When it comes to online shopping, looks matter the most.

Your products might be top-notch, but if your photos don’t do them justice, you’re leaving money on the table. But, it takes time and skill to master the art of eCommerce product photography. There’s more to it than just snapping pics for your product pages. You’ve got to showcase your inventory across your entire website in a way that grabs attention and drives sales.

To help you get there, we’ll walk you through proven tactics that can make your products shine online. Here, you’ll learn how to create images that look great and boost your conversions at the same time.

We’ll dive straight into the advanced techniques that’ll make your products pop and elevate your brand’s visual appeal. Let’s get to work and give your products the spotlight they deserve.

6 High-Converting eCommerce Product Photography Techniques

1. Show the full content of a “Bundle” product

When you’re selling a package deal, don’t leave your customers guessing – show them exactly what they’re getting. Making your bundle products irresistible is all about transparency and instant gratification. When shoppers can see every item in a bundle at a glance, they’re more likely to feel confident in their purchase. No surprises, just value.

To capitalize on your bundle products:

1. Get all the products together and arrange them neatly.
2. Take a high-quality photo that clearly shows each item.
3. Make sure the lighting is even so nothing gets lost in the shadows.
4. Use a clean, neutral background to keep the focus on the products.
5. Consider adding text labels to identify each item if it’s not obvious.

Now, let’s look at a brand that’s crushing it with this tactic. Sugar Me Smooth, a company in the sugar wax and body care niche, is nailing their bundle photography game. Check out their sugar wax kits collections page.

Each bundle photo shows every single product included in the package. It’s like a “what’s in the box” reveal, even before you get to the product page.

This smart move helps Sugar Me Smooth’s customers in two big ways:

1. They can see what they’re getting without clicking on each bundle.
2. It makes it super easy to compare different bundles at a glance. No more bouncing back and forth between product pages – everything you need to know is right there.

By using this tactic, Sugar Me Smooth sells their products while leveraging clarity and convenience. And that’s a bundle deal everyone can get behind.

2. Make visual comparisons with your competitors

Showing off why your products are the best is a game-changing tactic because it puts your product’s strengths front and center. This approach is all about giving shoppers a quick, clear reason to choose you. When you show your product side-by-side with the competition, you’re showing customers you’re better, rather than just telling them.

To successfully compare with your competitors:

1. Choose your strongest product features to highlight.
2. Get your hands on a competitor’s product (or an accurate representation).
3. Set up a photo shoot that shows both products in the same conditions.
4. Use clear labels or arrows to point out the differences.
5. Keep it fair – no sneaky tricks or misleading angles.
6. Focus on the positives of your product, not the negatives of theirs.

Remember, the goal isn’t to trash talk. It’s to showcase your unique value in a way that’s easy to grasp at a glance.

Tailored Athlete, an athletic fit menswear brand, is using this tactic brilliantly. Head to their muscle fit shirts collections page, and right at the top there’s a photo comparing their shirt to a competitor’s.

This is a visual that speaks volumes. You can instantly see how Tailored Athlete’s shirt hugs the body in all the right places, while the other brand’s shirt looks baggy and unflattering. Without saying a word, they’ve shown you why their product is worth buying.

This way, Tailored Athlete sells a promise of a better fit and a more flattering look. It’s a powerful way to demonstrate value and quality, giving shoppers a compelling reason to choose their brand.

3. Showcase your products in inspiring environments

Want to make your products truly shine? Spotlighting them in inspiring circumstances is a winning strategy because it helps customers imagine your products in their own lives.

This is all about building a connection. When you show your products in beautiful, relevant settings, you’re promoting a lifestyle. This tactic works wonders for products that are part of a specific hobby or lifestyle.

To help your customers envision their lives with better products:

1. Think about your ideal customer’s lifestyle. Where would they use your product?
2. Choose locations that match your brand’s vibe.
3. Use professional photographers who know how to capture the right mood.
4. Make sure the product is visible, but don’t make it look staged.
5. Try different scenarios to show the product’s versatility.
6. Use these photos on both product pages and in blog posts.

Let’s look at two brands crushing this tactic.

The first is Moto Machines, a motorcycle accessories brand. Check out their buyer’s guide for phone mounts for motorcycles. It’s packed with photos showing their products in action on real bikes and in real settings. These are all snapshots of the biker lifestyle.

By placing these images throughout the guide, they inform and inspire their readers at the same time.

Another example is Main Clinic Supply, a medical equipment supplier. Their product page for the Inogen One G5 Portable Oxygen Concentrator is a masterclass in aspirational imagery.

They’ve got a gallery showing the product in all sorts of settings – at home, in the park, even on vacation. This tactic goes beyond boasting product specs – it embodies the freedom and quality of life it provides. Incorporating AI eCommerce product photos can simplify the process of showcasing products in various real-life situations, making them more appealing to potential buyers.

With this strategy, both these brands effectively sell possibilities. By showcasing their items in inspiring environments, they’re helping customers see how these products fit into their lives. It’s a powerful way to create desire and boost sales.

4. Embrace user-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) can be a secret weapon in your product photo arsenal. It’s so successful that 79% of customers say UGC plays a big role in what they decide to buy. UGC is all about trust. When potential customers see real people using and loving your products, it gives them a thumbs-up for your brand.

It’s authentic, relatable, and way more convincing than any polished marketing photo. It’s also free content and a way to build a community around your brand.

To make UGC work for you:

1. Encourage customers to share photos with your product.
2. Create a unique hashtag for your brand.
3. Run contests or giveaways for the best customer photos.
4. Always ask for permission before using someone’s photo.
5. Feature UGC prominently on your site and social media.
6. Respond to and engage with customers who share content.
7. Mix UGC with your professional photos for a balanced look.

Let’s take a look at Pergola Kits USA, a company that sells ready-to-assemble pergola and pavilion kits. They’ve managed to successfully turn their customers into their best advertisers.

Head to their website, and you’ll find a whole gallery page dedicated to customer photos. It’s filled with pics of their pergola kits assembled in real backyards. These aren’t staged photoshoots but real customers showing off their new outdoor spaces.

This approach is brilliant for a few reasons:

1. It shows potential buyers exactly what they can expect.
2. It proves that, yes, you really can assemble these kits yourself.
3. It creates a sense of community among Pergola Kits USA customers.

By embracing UGC, Pergola Kits USA markets the satisfaction of creating your own outdoor oasis. That’s a powerful message that resonates with customers.

5. Highlight your product variations

Showing off your product’s many faces is a smart move that can seriously boost your sales. It works because it gives customers options without overwhelming them. When you showcase your product variations, you’re letting customers know about all the choices they have. Additionally, you’re making it super easy for them to find exactly what they want.

To display all of your product variations:

1. Group all variations of a product on one page.
2. Use high-quality images for each variation.
3. Make sure the lighting and angles are consistent across all variations.
4. Use a clean, simple background to make the differences pop.
5. Add quick-view or hover effects to show variations without cluttering the page.
6. Include a brief description of each variation (color, size, material, etc.).
7. Make it easy to switch between variations with clear buttons or swatches.

The goal is to make choosing fun and easy, not confusing or overwhelming.

Hardgraft, a brand in the footwear and fashion accessories game, is nailing the art of showing product variations. Head to their homepage, and you’ll see a carefully curated selection of their products. But here’s where it gets cool: many of their items come in different colors, and they’ve made it super simple to check them all out.

Beneath each product, you’ll find color swatches. Hover your mouse over a swatch, and the product image changes to show that color. No clicking, no page loading, just instant gratification.

This approach keeps the page clean and uncluttered while still showing off all the options. It also lets shoppers quickly find and buy the items that catch their eye and turns what could be a static image into an engaging, interactive experience.

By using this tactic, the brand gets to offer a sleek, user-friendly shopping experience that matches their premium brand image. It’s a smart way to showcase variety while keeping things simple and stylish.

6. Turn group photos into clickable catalogs

You need to give your customers a virtual showroom they can explore with just a few clicks. This is all about context and convenience. When you show products together in a realistic setting, you help your customers create a vision. And when you make those products clickable, you’re making it super easy for them to act on their inspiration.

Here’s how to guide customers to the right products:

1. Create a styled scene that showcases multiple products.
2. Use high-quality, high-resolution images.
3. Make sure each product is clearly visible.
4. Add clickable hotspots to each product.
5. Ensure the hotspots are noticeable but not distracting.
6. Link each hotspot directly to the product page.
7. Include a brief description or product name when users hover over a hotspot.
8. Make sure the interactive elements work smoothly on both desktop and mobile.

Heal’s, a contemporary furniture brand, displays a beautifully styled living space on their homepage. It’s literally a showcase of Heal’s products in action. As you move your cursor around the image, you’ll notice little hotspots popping up. Each one corresponds to a Heal’s product in the room. Click on a hotspot, and you’ll be taken straight to that product’s page.

This approach is brilliant because it shows customers how Heal’s products look in a real setting. It also lets shoppers quickly find and buy the items that catch their eye and turns what could be a static image into an engaging, interactive experience.

This strategy helps this brand promote a lifestyle and make it incredibly easy for customers to bring that lifestyle home. It’s a smart way to combine inspiration with action, turning browsers into buyers with just a few clicks.

Conclusion

It’s time to put these tactics into action. But first, remember that when it comes to eCommerce, great product photography is more than the pretty pictures of your products. It’s about creating an experience that turns browsers into buyers.

So, start with one tactic, see how it works for you, and then try another. Before you know it, you’ll be a pro at showcasing your products in ways that really click with your customers.