Your potential customers judge your product before they read a word about it. And their first impression determines whether or not they’ll even open your listing.
The fact is:
No matter how great your product is, if your product images don’t appropriately showcase it, you could be losing sales. Product photography either creates a positive or negative impression of your product.
Have you ever ordered something you thought was high-quality, only to find out it was poorly-made? Were you tricked? What happened?
The product photos created a positive impression, and you were led to believe the product was high-quality even though it wasn’t.
We know you’re different than that example—because you actually are selling a quality product—but it illustrates the importance of product photography. So, how can you make your product look as good as possible?
Let’s cover the basics first.
What are Amazon’s product image requirements?
Here are the basics. Your image…
- Must be in an appropriate format (TIFF, JPEG, GIF, or PNG)
- Should have the appropriate dimensions (“at least 1000 or larger in either height or width preferred”)
- Must be formatted in an appropriate color mode (sRGB or CMYK)
- Must be named appropriately (“File names must consist of the product identifier followed by a period and the appropriate file extension”)
Amazon also specifies different requirements for your main product image and additional images.
Basically, your main image should show your product against a white background. Additional images can show the product from different angles, highlight unique features of your product, or show your product in a particular setting (as long as the image clearly identifies your product and does not confuse customers).
3 Ways to Take Better Product Photos
Now that we’ve got the basics out of the way, here are 3 ways you can actually take better photos of your product.
1. Find a plain white background
You can either buy a light tent or create your own. The important thing is that the background is completely white. Not only does this make your product look better, it’s required by Amazon for your main product image.
2. Get the lighting right
Your photos need to be well-lit so customers are able to see all the unique features of your product.
You don’t need professional-quality gear. Desk lamps work great!
And don’t assume that a camera flash will make up for a dimly-lit room. This might be true if you have professional-quality equipment, but if you don’t, make sure you’re relying on your lamps or natural light to do most (if not all) of the work.
3. Add the finishing touches
If you have a plain white background and a lot of light, you’ve already handled the hard part. After you take your pictures, you can edit them on your smartphone or your computer.
Focus on:
- Making your background as white as possible (Amazon requires “pure white” – RGB 255,255,255)
- Adjusting the levels to make your product stand out against the white background
- Ensuring your editing portrays your product accurately
That last one is especially important. If your product photos make your product look different than it really is, you increase your chances of receiving negative reviews.
Your ultimate goal in the editing process is for your images to accurately reflect your product and highlight its best features.
A note about equipment…
You don’t need professional equipment to take photos of your product. You can utilize these tips with your smartphone camera and take pictures that make your product enticing to customers.
If you’re looking for intensive training to start your Amazon private labeling business, we offer a FREE 5-day bootcamp. You can sign up at any time by clicking the link below. We can’t wait to start working with you!
