There is a reason why photographs are more powerful than words in almost any context – they speak a universal language. You do not have to explain, for instance, the beauty of a tiger in the wild. A simple photograph is enough isn’t it? But if you were to describe this in words, you would have to:
- Use the right kind of words.
- Translate those words into multiple languages to reach target audiences.
- Use formatting and other tools of beautification too.
Obviously then it stands to logic that images are important for your ecommerce site as well. This statement becomes even more critical when you are talking about an ecommerce fashion site. Product images can make or break your site and your company.
The shopping experience
Shopping online offers plenty of advantages to people everywhere. The best ecommerce stores are created in such a way that they mimic the brick and mortar shop rather closely. Perhaps the only thing that is not possible in an online store is the actual feel of the product and this is where images play their role.
Images help shoppers:
- Get a better understanding of how the product looks when it is worn.
- With different angles of the product.
- Get an instant connect with the product itself.
Take designer swimwear for instance. You may talk endlessly about the comfort or fit or style about different kinds of swimwear. But you can simply choose to depict all of it with a live model wearing the swimwear and your visitor will know exactly what to expect.
Swimwear as fashion
More and more people are interested in buying designer swimming costumes and are paying a lot of attention to style and drape and so on. If your fashion ecommerce store has a swimwear section then you must include images of men and women modeling every piece that is being sold. While ‘live models’ are the best way in which you can show the swimwear, you can also opt for a detailed photograph of the costume too. Include multiple angles so the viewer gets a very good idea of how the front and back of the costume will look.
Quality
Shoddy, blurred and even wrong images of the products will bring down your ecommerce site. For instance, if you are talking about a blue dress with yellow floral print then your image should have just this product. Furthermore, your images should:
- Be of high resolution.
- Have the zoom facility and remain clear and crisp even when a visitor zooms in on them.
- Have uncluttered background so the focus remains on the product.
- Show the product being used in different ways – if that applies.
- Be shown in multiple views.
For instance a dress with back straps should be shown from the front, back, side and even have an image which shows the hemline. You should have a ‘hero image’ which shows the full product without any distracting details. The additional images thereafter can show the fashion wear in use – lifestyle images – and different views and so on.
Variants
It is also crucial to show all product variants. One pattern of a dress may come in 2 or more different colors – show them all. This will appeal to someone who is looking for more choices when it comes to color pallets. Interestingly, you may also have different styles of the product – make sure you use product image links to show them too. For instance, black and white geometric print may come in different kinds of swimwear – halters, tankini, bikini and so on. With a bit of work, you should showcase your entire collection for the viewer to see.
Purpose of the product
Fashion sites benefit greatly from images because they showcase the purpose of the product very powerfully. A man’s suit will benefit from showing a model sitting in a boardroom isn’t it? Being consistent about the context is important for images in an ecommerce site.