When shoppers go to Amazon, 75% of them start searching for a product via the search bar. They enter a product name or description, hit search, and scan the results. When they see something they like, they click on it to learn more.
Therein lies the importance of your Amazon listing images. People buy what looks good: It’s a truth that spans all industries and categories. For ecommerce, that truth exists in your photography and video.
So often, marketing experts tout the importance of SEO and sponsored ads to secure a placement at the top of the search results page, and rightly so. But, even when your product is on the first page, you still need shoppers to click into the listing. Photography does that; it incites interest and draws shoppers in. And once shoppers are in your listing, additional images, video, and copy come into play, convincing them that your product is what they want.
even when your product is on the first page, you still need shoppers to click into the listing. Photography does that; it incites interest and draws shoppers in.
Kaspien believes in this so strongly that we even have an in-house Creative & Digital Services agency. Brands who want to enhance their presentation can hire our photographers, videographers, designers, and writers to create custom assets. You can view their work and request a custom quote on www.kaspien.com.
But talking about good photography and video is one thing and understanding it is another. What exactly makes a listing image or video “good”?
Photography
Quality listing photography accomplishes several things:
It makes the product attractive.
This is obvious in theory but can be tricky to execute. Some products just aren’t that exciting to look at, especially through a screen, yet shoppers still expect to be wowed. Skilled photographers will shape light, alter point of view, style, and edit photos to transform the bland and sterile into the bright and beautiful.
It dispels confusion.
For products that come in sets, have variations in color or size, or multiple components, it’s crucial that your customers know exactly what their purchase includes. Good photography answers that question before it’s even asked. If shoppers are uncertain about what they’re getting, you risk low conversion rates and negative customer reviews, resulting in poor traction and degrading SERP placement. 
It demonstrates product features.
For products that are complex in design or use, you should include photography that shows how to use the product. These images provide clarity and assure shoppers that they’ve found what they wanted.
It elicits an emotional response.
In addition to highlighting product features, you should highlight the product benefits: the positive experiences customers enjoy because of the product. For a kids bike company, your images may include a triumphant child on a bike, with proud parents beaming in the background. Such images create an emotional rapport with shoppers, helping them visualize enjoying the product in their own lives. Shoppers who are emotionally engaged by a product are more likely to convert.
Amazon allows up to 7 images to be uploaded to a listing before it begins to condense some images to a “View more” tab. We advise including a mixture of studio and lifestyle images to show multiple angles and show the product in use. Lifestyle photos are particularly helpful for showing the size or scale of the product.
Video
Videos can achieve all of the same tasks as photography and more. With video, you have a chance to share your brand story or demonstrate how to use a complex product. For Amazon listings, videos can demonstrate alternative ways to use the product or show shoppers all the components of a multi-piece set. In our experience, customers who view product videos are up to 86% more likely to convert.
In our experience, customers who view product videos are up to 86% more likely to convert.
In addition to the functions already mentioned, a quality listing video does a few more things:
It conveys your brand’s personality.
In most cases, a capable videographer will be able to incorporate elements of your brand’s personality into the video. If your brand has cultivated a humorous persona on its social media pages, the video should have humorous elements in the visuals, audio, or text overlay. If your brand has cultivated a vibrant, upbeat reputation, reinforce that with upbeat music in the video. In a video, the setting, lighting, pacing, editing, text overlays, music, acting, and voice overlays each present opportunities to reinforce your brand image.
It provides reassurance.
Seeing something done is one of the quickest ways for shoppers to assess whether a product suits their needs. Many people feel intimidated when confronted with a complicated task. If shoppers can watch your product being used and see that it’s not as difficult as they thought, you reassure them, making them more likely to follow through and click Add to Cart.
Photography & Video Are Essentials
Photography and video are incredibly powerful tools on and off marketplaces. You can display your images and video in your product detail page, enhanced brand content, and brand store, or take them beyond the marketplace to your brand’s social media accounts.
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