject matter.

For example, if you’re selling a red women’s coat, you could give it a file name, “Red-women-winter-coat,” and also include your brand name.

When it comes to alt tags, remember that they help visually impaired users with screen readers understand what’s in the image. Alt tags also display when your images fail to load on the site, which could happen when the user has a bad internet connection.

Using the example above, you could add an alt tag, “A dark-haired woman in a long, red coat and black boots, sat on a park bench.” Think how you would describe the image to someone who can’t see it. And make sure not to add too many keywords in your alt tags because Google may consider it spam.

Go beyond images

A multimedia approach is best, especially if you’re optimizing for visual search. Think product videos and 360-degree photos that bring static images to life. This will not only help you stand out in search, but also in the eyes of the customer.

Matches has high-quality videos and close-up shots to enhance the visual search and user experience. The different media options help shoppers see the product from several angles. 

Create your own visual search

Even though it’s not mainstream yet, creating your own visual search experience can help get ahead of the curve. Implementing it now gives you time to work out the issues before it becomes widely adopted. This way, your competitors will deal with technical issues while you’ve already hit your groove.

How do you build your own custom application with visual search features? You’ll find numerous visual search providers offer this service, such as Snap Vision, Intelistyle, Clarifai, and Syte among others.

Your own visual search can help shoppers find relevant results faster. It may even inspire them to add complementing products to finish the full look. As a bonus, you’ll also get even more data and insights on your customer behavior, adding to marketing opportunities.

Some brands are taking visual search into their own hands now, too. ASOS Style Match, for example, lets its app users upload or take a photo of an outfit, and the store will find similar product recommendations. It’s a great cross-sell and bundling opportunity. 

Remember Google Snippets

Ever notice how some Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) have a “People also ask” box with dropdown questions related to your query? It looks like this: 

Sometimes, they include images. You can use images to optimize for those highly coveted Google Snippets. Start by researching what type of images currently appear for your search query and add or replace them with a high-quality image that better captures the query.

Opt for photos with your product centered and move the image to the top of your page. Don’t forget to also add appropriate image titles and alt text.

Visual search platforms to know

For customers, visual search is a simple, interactive way of browsing products that closely match what they’re looking for. For ecommerce brands, it’s an untapped opportunity to have their product images appear in the searches.

But that’s just the basics. Visual search tools continue to get more advanced as technology improves. Social media platforms, especially image-driven ones like Pinterest and Snapchat, have also launched their own versions of visual search. The list of visual search platforms only continues to grow—here are a few popular ones you might want to note:

Google Lens

The Google Lens app, for example, is a seriously improved version of a basic image search. You can find recipes or directions, add events to your calendar, and translate words from a photo. Google Lens also allows users to find where to buy products online. They snap or upload a shot of the coveted piece, and Google will tell them where to get it. 

Over 12 billion monthly searches encompass a wide range of information, from identifying plants to translating signs. In 2022, Google launched Multisearch, which combines text and image search, making it easier to find variations of similar products.

Bing Visual Search

Microsoft’s search engine hit 100 million active users in 2023, so while not in the same league as Google, it’s still notable for its visual search feature. It works in a similar way—users can upload or take photos or paste image URLs to find similar search results.

Pinterest Lens

Users can take photos of an object or select parts of pins to find other related pins with Pinterest Lens. For example, by highlighting just the shoes of an outfit image, you can find pins related to the selected footwear. With more than 465 million monthly users going on Pinterest to find products, it’s definitely one to watch. 

This platform is all about inspiring its users. So, if your product images can be the source of a new home project or outfit idea, you can gain their attention before they go to a competitor.

Pinterest also publishes yearly predictions for which searches will trend. The predictions are based on their user searches, so it’s a good resource for ecommerce brands planning in advance.

Amazon Lens

Unsurprisingly, the world’s largest marketplace has also capitalized on visual search. Using the Amazon app, users have different ways to shop. They can use the Shop the Look feature to upload their own photo or browse public images by other users to find products, take a photo of an object, or scan a barcode. 

Find It On eBay

Launched back in 2017, eBay’s visual search feature lets mobile users snap a photo of a product, upload an image or screenshot, or scan a barcode to find similar listings. eBay had 135 million active users in 2022, so any ecommerce brands selling there shouldn’t sleep on optimizing images for the app’s visual search. 

Scan by Snapchat

Similar to Google Lens, Scan by Snapchat users can interact with almost anything using visual search. One of the features includes finding related products in partnership with Amazon so users can shop while using their favorite social media app.

Why visual SEO is important

Visual SEO isn’t just a marketing buzzword we’ll forget about when the next one comes along. It’s important to incorporate it into your SEO strategy alongside text-based searches so you can start creating a better customer experience.. As Google, social networks, Amazon, and other online platforms continue to bolster their visual search experience, the tech isn’t going anywhere soon.

A good search function is essential for 9 out of 10 U.S. consumers. That means if your store website or product images aren’t updated with SEO in mind, shoppers may soon abandon their carts. This is because it’ll take them too long to find exactly what they’re looking for. Or they may not find your product in search results at all.

With 43% of consumers aged 16 to 64 using the Internet regularly for researching products and brands, it’s even more important for smaller or lesser-known ecommerce brands to make sure their visual SEO strategy is on point or, at the very least, gets regularly updated.

For example, Australian furniture retailer King Living saw a 15% increase in clicks and overall revenue after it updated its site and replaced previously text-heavy content with product images. The brand found visuals more effectively communicating product information than just text descriptions. 

Besides helping users find products, SEO-optimized images improve website usability, also making it more mobile-friendly and load faster. Smartphones account for 74% of online purchases, so paying attention to the mobile experience is well worth it.

The benefits of visual searches go beyond hitting marketing goals. Those who may face a language barrier or can’t put what they’re looking for into words can use visual search technology to help find good quality information and answers in their daily life.

Implementing visual SEO into your ecommerce strategy

Setting up an effective visual SEO strategy takes time and effort, but the payoff for your ecommerce business can be huge. By optimizing your product images and site for visual search, you make it easier for interested customers to find you and explore your product range.

But visual SEO is just one part of a solid marketing plan. Together with a strategy for text-based searches, faster website speed, and a great mobile experience, you’ll be well on your way to more sales and customer engagement. 

Visual search optimization FAQ

What is visual search?

Visual search uses photos or screenshots instead of text to find relevant information or products. Users can upload or share an image using technologies like Google Lens, which will look for matching visual attributes instead of keywords.

How do I optimize an image for search?

Optimize your images for visual search using descriptive filenames and relevant alt text. Ensure the image is high-quality, shows the product in focus, and the file is compressed to avoid exceeding recommended file sizes based on platform requirements.

How do you optimize visual content?

Optimize visual site content with high-quality, high-resolution product photos and videos. If appropriate, include multiple angles, supporting lifestyle imagery, zoom functionality, and other multimedia elements like 360-spin images.

What is an example of visual search?

Examples of visual search include taking a photo of a plant on your phone and searching Google Lens to find information about it, using Pinterest Lens on a part of a pin to find matching objects, or snapping an outfit with Amazon’s app to find buying options.

What are ways to optimize your search?

Use a combination of visual and text-based search improvements. For example, use relevant keywords in metadata, text and image content, and URLs. Regularly create fresh, high-quality content to target search content, and refresh existing content.

What is the best image size for SEO?

The best image size for SEO depends on how you intend to use the image and any marketplace requirements. For a standard website, use a hero image with 1280×720 pixels, a blog image with 1200×630 pixels, and a thumbnail image with 150×150 pixels. Try to ensure file sizes are below 100 kB.

The post Visual Search Engine Optimization: How to Use Visual SEO to Boost Visibility and Sales appeared first on Path Edits.

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You might need to perform a color change because you didn’t have the right variant available at the shoot. Or you might be going for a theme on social media, and a color change will help old assets fit your new visual aesthetic. These are just a couple of instances. We rounded up a bunch of other ways to use and scenarios in which color change edits may be appropriate.

1. Create an animated GIF or video

It’s not enough to simply have still product images anymore. Modern brands incorporate user-generated photos, 360-degree shots, animated GIFs, and even product videos into their content mix. You can use this media across channels, including your website, product pages, social media, email, and more.

So if you want to make your product photography investment go the extra mile, you can apply the color change edits and turn those shots into an animated GIF, cycling through each variant.

2. Survey your customers on the color preference for this item

It’s critical to cultivate relationships with your customer base. One way to kickstart and cultivate relationships with your customers is to ask their opinion.

You can survey your customers to see which colors they like best for new variations of your existing products. This will not only boost engagement, but your audience will also feel more invested in the product itself, given the fact they had a say in its creation. They may even feel more inclined to make a purchase.

Fashion designer Tery D’Ciano frequently uses Instagram polls in her stories to see what her customers want to see in her products. She’ll often share images or videos of fabrics, buttons, and other details and ask her audience which ones they prefer.

You can take a similar approach and use “photos” of the new color options to give people a visual to help them decide. You can do this in your Instagram stories or on other social channels, as well as send a poll to your email list and add a pop-up to your website.

3. Test new color variants

One ecommerce strategy is to launch with a single or small number of color variants and later expand, adding new variants as time goes on. You can test these new variants before making them a permanent addition to your product lineup, and possibly even before investing in manufacturing the actual items.

You might even make it a pre-order, limited edition type of campaign. This can boost sales and help you reduce lost capital on expired or unsellable products while you test demand.

See how effortlessly Coola’s Summer Crush tinted lip sunscreen changes to Nude Beach, Coral Reef, and finally to Firecracker? This would be a great way to test each new hue before investing in a full launch.

4. Repurpose photos for holidays or other themes

Brand colors, fonts, and prints are all distinctive visually recognizable elements of a brand. If you have a pastel palette throughout your website, more saturated RGB hues, or a neon palette, color correction may make your product images more aligned with your branding.

Maybe you have some lifestyle product photography and you want to change the color scheme to fit your email design or your website design. Or maybe it’s the holidays and you want to create a more seasonal background, like we did for the color change in this product image:

5. List new product variants instead of shooting new photos

If a model is wearing your clothing product, you take one photo, and then change the color of the clothing for all other variants. And then present all those color variant options online in a way so your customers can toggle between colors when they see a change in the product but the model remains still.

Amazon merchants often use this technique. See how this long sleeve casual pullover comes in 18 different shades for any taste from mint to wine red.

This marketing approach might help end users quickly evaluate different color options and pick the one they like—without being distracted by changes in different model poses.

6. Launch seasonal or event-inspired versions of your product

Seasonal and limited edition products are a great way to boost sales and excitement, while keeping your brand fresh. Flex Watches is an excellent example of a brand that does this well. It frequently launches new variants of its classic products in support of different causes, such as its autism watch listed among its original styles:

Maybe you sell sunglasses and you want to make a limited edition breast cancer awareness version in pink. Instead of doing a new shoot, you can change the existing product photos to the hue of pink that the product will be.

This also means you don’t have to wait for the limited edition products to ship and be available for the shoot. This way, you can technically launch and sell it before you even have it.

7. Create an image of a product collection

One way to showcase the variety and depth of your product line is to create collection images. However, to do this on set, you need to have all the products in all the colors available for the shoot. This isn’t always possible, or easy.

Color change is almost always possible, so you can apply the edits in Photoshop and then combine your new individual images into a single collection image.

Sustainable apparel brand Pact uses this visual approach for some of its product imagery. The below screenshot shows the hero image on its website homepage, giving users an instant glance at the range of color options available in a single product.

8. Build product bundles and multi-packs

Product bundling and multi-packs are effective conversion tactics because they offer convenience and higher perceived value for the customer. And it’s great for retailers because it moves more inventory and boosts cart value.

Rather than taking product shots of the bundles together, you can use color change edits to duplicate the products and then edit them together if needed.

Athleticwear brand Girlfriend Collective sells bundles on its online store. While theoretically it may have had all the photos it needed in all the colors available, it also could have simply taken a single product shot of the bra and then applied color change to the bundled image.

All you need is a single product shot to use as a base if you want to sell bundles or multi-packs.

9. Save time and money by not having to shoot every variant but just one

Product photos cost money, and shooting each variant quickly adds not only money but time to an already busy photoshoot. Some brands opt to shoot just one product photo of each item, saving variants and color changes for later rather than shooting each individual color option.

It’s not unusual for one piece of clothing to be produced in 10 or even 20 different shades, so the savings achieved by this photo editing shortcut can amount to thousands of dollars and hours in human work hours.

You can see how well a color change service from Path works in the photos below from Motif Concept Store. It’s hard to tell which is the original and which was edited!

Change colors to maximize your investment

These basic manipulations help achieve not-so-basic goals: connect with buyers, cost-effective product development and diversification, and remain competitive in a fast-paced ecommerce environment.

Luckily, you don’t have to do the color change yourself. Instead, task them to a professional photo editing studio like Path. We’re here to lend a hand 24/7, making sure every picture is perfect, down to the last pixel.

The post 9 Ways to Use Color Change to Enhance Your Product Photos appeared first on Path Edits.

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But shadows can be effective at making your product pop and appear more appealing. Let’s step out of the dark and into the light and see a few ways you can use shadow edits to elevate your product images and drive more sales. 

What is a shadow edit?

A shadow edit is when you create, edit, add, remove, or otherwise manipulate shadows or reflections in an image. You can create shadows with the help of editing software like Photoshop and Lightroom. Common shadow effects include drop shadow, floating shadow, and reflection shadow.

Many of our clients send drop shadow edits along with clipping path edits. That’s because the two editing techniques together can take a flat, lifeless image and give it dimension, depth, and visual interest.

You can also use shadow edits to create different creative visual effects, or edit out mistakes.

Types of shadow edits

There are five types of shadow edits, each with its own visual effect and level of editing effort.

1. Drop shadow

A drop shadow is when you create a silhouette of a product very close to its edges. This shadow gives definition to the product by creating a light gray layer of varying opacity, angle, and saturation to one or more of its sides, making an otherwise flat image look more 3D and helping the product stand out from the background. 

2. Floating shadow

A floating shadow is placed below the product as if the ray of light is hitting it on the top, creating a shadow beneath. This adds dimension to the shot by making the product appear as though it’s floating above an imaginary and invisible surface. 

Floating shadows are fun, creative, and playful—they work especially well for marketing product images. See how the floating shadow makes this sneaker appear as though it’s flying:

3. Reflection shadow

A reflection shadow makes it appear as though the product is resting on a reflective surface. This type of shadow edit is often used for cosmetics, electronics, sunglasses, jewelry, perfume, and other luxury and glam shots. 

4. Natural shadow

A natural shadow edit is when you create a realistic shadow for images without any due to on-set lighting limitations or complex, uneven edges. The natural shadow makes it appear as though the object is resting on a non-reflective surface. 

A natural shadow makes items on a white background look more realistic and less artificial and flat—thus more appealing to a potential buyer. Plus, the shadow mimics the actual size and shape of the product, so it looks like a naturally cast shadow—not an effect added after the fact.

To add a natural shadow, we first create a clipping path to isolate the product and then use several Photoshop tools to create, place, and color the shadow to look like a natural one.

5. Existing shadow

An existing shadow edit is when you fine tune or enhance an existing, natural shadow that was created during the shoot by exposing one side of the object to a source of light. 

If the photographer did their job well, you can use the existing shadow in the final shot. It may still require minor tweaking to be featured on a different background, for example, but overall it’s all about keeping it natural. 

Ways to use shadow edits to improve product photos

Here are some ways to use shadow edits in your product photos to make the most of your investment.

Add dimension to your white background photos

Product images on plain white backgrounds can look flat. If you only apply clipping path or image masking, your results will be equally flat. But if you add floating shadow or drop shadow, the products come to life, bringing dimension to the frame and differentiating the product from the background. Suddenly your images don’t look flat anymore and thus your products are more appealing. 

Make jewelry shine

Reflection shadows are common for luxury products, and it works well for jewelry in particular. The reflection adds dimension to the frame, making it appear as though the jewelry is sitting on a reflective surface, and reiterates the details in the jewelry. 

This shadow effect mimics the in-store environment of most jewelry stores—think fluorescent lighting, lots of mirrors, and reflective glass display cases. 

Put your image on a new background

Not all product images have to have white backgrounds. In fact, there are many instances where you’ll want to get creative and use an alternative to white background ecommerce photos. 

But when you remove the original background to replace it with a new one, the output isn’t always seamless. The lighting and composition are likely different for both shots, so it likely requires some small touches and finesse to turn a composited photo into a natural-looking one. 

In this case, you’ll likely retain the original shadow and use an existing shadow edit to make it look natural in its new context. 

Fix distracting shadows or soften the harsh ones

One of the popular reasons to order shadow-making services is to fix the existing shadows. Sometimes you may want to make them less pronounced, as they take too much focus off the object.

In the below example with the red toy car, the shadow is rather complex, harsh and unnecessarily long. Whatever shadow is left in the “after” example only provides some depth and natural look to the product without overpowering it or taking away the focus from it. 

You may also want to fix lighting in post-production by retouching harsh lines coming from direct sources of light used without diffusers. Remember, shadows in your product shots should be much like shadows in real life—unnoticeably in the background, not competing with your product.

Remove shadows of unwanted elements

It happens quite often that some element is gone from the original image due to the reshuffling of objects in composition and whatnot. But the shadow might still be left in. That’s when you need to consider retouching helps too.

For example, this T-shirt has the shadow of the hanger and the rail in the original shot, while the resulting image has had it all removed: the objects as well as their shadows. 

Add unrealistic and creative shadows

This shadow edit is more creative than it is technical—it requires some outside the box thinking. Adding a creative shadow could result in stunning creative for ads or print photos.

Here’s an example from former tennis champion Stakhovskiy who turned into a wine producer. His creative social media shots use references to the championship period of the now-wine-maker quite a bit. This is how it used a shadow to tell a story. 

Outsource your shadow edits to a team of experts

Shadows are subtle but impactful elements to your photos that can take an ordinary product image and turn it into a major sales tool. Shadows bring products to life, add dimension to white background shots, and even lend themselves to creative ideas.

But not everyone has time to create the perfect shadows for every image. And when you can’t manipulate the lighting source on set, it’s difficult to get a consistent look and feel. That’s where drop shadow editing services come into play. You can send all your shadow needs to our virtual photo editing studio, starting at just 25¢ per image.

The post Step Into the Light: 6 Ways to Use Shadow Edits to Get Better Product Photos appeared first on Path Edits.

Just as clipping path services are most popular for routine background enhancements, they can also pull their weight in the most imaginative of missions.

It’s not unusual for marketing plans to include group images, collection shots, or collages—in which case multi-clipping path services come in handy. Though it’s one of the most tedious and manual jobs in photo editing, it allows you to do many things with your product images. 

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Looking to wrap your head around more uses of product clipping? Check out these seven ways to enhance your product images with this technique.

What is product clipping?

Product clipping is used interchangeably with a clipping path. Things may get confusing when different photo editing software products call similar tools differently. You may also have heard about the clipping mask, let’s scrutinize the difference between these terms in further detail later.

A clipping path is a photo editing technique to isolate or cut out objects with generally straight or smooth edges from the background it’s shot against. You can create a clipping path with the Photoshop Pen Tool to single out an object from the rest of the image. You can then edit this object independently from the background as well as put it on different backgrounds depending on how you plan to use the image. Or, if the path is reversed, you can isolate and edit the background instead of an object.

Usually, this method is applied to relatively straight-edged objects, like furniture, bags, shoes, electronics, and cosmetics.

You can also use automated tools and artificial intelligence (AI) to create product clipping paths and remove backgrounds. But this often leads to imperfections which are especially noticeable when shoppers zoom in on product images. To ensure the image looks realistic, it’s best to do your clipping paths by hand and keep the line as close to the borders as possible, zooming in on the object.

When it comes to separating objects with more complex outlines or borders, the image masking method is the best choice. You can learn more about the intricacies of clipping path vs. image masking, but here are some of the characteristic features of the masking for your quick understanding:

• Image masking used on the more ragged edges, like fur, hair, and fine-detailed jewelry.
• Masking requires more advanced skills, is more labor-intensive, and also costs more to outsource.
• You maintain all of the original images when image masking, so we can adjust how much of the original image is visible in the final version.

7 ways to use product clipping to sell more online

From swapping out backgrounds to repurposing your images for other uses, check out these seven ways to use clipping path edits for product photos.

1. Put your product on a white background for marketplace selling 

Selling on third-party marketplaces is a great multi-channel strategy. Amazon alone will be responsible for nearly $2 out of $5 spent online in the US in 2022.

When it comes to your online store, you can play with design—from funky fonts to attention-grabbing color combinations. However, this won’t fly with third-party marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, and eBay. These channels limit brands’ creativity with rather restrictive standards—white background being one of them.

In the example below, this bright yellow camera gets a white background with the help of the clipping path method. The object’s edges are fairly even and straight with just a few minor bumps, so the clipping technique is a great fit.

Luckily, it’s relatively easy to learn how to put a product on a white background on any budget. You don’t even have to do the clipping paths yourself!

2. Prep images for your ecommerce site

Unlike marketplace selling, you have more creativity when it comes to your branded ecommerce site. This allows you to customize images to be consistent with your brand aesthetic, including colored backgrounds and text overlays.

You can follow Amazon’s guidelines or go for an off-white or pastel backdrop so as not to steal the focus from your item. Sustainable clothing brand Kotn uses a uniform light gray background look for a beautiful, clean aesthetic on its website.

As long as you stick to your brand standards—like using the same HEX color, placing objects at the same angles with identical lighting setup, or using the same filters and frames—you’ll have a consistent and professional look across your channels.

The best thing is you can reuse one product image edited with a clipping path, change background colors in Photoshop, and create a new feel this way.

3. Isolate products for further photo editing manipulations

Product editing is often a multistage process, involving a series of actions. Clipping path can often serve as the initial prep stage for succeeding photo edits.

To create a ghost mannequin effect, a garment is shot on a physical mannequin or even person while its inside part is captured separately. The photos are then combined into a single image in post-production.

In the example below, we removed the model from a black jacket only to showcase the inside print of a bikers’-beloved skull. The first step required clipping paths to isolate the subject from both the background and the model.

In the before/after image below a dress undergoes a series of post-production edits—including photo retouching to remove creases in the fabric—after the ghost mannequin manipulations have been completed.

Color change is another step that retouchers may play with to liven up an image after the technical clipping path manipulations have separated the object. The following example exhibits how a monochrome sneaker can be styled to be more playful with mix-and-match colors and shoelaces. This type of image is also excellent for marketing via email or social media. The first step involved isolating the product from its background via clipping paths.

4. Remove unwanted elements

Product photography calls for quite a bit of imagination. Maybe you want to make an object float in the air, fix it at an angle that defies physics, or use a model to display it. While there are many tricks you can do to set up the frame on shoot day, you can also rely on clipping paths to remove any props or elements you don’t want in the final shot.

Even though experienced photographers will avoid capturing unwanted things in the frame, it’s not always possible. We often remove hangers, price tags, and copyrighted labels from product photos, for example.

5. Turn photos into videos or animated GIFs for social media placement

Social media images are a separate breed of commercial photography. Here, images may be more boisterous, daring, and attention-grabbing.

Videos and GIFs work great on social media channels. In fact, video posts receive more engagement than any other content type on social media.

Why not cut out your product with a clipping path and then make a TikTok or Reel video with fast-changing bright backgrounds?

Image source

6. Create product collection photos

You can’t always plan, things slip your mind, and sometimes group images or series shots get overlooked.

Not a big deal. Use clipping service to cut out a few combinable objects and place them together for a stunning effect, like in this example by Igloo Coolers.

You might also create product bundles, in which case clipping out individual products and then placing them together in a single image also works well. And it’s a lot more efficient than reshooting all the items together.

7. Repurpose your photos for marketing

Creating a library of cut-out products using the clipping path method is a great idea for when you need to repurpose product photos for marketing collateral. This helps extend your product photography investment.

You may want to further combine your cutout object with other items or decorative elements, throw it into an infographic, or even create a collage for Facebook ads.

This Ministry of Supply example uses a wreath of green leaves behind a couple of models for a visual with immediate impact in a marketing email. The background depicts comfort, relaxation, and connection to nature. Realistically, the brand can put this image on a variety of backgrounds for different seasonal or contextual uses.

Outsource your product clipping paths to a virtual photo editing studio

The prime mission of the clipping path may be simple but it’s also rather technical—making sure the object is standalone, background-less, and still realistic. And you need to get every single pixel just right so as not to create a weirdly Photoshopped image, especially if someone zooms in for a closer look.

When you choose a clipping path service, ensure the service vendor has enough experience and creativity to use the entire arsenal of potential applications of this method—including the seven creative ones we listed.

The post 7 Ways to Use Product Clipping Paths to Enhance Ecommerce Product Photos appeared first on Path Edits.

Intrigued? Let’s explore what flat lay photography is, what it’s best suited for, how to take your own striking flat lay photos, and how to edit flat lay product images:

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What is flat lay product photography?

Flat lay photography is when products are arranged laying flat on a surface while the photo is shot from overhead. Also called knolling photography or tabletop photography, it has artistic roots. It’s an evolution of a specific type of geometric arrangement practice called knolling.

Modern creators and photographers mainly use flat lay images to highlight their products or for brand promotion. Typically flat lays are tidy, nice to look at, and yet carry some emotion. They’re also relatively easy to DIY. 

For many people, white backgrounds and muted colors might be the first thing that comes to mind when imagining a flat lay, but flat lay product photography can be so much more creative. Think pops of color, playful arrangements, and well-planned shadows.

Let’s take a look at how flat lays are commonly used and how to take your own.

Popular ways to use flat lay photography

Flat lay product photos work well for your website, blog posts, social media (especially Instagram), and email newsletters. Flat lay images tend to have a lot of character, making them a good choice for brand awareness and connecting with consumers.

While you could create a flat lay with almost any item, here are a few types of products that work really well in flat lay images:

Clothing

Flat lay images are a great option for showcasing clothing texture, patterns, and color options. You can even do flat lay photos with full outfits—complete with accessories. (These make popular social images.)

Everlane uses flat lays frequently, both on its website and for social posts. Everlane’s “About” page is a great example of how to use flat lay product photography to highlight material quality—in this case, cashmere. 

The company has also used flat lay images to give its audience a little taste of the colors it has. This social post, for example, announces new color options for one of the brand’s shoes. It’s simple and tasteful, just like the brand itself.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by EVERLANE (@everlane)

Sock brand Bombas also uses flat lay photos for many of the images on its site. The company’s main product images (for navigation from the home page) are all flat lays. Customers are able to view the array of colors, patterns, and textures immediately.

And Bombas uses flat lays for its social media, like this fun GIF below. It’s a joyful way to show off clothing created in collaboration with an artist who excels with color.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Monica + Andy (@monicaandandy)

Accessories

Flat lay is a style often used for accessories, including jewelry, glasses, and shoe photography. These are typically items people use to express themselves, and the brands selling them can use flat lay to appeal to that creative expression.

Classic example Warby Parker frequently uses flat lay product photography. The brand’s homepage, for instance, features an attractive flat lay to promote contact sales. 

And this social post uses a series of lovely, monochromatic, and character-filled images to showcase a few of the metal glasses frames the company offers. These images are proof that even simple flat lay photography is full of personality.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Warby Parker (@warbyparker)

Kimai, a luxury, sustainable jewelry brand also uses flat lays in interesting ways. Many of the images the Kimai uses for its educational blog posts are flat lays—a great way to show off different stones and tools of the trade.

Makeup, skincare, and beauty

There are so many beauty brands taking advantage of flat lay images. Skincare brand Drunk Elephant has a fun, bright brand identity and uses creative flat lays throughout its website. 

Blendily also mixes flat lay product photos into its website images. Some images don’t feature the products at all, instead focusing on highlighting the organic, natural ingredients—a main differentiator for the skincare brand. 

For another fun flat lay GIF example, take a look at this Olive & June social post. The image and colors are so on-brand, and it’s generally a fun way to promote a spring product

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Olive & June (@oliveandjune)

Food and drinks

Food and drink products lend themselves to fun flat lay images. You can mimic a tablescape or experiment with other creative approaches.

Hungry Harry’s, for example, uses a large flat lay image as the hero on its website to showcase the variety of baked goods consumers can make with their prepackaged mixes. 

Tools and other gear

Flat lay product photography even works for tools and gear—items which can be difficult to photograph in a visually appealing way. However, flat lay allows brands in this vertical to showcase the range of their products and create engaging visuals. 

Milwaukee Tool took its flat lay to the max. Instead of an indoor or studio backdrop, the brand uses a driveway to show off its selection of tools.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Milwaukee Tool (@milwaukeetool)

Helpful equipment for shooting flat lay photos

Before you get started, make sure you have (at minimum) these items:

• High-quality camera or smartphone
• Tripod and arm attachment
• Lighting and bounce board
• Backdrop

How to take good flat lay product photos

Taking a quality flat lay photo isn’t tricky, but it does take planning and requires creativity. Here are a few key things to know about shooting flat lay product images:

Select the right surface

The only real requirement for a flat lay surface is that it’s flat.

One of the simplest options is a plain-colored (usually white) piece of heavy poster board. (You can get them online or at your local craft store for $5 or cheaper.) A white background is less likely to distract from the products and works well with almost any theme—making the process more flexible for product photography and easier for newer photographers to manage.

But you’re certainly not limited to a white background for flat lay images. Want to try an alternative to a white background? You can also use:

• Dark poster board or a dark sheet
• A wood floor or table
• Countertops
• A well-manicured lawn 

Or, if you know you’ll be shooting a lot of flat lays, you could buy a pre-cut background specifically made for flat lay photography, such as a vinyl butcher block sheet, a pink marble flat lay background.

While some products, such as jewelry, are traditionally photographed on more neutral backgrounds, that doesn’t mean it’s a must. If it fits your brand, don’t be afraid to try colorful backdrops, parking lots, or even a quilt. The options are endless.

Find the best lighting

Many flat lay images use bright, soft light—meaning there won’t be harsh shadows or dark areas. You can use natural or artificial light to achieve this.

• Window light is one of the best ways to get soft lighting naturally. You can also shoot outside in the shade or wait for an overcast day.
• Avoid direct rays of sunshine. It creates hard shadows and too much contrast.
• LED or ring lights give you consistent lighting if you don’t have the natural light you need. You can find ring lights starting at around $20. Kits could cost $100 to $200. LED lighting tends to be a bit more expensive (low-average price is around $90).
• Surround your flat lay set up with white boards to bounce reflected light back. This will help you achieve a bright look without shadows. If you like and want shadows in your flat lay, try shooting in the afternoon when the sunlight is typically harsher.

Adding drop shadows to flat lay photos gives the image a bit of depth and helps the product stand out. Shooting shadows can be tricky, so you may want to add shadows in post-processing. Path’s shadow editing services start at 25¢ per image.

Choose your focus item

A good flat lay image tells a story, so you’ll have to have a strong main character—aka your focus or hero item.

If you’re shooting a product-specific flat lay, obviously that’s the item that should pull the most attention. The product you’re focusing on should be the largest or take up the most real estate in the shot.

Everything else should be styled to enhance and support your focus item. For more guidance (and great visuals), here’s a step-by-step video for styling flat lay images:

Select supporting props

Props such as loose material, packaging, and open or smudged product (think makeup) are all great props for flat lay images. 

As you’re selecting supporting props, consider:

• Size: Don’t use props that are going to overpower your focus item.
• Color: Most flat lays stick to a theme. For example, if your hero product is a neutral color, you wouldn’t want to use loud, colorful props.
• Relevance: Do the props make sense for the image theme? Will it tell a story? And do all these supporting items make sense for the brand?

Arrange with thought (but not too many rules)

Flat lay images are fun because there’s so much room for creativity. When you’re styling your flat lay, you want to keep the theme, brand ethos, and basic rules of photo composition in mind.

• Prep your space. Set up everything you can in advance and have a variety of possible props handy.
• Keep the end goal in mind. A flat lay for a website image, a flat lay GIF, and a square flat lay for a social post will all require different arrangements.
• Start by placing your focus item.
• Add your props and other accessories. Try layering props, let half hang out of the photo’s frame, play with texture, and explore different layouts.
• Let white space do some work. Overcrowding won’t do the products any favors.

Some products or brands might be a better fit for a linear arrangement, while others are better reflected with more organic styling. You can always take test shots and rearrange them. It may take a couple of tries before you get the shot you love.

Tips for editing flat lay product images

Once you’ve finished your flat lay shoot, there will probably be a few edits you’ll want to make. These are the most common post-processing changes for flat lay photos:

Crop where needed

Sure a flat lay is usually a basic square or rectangle, but that doesn’t mean some strategic cropping won’t help. You might want to crop if:

• You have a good image that includes a bit beyond your background.
• You’ve included something you don’t think is necessary anymore.
• You want a certain item to cut off.
• The image is intended for a channel (e.g., Amazon) that has specific image size requirements.

In Photoshop, use the crop tool to drag crop boundaries manually or enter a size for the crop box.

Tip: You can set your own preset values for later use.

Play with exposure

Want your flat lay image a bit brighter? Think a darker, moodier mood would work better? Try adjusting the exposure. To adjust the exposure, add a new adjustment layer in Photoshop. Then you can play around with the brightness and contrast.

Adjust white balance

Most light sources produce a color cast. Our eyes can correct this for us, but a camera captures the subject as it is: sometimes, for example, the light cast is blue or too yellow. White balance adjustments remove those unwanted color casts in photos to create a neutral image.

If your white balance is off, your products will look slightly off—especially if you’re shooting your flat lay with a white background. What if your focus item is foundation, for example? A skewed white balance will distort the actual color of the product, making the brand look bad and making it difficult for consumers to select the best color for their skin tone.

The correct white balance makes product photography pop, and it also more accurately represents the products.

Sharpen the image

A blurry image doesn’t make a great impression, especially if that photo is a flat lay. Typically, flat lay images are vibrant, crisp photos. For that, you need to remove excess noise from the image. Sharpening your image will give softer edges a bit more clarity.

Avoid over-sharpening images. You’ll end up with halos around the edges of objects—a bad look.

Retouch and remove imperfections

Now’s the time to make any final edits to the image. Is it straight? Do you need to remove unwanted elements in the photo to clean it up?

If you’re more passionate about photography than editing, why not off-load that work to the pros at Path? We can fix spots, blemishes, remove reflections, and more. Explore all of our photo retouching options—all affordably priced and with timely turnaround.

Add text, graphics, or logo

Text or a logo isn’t always appropriate, but for some website images, social posts, or advertisement images, these additions can be useful.

Add shadows

Many flat lay product photos use shadows and lighting to create a visual effect. While it’s best to capture these at the shoot, this doesn’t always happen. Maybe the lighting was a bit off or you decided later that shadows would look good.

Either way, shadows can also be created post-processing. Drop shadows, for example, are popular additions for product images. They help add some realism to your photo, bringing your image to life.

If adding shadows isn’t in your photo editing skill set or if you just don’t have time, Path experts can add realistic drop shadows to your flat lay product photography.

Mastering flat lay product photography

A bird’s eye view might be just the angle you’ve been looking for to highlight your products. And the best part is, you can create a lovely photo even if you’ve never taken a flat lay image.

Your main task is to keep the product and the brand’s story top of mind. That narrative will help when you’re brainstorming and playing around with arrangements.

And, above all, have fun with it! Flat lay product photography is a great creative endeavor and a fun way to present products.

The post How to Shoot and Edit Flat Lay Product Photography Like a Pro appeared first on Path Edits.

Having the resources and capability required to execute is a challenge for most. As many as 86% of businesses agree it’s one of their biggest challenges.

30,000 sales and marketing pros get our insights, tips, and best practices delivered weekly.

Fortunately, for even the most resource-strapped businesses, user-generated content can be an effective way to get the content you need to execute your plans—and with minimal cost.

In this article, we’ll look at what user-generated content is and how to use it in your marketing and product pages.

What is user-generated content?

User-generated content, or UGC, is written and/or visual media created by users, customers, or fans. UGC can be a social media post, a YouTube video, or even a product review. Sometimes people share UGC organically, and other times brands proactively encourage or even incentivize customers to create UGC.

Handmade vintage brand Peppy Debs promotes its brand on various social media marketing platforms, including Instagram. On its Instagram page, it has a highlight section called “Customers” which curates all the UGC posts featuring Peppy Debs customers in its products.   

You might also find UGC videos. Here’s how hydration brand LMNT used a video created by one of its customers on its Instagram channel:

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Although UGC is often lower quality than professionally created and edited media, it’s still incredibly impactful as a marketing tool. According to TINT’s State of UGC 2022 report, nearly two-thirds of shoppers find customer reviews more credible than hearing from the brands themselves.

TINT also found 62% of consumers are more likely to click on content like ads, websites, social posts, or emails that feature customer photos rather than an image created by the brand. 

Put simply, customers sharing their experiences online is a great way to build trust and further establish your brand with new customers.

Beyond directly impacting sales, UGC is also a valuable addition to your marketing efforts, helping you save time and resources. According to one survey, as many as 37% of brands don’t have enough funding for content creation or don’t have enough time to properly create content.

UGC can reduce the amount of content you need to generate internally so you don’t have to tap into all those resources. Plus, it can serve as inspiration for future marketing campaigns.

Just remember to get the appropriate permissions for use (more on that later).

Where to get user-generated content

One of the main benefits of using user-generated content in your marketing efforts is there is no shortage of places to both find and use quality-content created by your users.

Customer reviews

Customer reviews and testimonials are powerful. More than three-quarters of people “regularly” or “always” read reviews before making a purchase. And you don’t have to wait for potential customers to find these reviews on their own. You can actually take customer reviews and repurpose them as UGC for other channels and purposes.

We do this on social media, for example. We choose some of the top customer reviews from our Trustpilot page and create images with fun design and branding to post on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Here’s an example of one:  

You can do the same for your product-based business—much like the Peppy Debs example we talked about above.

Whether you get an email from one of your customers raving about their purchase or see a review they’ve left on Google, the more reviews you can showcase on your homepage and product pages the better.

Rowan For Dogs delivers cuteness overload on their product pages using UGC.

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Influencer collaborations  

Cassie Pauley, social media and PR manager at Evelyn & Bobbie, frequently works with influencers to create UGC for the brand.

For new product launches, she coordinates with their targeted influencers to send them products to test before they’re available to the larger market. “We send out products with printed collateral urging them to post, tag, and share on social media,” says Pauley. “We generally repost it on all of our social media channels.” 

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Pauley credits their successful influencer collaborations to the exclusivity of early access to the product. “Customers are going to be more likely to share if they’re excited, love it and want to be an early adopter,” she says. Using user-generated content for ads and global reach.

This is the approach the marketing team at Würkin Stiffs takes. “Reaching out to followers with a decent-sized social media following and who are already posting good content has been the most successful,” says Dylan Self, ecommerce marketing manager for the brand. “They’re already familiar with the brand and are appreciative of being noticed.”

His advice? “Get out there in the social media scene and really tap into your customer base and network,’ he says. “Send honest DMs and emails, over-deliver on products, and have fun.” 

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Social media

For starters, you can check all the places you’ve been tagged or mentioned on social media. For some brands, Twitter might be the go-to social network, for others it might be Instagram. Block off some time on your calendar to do a “social media” audit, and take note of how your users are engaging with or talking about your product.

If you want to go a little more advanced, you can set up saved searches around your brand name or targeted keywords in a tool like TweetDeck or Radarr which is a little more platform agnostic. If you’re just starting to grow your brand, you can focus on keywords that are related to your industry as a starting point.

For example, here’s how Lush Cosmetics utilized several pieces of UGC from their most devoted fans which they used for multiple social ad campaigns. If you have the budget, amplify your social media based UGC and turn them into powerful campaigns for your brand. 

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Solicit submissions

Another great example of a brand using UGC well is Grilla Grills. The brand encourages customers to submit recipes to use with their smokers and grills. It wants the community to be more involved in recipe development for the brand, so it designed an entire page specifically for recipe submissions. 

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Grilla Grills doesn’t just ask for submissions, they go out of their way to highlight your recipe across their website and social media if chosen. This is a fantastic way to build community while also generating UGC. 

At the end of the day, whether you’re a brand just getting started or already have a thriving community, engaging with your community and connecting with influencers will get you far.

Where to use UGC

Before we get into how to take advantage of UGC for your brand, you’ll want to think about where and how you can use it. We’re big fans of repurposing content to maximize your investment. You can use user-generated content in multiple places, saving you both time and resources.

Social media

UGC is also incredibly useful for content across your social media channels. Of course, with the emergence of stories on platforms such as Instagram, you can also upload your UGC content to be viewed in real time as opposed to only your timeline.

If you have a global audience for example, you can post on your home feed in the morning, and repost the content on your stories later in the day.

Parachute has encouraged their community to share their photos with the hashtag #myparachutehome, where they can then source incredible UGC from. 

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Social ads

UGC can be great to use in your ad campaigns as well. For example, instead of using the standard stock photos for your ads, you can highlight the diversity and relatability of your customer base and appeal to a wider range of audiences.

Ritual, a healthcare and vitamin company designed for women, collected dozens of comments from their pages showcasing the demand for a probiotic. Real comments, from real women, show the massive desire for a quality probiotic. You can run similar campaigns using testimonials as well. Get creative! 

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Publish on your website

In addition to using UGC for customer reviews and social media, high-quality UGC can really make your homepage pop.

There are a few ways you can use UGC on your website. The simpler, more straightforward way—and the one that doesn’t require permissions—is by featuring a social feed on your website. This could be on a section of your site or on a separate page dedicated entirely to this purpose (this works especially well if you have a specific campaign).

This is the approach Fenty Beauty takes: 

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Fenty Beauty aggregates photos from thousands of their users who have used the hashtag #fentybeauty to share their experience.

Use UGC in email marketing

With email marketing continuing to be one of most powerful channels for marketing, increasing loyalty, and driving sales, you can supercharge your efforts by including UGC in your campaigns.

From highlighting your best video testimonials, to including authentic written reviews, email gives you another avenue to share your customer’s stories.

Here’s an excellent example by United by Blue which it used in its emails. 

Not only does it highlight the socks, it also shares several reviews at the same time, adding a more personal touch. In addition, the image can easily be reposted on social media platforms like Instagram.

Consider using user-generated content in your welcome email series or post-purchase emails to show shoppers they made the right choice. You can even link the image to a product page to help further drive sales.

Promote the images on Google Shopping

Given Google is one of the largest drivers of traffic and awareness online, optimizing UGC for Google Shopping can really go a long way.

It’s not as widely used as the tactics listed above, but one good example is the swimwear brand Cupshe. 

The more UGC content you have on your site and elsewhere, the better chances it will rank on the front page of a search for your brand. The benefit here is that user-generated content can appear more personal, and stand out from the standard product photos. Using a tool like PowerReviews can help you optimize your user-generated content and increase the chances of those specific images ranking highly.

At the end of the day, you want high-quality product images that will give a great first impression of your brand.

Use the images on product pages

While it’s common to showcase UGC on social media, many businesses forget about the product page. The product page stage is the closest you can get to a conversion, without actually making a sale. As such, using user-generated content to complement your professionally shot and edited product images is a powerful way to make a strong impression.

Here skincare brand Versed uses a mixture of professional shot photos and UGC on their product pages to further highlight their brand’s quality skincare products. 

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Not only can you use user-generated images, but you can also incorporate testimonials as well.

Getting permission for UGC

Although virtually any brand can benefit from UGC, it’s critical you always get permission to avoid potential social backlash from using content without permission. The last thing anyone wants is for someone to be unhappy with a photo or video being shared without their explicit consent.

Generally speaking, content posted on public social media platforms is fair game, but you can always go the extra mile and ask directly just in case. Many customers are thrilled to be highlighted on your website or social media but you can never be too safe.

If you’re using user-generated content in ads, you’ll definitely want to get explicit permission to cover your bases. You can send out a DM or email as follows:

If you use UGC content for your ads or on social media, it’s critical to always disclose if an influencer was compensated for their endorsement. Generally speaking, UGC in which no payment was involved doesn’t need any disclosure.

For example, in Parachute’s case, you’ll notice they commented on the user’s Instagram account asking for permission to use the photo. In the Parachute Home example from earlier, here’s how they reached out to a customer on Instagram to get permission. 

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Parachute Home even goes further in implementing UGC best practices by stating how they collect and use UGC. 

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More often than not, being overly communicative will do the trick. If for whatever reason they do not want you using their content, be sure to respect their wishes.

That said, sometimes simply retweeting or reposting the content is the best route to take. Given the content is public, you generally don’t need direct permission and that can help speed the content process along while ensuring you’re respecting your community.

How to edit and repurpose UGC images

We’re all about maximizing your marketing and branding efforts, which means getting the most out of every piece of UGC you have. Editing and repurposing your photos is essential for getting the most bang for your buck.

Here are a few ways to take your UGC to the next level.

Put the image on a white background

Let’s say for example, someone shares an amazing photo of them drinking your sparkling water beverage on social media. The photo displays the drink clearly, but the background is a little blurry. What can you do?

You can remove the background entirely using the help of a professional, and put the product on a white background. This gives you flexibility to reuse the image on a variety of platforms and helps ensure that your brand quality continues to shine through. 

While hiring a professional is often the easiest route to go, here’s the most cost effective way to put a product on a white background. Additionally, we put together a detailed guide on how to change the background color of an image.

With a white background you can easily add more products to the image or even written testimonials to make the image all that much better.

Do a color change

A color change is a powerful editing technique that helps you showcase multiple colors of the same product. This can be especially helpful in industries such as apparel. If you have a favorite piece of UGC you can use a color change editing service to stretch a single photo into a half dozen variations you’ll love. 

For example, you can take one piece of UGC and change the color of the product to highlight different color options. If you’re short on time, we offer 6- and 12 hour-turnaround times, perfect for those last minute emergencies.

Photoshop it into a different context

You can also use background removal to add a different environment or background, again making your UGC go further. For example, if you’re selling shoes, wearing them during the evening is going to look and feel different than wearing them during the day.

By experimenting with different backgrounds and contexts, you can see what resonates most with your community and customers.

Here’s how Monsoon uses different contexts to showcase their clothing in different contexts. 

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Retouch to fix imperfections

Even just a little professional photo editing can take your user-generated content to the next level. Maybe there was a smudge on the camera, or a little too much light or you need to remove something from the frame. Minor edits like these are definitely encouraged.

Look at this example below. The woman is wearing a dress from Motif Concept Store, but her bathing suit underneath is a bit distracting. So our designers retouched the photo to remove the bikini top. Now the photo features the dress without any distractions. 

That said, you want to ensure you’re not overly editing the photo to the point where the photo looks nothing like the original. Remember, this is user-generated content we’re talking about! Editing to improve the “attractiveness” of an image is a big-no-no. Not only will that dehumanize your UGC, it can put you at risk of offending some of your most loyal fans.

If you’re considering running a contest or asking for UGC from your community, consider explaining the things to avoid when taking photos.

You’ll also want to use this time to enhance your product in the photo. Ultimately a good looking product photo is what you’re after, so don’t be afraid to spend a little extra time touching up your products.

Add your branding or logo

Last but not least, consider adding your logo or distinct branding to all approved user-generated content. This can be especially powerful for images you plan on using for social media, as it further extends your brand awareness at next to no cost. 

Using a tool like GetStencil or Canva, you can quickly add your logo to your image. From a design perspective, we encourage keeping the branding in the same spot on every image, as moving the logo around can cause some confusion.

If you’re using the image in your emails, experiment with a call-to-action (CTA) button below. You can also hyperlink the image and test whether or not that improves conversions.

User-generated content, a marketer’s secret advantage

Creating content is hard. Fortunately, UGC is one of the most effective ways to improve your content and drive more sales.

If you’re not using UGC in your marketing strategy you’re missing out. If you need a hand getting your user-generated content where it needs to be, we can help with all your editing needs. In under six hours we can edit your UGC content while you focus on the more pressing issues of growing your brand.

Discover your virtual photo editing studio, starting at just 39¢ per image

The post How to Get the Most from User-Generated Content (+ UGC Examples) appeared first on Path Edits.

One important factor for your jewelry photos is the background. Using the right background for your jewelry photos will help your products shine and convince people to make a purchase.

30,000 sales and marketing pros get our insights, tips, and best practices delivered weekly.

In this article, we’re going to share a few interesting ideas for the backgrounds of your jewelry product photos. In some cases we’ll use props, and in others, we’ll let the product take center stage. Check it out:

Importance of a good background

Product photography backgrounds set the stage and overall mood for your image. You can see how different a plain background jewelry shot looks compared to one shot against a contextual backdrop in these examples, the first featuring plain backgrounds from Amarilo:

And the next showcasing SASAI’s contextual backgrounds:

Both sets of images are beautiful and effective, but they each present the jewelry differently and thus have different uses.

Backgrounds establish context

Your photograph background tells the story of the product, providing context for how it looks and how it’s used. When your main subject interacts with the background, it gives your photo more narrative and hence improves the photo. To achieve this, you need to focus on the focal length and framing of your photo.

You can play around with different backdrops and props to create a story around your product. A well-planned background will also appeal to your viewers’ emotions and make the jewelry more interesting.

Products stand out

Using the right background can maximize product visibility. A proper background helps your product stand out, creating a more impactful online shopping experience. This also draws the user’s eye and makes them more likely to click when browsing several products. It’s important to use the background in such a way that your product becomes the focal point—you don’t want to distract from the product by using a busy background.

8 best backgrounds for jewelry product photography

Now, let’s look at a few background ideas for your jewelry photography.

Mannequin bust

A mannequin bust is essentially a miniature mannequin meant to hold necklaces. A mannequin bust is a popular prop for jewelry photography, especially when it comes to displaying and photographing necklaces.

Mannequin busts are flexible because there are a variety of options to choose from, including shape, size, color, material, and more. And because they’re so popular and versatile, you can find budget-friendly options out there.

Plus, mannequin busts are easy to work with and provide a dimension to your image and product. Rather than laying a necklace flat in an unappealing way, you can show off what it looks like when someone is actually wearing it—without having to hire and coordinate with a model. This adds a sense of scale as well, so online shoppers can get a better feel for how big your jewelry is.

Let us look after your ghost mannequins, starting at just 99¢ per image

Mannequins aren’t just for necklaces, either. You can also purchase various props and stands for bracelets, rings, earrings, and other accessories. However, these props don’t always photograph as well as a mannequin bust. It all comes down to your unique styling and shot.

Plain white backgrounds

A plain white backdrop is one of the most preferred options for a jewelry background—and it’s certainly the safest. This is because it highlights the product exceptionally well, and it’s also the norm for ecommerce photography—especially given the product photography requirements for marketplaces like Amazon and Facebook.

All you need is a white sheet of paper or a foam board. Plain white backgrounds create consistency, so users don’t have to familiarize themselves with the format of the photo—instead, they can focus directly on the photographed product. Plus, white backgrounds allow for bright lighting that showcases the tiny details found in many jewelry items.

When editing your jewelry product photos, white backgrounds also make it easier to get the perfect contrast, crop, and lighting. White backgrounds are universal and can work with jewelry products of all colors, metals, stones, and cuts. Product photos with white backgrounds are also easier to edit and repurpose for other uses, allowing you to maximize your investment.

Get completely natural color changes, done by pro designers for 99¢ per image 

Handmade jewelry brand Hunterhue uses a mostly white, slightly light gray background for its product photos. The consistency creates a clean look on the site and allows the intricate details of the earrings to take center stage.

Black backgrounds

A black background creates a dramatic look and feel. It’s ideal for colorful gemstones, white and silver jewelry, and luxury products in particular. The black takes away some of the lighting but it creates a dramatic contrast you can play with in Photoshop and post-processing.

When executed properly, black backgrounds make your jewelry look elegant, sophisticated, bright, and colorful. It’s also a great background for advertising, especially in print, as it can help your photos stand out against the competition.

Nicole Hanna Jewelry uses precious metals and beautiful stones in its products. As such, it uses a dramatic black background to help the natural materials stand out.

People and context

Hiring real people to model your jewelry can be a little more costly than other options on this list. However, the results can be worth the effort and money. Using a model in your jewelry product photo backgrounds allows you to show buyers how the product would look on an actual person. This will give buyers a better idea about the actual size and appearance of the jewelry when it’s being worn.

It’s one thing to show a ring on a white background, but when you show it on an actual finger, people can imagine themselves wearing it as well. Plus, they can see how different skin tones complement the jewelry.

Online jewelry brand The Clear Cut uses a variety of backgrounds for its product photos—one of those being real, live models. The brand also uses product videos to bring the jewelry to life for online shoppers.

Gradient backgrounds with dimension

Gradient backgrounds are perfect for highlighting jewelry details because it gives the image depth while keeping the focus on the product itself.

When using gradient backgrounds, make sure you put the product on the lightest part of the background to bring more attention to it. Putting it elsewhere may cause the product to get lost in the background of standing out in the forefront.

Shiny bokeh

Bokeh is a photography technique where you keep a part of the image intentionally out of the focus to highlight an object. Using a very subtle bokeh background in a jewelry photoshoot can look very attractive when done well. That’s because it keeps the focus on the product and highlights its design.

Bokeh is perfect for tiny jewelry without precious stones. Bokeh can also create a festive holiday look.

Textured backdrops

Textured backgrounds give dimension and depth to your product photos while maintaining the focus on the fine details of your jewelry products. Handmade jewelry in particular works well on a textured background, giving it an earthy, homemade feel. But texture can have lots of different effects, depending on how you use it.

You can use materials like marble, concrete, stone, wood, fabrics, metal, cork, and even paper for your textured backgrounds. The possibilities are really endless and this allows you to get creative. You might even find inspiration in your natural environment, such as leaves, grass, or sand. You can also go the DIY route and make your own textured backdrop.

Jewelry brand Welleree sells its items online using a variety of backgrounds on this list. In the example below, the brand photographs the necklace against a textured background, seemingly made of fabric.

Showcased product packaging

Product packaging can make a great photography background in its own right. And in some cases, this can actually make your products look more appealing—especially if you have unique or luxury packaging.

Super Smalls showcases its jewelry products in opened boxes as the main featured product image. The background creates a uniform look and feel, as well as reinforces the brand’s distinctive visual identity. This also sets customer expectations as to how the product will arrive.

Make your jewelry product photos shine

When it comes to choosing the background for your jewelry product photography, there are many ways you can go. While there is no single best background, each of these ideas has a time and place. You might use one background for social media photos, while a different background is featured on the homepage of your website.

You can also use a combination of the ideas listed above. For example, feature models against white backgrounds. Or use a mannequin bust with a black background and bokeh as seen in this example:

Regardless of the backgrounds you choose, you can always swap it out later—or hire a trusted team of editors to handle it for you.

Save a ton of time with pro background removal from 39¢ per image 

The post Best Backgrounds for Jewelry Product Photography: 8 Creative Ideas appeared first on Path Edits.

In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about 360-degree product photography and what it takes to get it right.

30,000 sales and marketing pros get our insights, tips, and best practices delivered weekly.

What is 360-degree photography?

360-degree photography is a method of photography that captures the entire surroundings of an object in full-circle form. Generally, this is done by placing the desired object on a rotating turntable and capturing multiple photos from a variety of angles. The images are then pieced together in post-processing to create a sphere view of the object.

360-degree product photos, in particular, allow consumers to see the image in significantly more detail and get a better feel for the product.

While 360-degree photos and augmented reality (AR) are often used interchangeably, it’s important to note the difference.

Although there’s overlap between the two, AR is significantly more involved from a production perspective, whereas 360-degree photos can be done on virtually any budget. AR is the intersection of the real world and interactive modifications such as sound, visuals, and computer generated elements, while 360-degree photography involves standard photos with a 360-degree view.

Let’s look at some of the benefits of using 360-degree photos for your product photography.

Benefits of 360-degree product photography

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Drive more conversions

As you might imagine, a 3D image of a product can offer much more context than a traditional 2D photo. From shoes to dresses and even hardware, a full 360-degree view allows consumers to see exactly how the item may look and feel in real life—from every angle.

Presenting your products in an effective way online is becoming increasingly important, especially with more and more folks shopping in different ways.

As BigCommerce shared in their COVID Ecommerce Trends report, 67% of consumers report they shop differently after COVID-19—many of whom shop online more.

“Retailers stepped up to the challenge … by embracing emerging technologies that created connections with shoppers or made their customer experience more convenient.”

The images and product photos you use on your site play an instrumental role in putting your best foot forward. Testing new technologies and working to optimize your brand assets goes a long way in driving sales and building trust.

Boost website engagement

There’s only so much you can do with a 2D image. With 360-degree images and animated GIFs, your customers and audience can really get to know the product. Because your 360-degree photos are interactive chances are high your potential buyers will spend more time on your website, giving you more opportunity to share why you’re a good fit. 

Speaking to Cappasity on the benefits of 3D images, Aurelia Ammour Co-Founder and CEO of Shoes 53045 shared why she believes 360-degree photography dramatically improves the customer experience and can increase sales:

“By offering the possibility to discover our shoes from every angle, it is the perfect technology to improve customer experience. We have noticed that our clients now spend more time on the product page than they did before. The Time on Page has been improved by 18% thanks to interactive 3D images.”

Reduce returns

Far from a no-name brand, Home Depot allegedly reduced its ecommerce return rates by around 18% after investing heavily in 360-degree photography. Given the nature of what they sell, 360-degree photos were particularly effective and allowed them to engage and educate potential customers and reduce returns. Being able to see the full view of a specific type of screw or drill for example, helps ensure the right choice from the start.

Returns are not only costly, they can lead to a bad customer experience as well. Compared to in-store purchases, ecommerce sees a 2x increase in returns. Some of the most common reasons for returns such as sizing and style can be reduced through the use of 360-degree photography.

Beat the competition

As consumer shopping habits continue to shift to digital, going a step further with your product photos is an opportunity for you to stand out. From optimizing your product pages, to offering excellent customer service, you want to take advantage of every opportunity to stand out.

360-degree photos are an accessible way for most businesses to add a little more pop to their product photos for little cost, and give the ability to demonstrate how the product works in the wild. With ecommerce known to be especially cutthroat, 360-photos are a powerful way to differentiate your brand and not get lost in the noise.

While your competition focuses on the next shiny marketing tactic, you can reap the benefits of 360-photos for many years to come.

Who should use 360-degree product photography ​

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Most ecommerce brands would benefit from experimenting with 360 photos to some degree. But 360-degree photography really shines when you’re selling a product with multiple visual features, such as a backpack or complicated hardware tools, for example. With a full 360-degree view, you can showcase the entire product and allow your audience to see every nook and cranny.

Selling purses? Show the inside and out. Make custom nightstands? Show what they’re like with drawers open and closed.

Here are a few industries that could benefit greatly from 360-degree photos.

• Fashion: The more ways you can show a shirt, sweater, or dress the better. 360-degree photos are an excellent way to make fashion items jump off the page.
• Tools: From tools to other hardware, a full view of each item can help ensure you’re capturing every
• Tech and wearables: From smart watches to the latest high powered portable fan, 360-degree photos are an excellent way to showcase the latest in tech.
• Retail: 360-degree photos give you the ability to bring some of that “retail magic” to anyone viewing comfortably from home or on the go.
• Cars: A great way to show potential customers what the car looks like before they come by for a test drive!
• Furniture: As with our example with Heal’s, furniture such as couches can really benefit from a 360-degree view.

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Of course, 360-degree photos work extra well for all things apparel. Because fashion and apparel are so personal, giving an extended view helps your prospective customers see themselves in that jacket or dress.

Examples of brands using 360-degree product photography

One of the best ways to get better at 360-degree product photography, aside from actually doing them yourselves is looking at examples. Let’s dive in.

Jazmin Chebar

Fashion brand Jazmin Chebar has made an investment in its product photography. In the example below, you can see a detailed 360-degree view of its Vitro T-Shirt. Notice that in addition to those and regular 2D stills, there are options to zoom in on and rotate the model.

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As the model rotates, notice how she places her hands in and out of her pocket. This is exactly what we’re talking about when we say 360-degree photography can help you show your product in multiple lights.

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Here’s another example:

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Although the product photo background is plain, Jazmin Chebar does a great job showcasing each outfit in a variety of different poses.

Heal’s

While going to the furniture store may have previously been a popular pastime, the reality is more and more furniture shopping is being done online.

Furniture and lifestyle brand Heal’s really takes their product photography to the next level by showcasing their premium couches in incredible detail and 360-degree view.

What’s great about their setup is that by clicking a different color scheme you can instantly see the changes and continue to rotate the image. This is great for getting an idea of what color might fit in your living room.

When possible, be sure to include all variations in your 360-degree view, it really does make a difference.

Vera Bradley

Lifestyle brand Vera Bradley takes the guesswork out of purchases with a few simple 360-degree shots when showcasing its luggage.

While a little more involved than a standard 360-degree product shot, as you spin the image, the luggage opens up, showing exactly what it will look like when it arrives at their door.

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Fitbit

Wearable tech accessories brand Fitbit also has also invested heavily in 360-degree photography. Its product page allows shoppers to spin the wearable around giving them a complete view of what it looks like.

After they’ve had a chance to take it for a spin, a 2D photo further enhances the viewing experience showing a model with the wearable on their wrist.

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While it’s not the most sophisticated 360-degree viewing experience, it’s simple and effective. The photo replicates the feeling of being at the store playing around with the watch physically.

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How to incorporate 360-degree product photography for your brand

A turntable and basic camera gear is really all you need to get started—and a few more items will make the shoot all that more productive. But again, simplicity is key.

Here’s a video where expert photographer Dustin Doby shows you how to get up and running with minimal gear and cost.

Here’s a quick list of some of the tools Doby recommends to make your shoot go according to plan:

• Surface support plate
• Bottle support plate
• Wireless remote
• Turntable
• Clamps

The great thing about 360-degree product photos (like standard photos) is you can use them on your homepage, product pages, and even social media. Turning your shots into animated GIFs will significantly extend the shelf life of your efforts and add some life to your marketing efforts across the board. You can use your 360-degree photos not only on your product pages, but in your email marketing and social media campaigns as well.

You can use any of these tools to make your animated GIFs:

• 
  Wondershare Filmora: A powerful and robust video editing platform used by over 85 million created, Filmora makes it easy to create GIFS, videos, and more. Starting at $49.99 USD a year.
• 
  Make A GIF: A free tool with a premium offering, Make A GIF allows you to quickly create GIFs from a variety of media formats including Facebook, YouTube, vidoes, and more.
• 
  GIF Maker: A simple and free tool to quickly make GIFs from images.
• 
  PTGui: A free and paid tool that allows you to quickly create high quality panoramas. Great for photos done outside with unique backgrounds or other scenery.

Start small

Keep it simple to make it approachable at first. Choose one or two of your most basic products and use your turntable or lazy susan to give them a spin, taking multiple shots as you spin. Here’s a quick video showing how to use a lazy susan for the DIY crowd.

Remember, having to coordinate a model to showcase a jacket is much more complex than doing 360-degree shots of your best selling beanie.

When shooting 360-degree photography, especially for the first time, we recommend taking a few extra photos to give yourself more options during editing and post production.

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Pro tip: when doing 360-degree shots, those gridlines on your camera are your friend!

To delegate or not to delegate?

If you have the time and resources, learning to do this type of photography yourself can certainly be valuable—but there’s nothing wrong with getting help where needed, especially if it’s not your strong suit.

Often we creatives and entrepreneurs try to do everything, which gives us less time to do what we do best.

If you’re genuinely curious about the process, by all means give it a try a few times. But if you need a hand, we put together some great tips on how to hire a photographer for your needs.

Go full circle with professional editing

As always, the shoot itself is only part of the process. With 360-degree product photography especially, photo editing is incredibly important. Not investing in quality editing can very easily make your 360-degree photos look amateurish or low quality.

The last thing you want is for a shoot you thought went well, turn out photos that just won’t work.

This short video does a great job of explaining the basics of editing 360-degree photography.

While watching a few editing and Photoshop tutorials can help you with the basics, it won’t cover everything a professional editor knows to look out for. Key editing elements such as image masking, shadows, photo retouching, and more play an important role in making your 360-degree photos pop. And if you need a hand perfecting your 360-degree photos, hiring a professional editor can save you loads of time and money.

Not happy with the shadows in your shot? You can learn how to add a natural shadow in Photoshop to fix them in post-processing. 

The future of product photography

360-degree photography has been around for many years, but the rise of AR and ecommerce has made it more relevant than ever before. 360-degree photography helps take your brands and products to the next level for a very small amount of work.

Although it may seem intimidating to give 360-degree photography a try, consider giving it a test run during your next photoshoot. Experiment with one or two simple products and build momentum from there.

Take the stress out of editing product photos, with done for you edits by pro designers

The post 360-Degree Product Photography: Go Full Circle to Drive More Sales appeared first on Path Edits.

Adding video to your products’ visuals is an effective way to make your products come alive and separate you from the dime-a-dozen competition.

30,000 sales and marketing pros get our insights, tips, and best practices delivered weekly.

In this article, we’ll explore why incorporating product video is so important and how to do it effectively—even if you don’t have a massive budget.

Beyond product stills: why product videos matter

Whether you’re a clothing brand trying to sell more sweaters or a skincare line trying to sell more moisturizer, standard product photos can only tell so much of your story. It’s one thing to read about Disneyland—it’s an entirely different experience watching videos about the magical kingdom. Likewise, it’s one thing to look at a photo of a shirt online, but it’s a completely different experience watching a video where you can see how it looks and moves when worn.

Analysis: How Many Product Photos Do You Need to Sell Apparel Online?

While investing in high-quality photos can give you an edge, adding video into your brand efforts will truly separate you from the pack.

Take, for example, research by Google that shows more than half of shoppers have made a decision about an online purchase with the help of an online video. By limiting yourself to just photos, you’re at a disadvantage from the start. Certainly, quality product photos are important, but going one step further can do wonders for your brand.

Now, consumers have gotten so used to seeing the same product photos over and over. So while they may have worked in the past, consumers are craving something new and different.

5 ecommerce brands with powerful product video examples

Good news: although adding video to your product photo mix will require some effort, you don’t need a massive budget or team. Better yet, once you get your processes down, you can replicate them in the future, saving time and money as well. You can often use video effectively with just a few short clips or animated GIFs—it’s an ideal way to repurpose your product content to maximize your investment.

How Much Does Product Photography Cost in 2022?

Here are a few examples:

Lunya

Lunya has some of the most well-executed product videos out there. The luxury sleepwear brand uses product videos to complement its high-quality product photography stills. Some videos are contextual while others feature a plain background.

The brand uses product video to highlight select products. Note the video features a few “scenes”—a close-up of the smiling model to showcase the cozy collar, a zoomed-in shot of the pocket, another zoom shot of the belt, and a full body shot to show how the jacket looks when worn. Shoppers can see how it moves, how it sits, and how the details function.

Key takeaway: You don’t have to create a product video for every variant of every product. You can shoot photos of every variant (or use a color change service) and then invest in video for just a single variant. As long as you have photos that accurately depict each variant, the video should be able to do the rest.

Lovevery

Lovevery sells play kits for babies and toddlers. Product pages feature a mixture of high-quality white background photos and contextual lifestyle shows to show the play kits by themselves and in use. Some products also have videos in the style of animated GIFs that show the different ways you can use the products.

The Play Gym, for example, has a video showcasing how parents can arrange different sections of the toy to create a fun and engaging experience for their child. It also spins the product 360 degrees so you can see it from all angles. 

Key takeaway: 360-degree product photography is another key trend to look out for—and an accessible way to get started with product videos. Shoot a series of photos of your products and put them together to create an animated GIF—no video editing skills required.

Then I Met You

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Short of having the cleansing balm in your hand to try on yourself, this product video gives you the whole experience of what it’s like to actually apply and use the featured cleansing balm.

Then I Met You smartly uses a short animated GIF of its cleansing balm on the homepage, giving interested users the option to watch a longer, more detailed video. Also notice how they encourage you to turn on your sound to amplify your experience further. With more than half of ecommerce taking place on mobile, this extra detail doesn’t go unnoticed for those scrolling without sound.

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Key takeaway: A short video clip with sound can be an effective way to help make your products come alive.

House of Wise

Supplement and vitamin brands are a dime a dozen. There’s only so much you can say about the ingredients and benefits compared to your competition. This is why we love this simple demonstration of the House of Wise CBD oil line.

Targeted towards ambitious women, House of Wise uses a quick clip on its product pages to reaffirm the positive benefits for sleep, stress, and intimacy. The background subtly changes colors to highlight each benefit.

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Key takeaway: Consider showcasing your products on several distinct backgrounds to create contrast. For example, if you’re selling power bars, you could create a GIF using morning, day, and evening settings.

Common Heir

Common Heir is another company that does an excellent job of showing their product in action. The brand technically only has one product for sale, so it was able to invest in high-quality and engaging product content—including video. 

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In this example, notice how Common Heir uses a mix of animated GIFs and still product photos throughout a five-step carousel roundup. The initial GIF shows you exactly how biodegradable, vegan capsules look in your hands and the product photos further show you their product in action.

Key takeaway: You don’t need to spend a lot to showcase your products in video. A couple of short two- to five-second clips for animated GIFs can work wonders. Best of all, GIFs are an easy and natural extension of your current product photos, working in tandem with the amazing product photos you already have.

Where to use product videos

While it may be tempting to snag your favorite videographer for your next shoot right away, it’s essential to establish where and how you want to use the video.

Product page

Are you planning to use video or GIFs on product pages? If so, it may make sense to keep the video footage concise. To showcase a variety of products at once, an animated GIF can work well. Animated GIFs can be up to 15 seconds long, though somewhere around 5–7 seconds is better.

Homepage

If you plan to use a product video on your homepage, it’s critical to convey your product’s value proposition as fast as possible, Wistia suggests. “Quickly answer this question in your homepage video so viewers can easily understand what it is your business is all about right from the start.” So these videos should be less product-focused and more brand-oriented. You’ll also want to avoid setting the video to autoplay to avoid disrupting users—especially those using mobile data.

Social media

Social media is another great place to use your product videos. You can post videos to your feed, stories, or as paid ads. This is an especially great way to repurpose this content considering Facebook video ads take an average 2–6 hours to produce, compared to just 1 hour for image-based Facebook ads.

If you’re investing in paid social ads, it’s important to make sure the video meets their requirements. Here are the guidelines for some of the most popular advertising platforms Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram:

Facebook

• Video length: up to 2:20; 15 seconds or less is recommended; select advertisers may advertise up to 10 minutes
• Branding: allowed
• Captions: mandatory
• Video bitrate: 6,000–10,000k for 1080p (6,000k recommended); 5,000–8,000k for 720p (5,000k recommended)
• Frame rate: 29.97FPS or 30FPS
• Audio code: AAC LC (low complexity)

Instagram

• Video length: up to 60 minutes
• File type: MP4, MOV, or GIF
• Ratio: 4:5
• Resolution: at least 1080×1080 pixels
• Captions: optional but recommended
• Maximum file size: 250MB Minimum width: 500 pixels
• Aspect ratio tolerance: 1%

Twitter

• Video length: up to 2:20; 15 seconds or less is recommended
• File types: MP4, MOV
• Maximum file size: 1GB; under 30MB recommended

Email

You can use product video in your email marketing efforts as well. Encouraging your email subscribers to click to watch a video can drive traffic to your website or blog and keep your list engaged.

Campaign Monitor recommends linking a static image to your video to keep things simple across all email clients. “Using a play button on top of a static image is the easiest way to link to video content, either on your site, YouTube or Vimeo. This has universal support across email clients. As long as images are not blocked, everyone will have the same experience.” Here’s their example of what that could look like: 

And if a member of your team has a strong GIF game, you can’t go wrong with that.

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When possible, show your product in action, don’t just tell.

How to create product videos to boost online sales

Now that we’ve looked at a few examples of brands effectively using product video, let’s get into the nuts and bolts of how to do it to showcase your products.

Plan your creative direction to keep everyone on the same page

Once you have a general idea of where you plan to publish and share the video, you can take your planning one step further and storyboard your intended creative vision with your team. Not being on the same page can dramatically reduce the effectiveness of the final product of your videos.

• What do you need for the shoot? A successful shoot starts with successful planning, from having a checklist to knowing who on your team needs to be present. You don’t want to leave anything to chance. The further out you’re able to plan, the better.
• What are you trying to achieve with video? Are you using video to help better explain your products? Give your brand design a little refresh? Articulate exactly what you’re hoping to achieve with video before shoot day.
• Who do you need to hire? While some photographers can shoot video as well, some cases require you to hire a dedicated videographer. Some videographers also do the editing while others may require you work with a dedicated video editor.

Understand your costs

First things first. Budgeting for product videos is different from estimating the cost of doing product photography. You don’t have to spend your entire budget on video, but you also want to do everything possible to ensure your videos perform well.

How much you set aside for video costs is determined by many factors, but you can expect to invest $1,000—$5,000 for a small business. Most video production companies will charge a day rate, but depending on your needs, you can negotiate. You’ll also want to consider how much post-production and editing you need, which can add to your total costs.

One Market Media has an excellent resource on the 35 factors that affect your costs. Again, you may not be able to afford the cream of the crop of videographers when starting out but you don’t want to shortchange yourself here either.

Use different types of video

Not all video types are created equal. From short three- to five-second clips, to minutes-long product explainers, and even 360-degree views, there are many ways to showcase your product.

360-degree view

Adding a 360-view to your products can again help your customers ‘feel’ how your products work. While this requires a few extra steps during your typical shoot, the end result is often worth it.

Here’s what you need to shoot a 360-degree view product video:

• A zoom lens
• A tripod
• A remote control
• Turntable

While there’s certainly no shortage of software that professional photographers use, there are a few applications and tools that make creating 360-degree views easier:

• Adobe: an expensive but powerful and widely used photo and video editor
• Pinnacle: a popular alternative to Adobe
• Veer: another great editor designed for phone use
• V360: designed for mobile first

Animated GIFs

Animated GIFs are short automatically looping videos, up to 15 seconds in length, without sound. GIFs are reduced in size, sacrificing the image quality. So product videos are better quality, but animated GIFs are smaller in size and have different uses. Animated GIFs also make great backgrounds for memes and text overlays.

Plus, GIFs are a heck of a lot easier to produce than videos. You can use tools such as Giphy to make your GIFs in seconds.

Mattress brand Eight Sleep is no stranger to animated GIFs, using these types of product videos to highlight specific features and benefits. Can you honestly tell the difference between most mattress photos? This homepage GIF does an excellent job of showing exactly what the product is and how it works.

While “smart” mattresses are relatively new, Eight Sleep’s animated GIF demonstrates the tech that helps you get a quality night’s sleep, fulfilling the brand promise. It’s clear within seconds: you’re not investing in just another mattress.

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User-generated videos

When creating videos, you don’t have to do all the legwork yourself. You may have customers who are more than happy to share videos you can use alongside your other product content.

One April 2021 survey from PowerReviews found that customer reviews are now a quintessential element to drive purchases. More than 99.9% of respondents say they “at least sometimes” read reviews when shopping online—compared to just 97% in 2018. So product reviews in the form of video are a great way to capitalize on the power of both social proof and video.

How to Get More User-Generated Content to Promote Your Ecommerce Brand

Quick tips for using video to promote your products

Start small

You don’t need to spend your entire marketing budget on multiple videographers and fancy post-production. If you’re bootstrapped for cash, you can even use your smartphone to get started.

How to Take Product Photos With Your Smartphone: Tips for Shooting on the Go

The incredibly viral video from Dollar Shave Club in 2012 allegedly cost less than $5,000 to make. While you may not replicate their success, you can start using video to promote your products as soon as your next product shoot. Although it’s only natural to want to put your best foot forward, getting started with video is infinitely better than delaying hoping for the perfect time to ship.

Make your video go further

Once you’ve created a few video clips you’re happy with, you can use these on your homepage, product pages, and social media accounts as we’ve mentioned above.

Plant-based nutrition company Form Nutrition does this particularly well: 

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Its short video montage showcases customers in everyday life, helping connect the product to your goals and ambitions. The video was featured on its homepage and published on the brand’s social media accounts as well.

Incorporating video in your next photoshoot

While using video in your marketing efforts might seem daunting, investing the time to get it right can pay off. While there will most certainly be a learning curve, you can always outsource some of your editing if you’re too busy.

If you want to remain ahead of the game, implementing at least some video for your products is a must. Fortunately, it’s not as hard to get started as you may think. Use some of the examples and tips for inspiration, and get filming.

Outsource any tedious photo edits for your animated GIFs or product shots to our dedicated team of professional editors

The post In Motion: How to Use Product Videos to Boost Online Sales appeared first on Path Edits.