Cerebral Ecommerce #5 — Picture Perfect 📸
Originally published in the Cerebral Ecommerce Newsletter.
One of my first experiences working in e-commerce was building a/b tests for trying out different product images.
Shopify made it hard to do — but the client knew it was worth finding a solution. Because as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Your product images do so much more than just give your customers a look at your product.
They tell a story, provide context, highlight functionality, and showcase features.
They project in your customer’s imagination a vision of how it might improve their life if they buy that product.
This issue is dedicated to the smartest advice and tactics around the effective use of product images.
1. Product Image Strategy: The Craft of Functional Storytelling
Let’s walk through three techniques for creating effective product images.
Storytelling Through Context
Theory: The context in which you place your product can speak volumes about its intended use and the lifestyle it complements. A well-chosen background or setting can evoke emotions and aspirations, making the product more relatable and desirable.
Example: Outdoor seating on a roof terrace. The man has bare feet and stands against a tropical background, setting the tone of informal luxury. The chairs are placed at slight angles — they’re used and can be moved around for different occasions.
Demonstrating Function with Camera Angles
Theory: The angle from which you photograph your product can highlight its functionality. This is particularly useful for products with moving parts or multiple components.
Example: A chest of drawers photographed from above with the drawers open, revealing the ample storage space and the quality of the material inside.
Emphasizing Features with Layering & Annotation
Theory: Layering and annotation can be used to emphasize specific features of a product. This is particularly useful for tech products or items with complex internal components.
Example: A smartphone is shown in a layered cross-section image, annotated to highlight the sustainable materials used in its construction.
2. Photographer Expert Quote
The expert quote this week comes from Food Photographer Samantha Couzens.
Shadows are an important part of any food photography composition and play a vital role in the overall style and story of an image.
She goes on to mention that many of her clients underestimate the value of shadows in their product images, and even dislike them.
She says that shadows add depth, texture, and contrast, making food appealing.
Her take, is that directional light, not the absence of shadows, creates clean, vibrant images.
You can read the full post here.
3. Google Analytics Tracking For Image Interactions
Understanding how your customers interact with product images can offer invaluable insights. Google Tag Manager makes it straightforward to track these kinds of interactions on your Shopify store.
Steps:
- Sign In or Sign Up for GTM: If you haven’t already, sign in to your Google Tag Manager account or create one.
- Create a New Tag: Navigate to your workspace and create a new tag. Choose the tag type as Google Analytics: Universal Analytics or GA4, depending on your setup.
- Configure Tag: Set the track type to ‘Event’ and configure the category, action, and label to something like ‘Product Image’, ‘Click’, and ‘{{Click URL}}’, respectively.
- Set Up Trigger: Create a new trigger of the type ‘Click — All Elements’. Use the ‘Some Clicks’ option and set up the conditions to identify clicks on product images. This could be based on CSS selectors or other attributes that uniquely identify product images.
- Test: Before publishing, use GTM’s preview mode to ensure the tag fires correctly when you click on a product image on your Shopify store.
- Publish: Once you’re satisfied that the tag and trigger are working as expected, publish the changes.
By following these steps, you’ll be able to track interactions with your product images and gain insights that can inform your future strategies.
4. Generative AI Images
What does the future look like for product images?
AI is transforming this space — we no longer need to think of individual shots as final — rather, they just capture the product, and then we can use AI tools to transform the scene.
If you haven’t already discovered it, I recommend remove.bg, a really great tool for removing the background from any image.
I’ve mentioned Botika before, where you can switch out the model that you use.
And then, there are the goliaths of AI image generation. Midjourney is arguably the most powerful platform at the moment, but a little technical to get started with. DALL-E 3, from the makers of ChatGPT, promises to be even better, and more accessible.
I can’t wait to see what the future holds for applying all this tech to our e-commerce product images.
We’re at the end of the roll for today! 📸
I hope zooming through this snapshot gave you some ideas for what to focus on with your product images.
Enough photography puns! Have a good weekend.
Originally published in the Cerebral Ecommerce Newsletter.
