The Toronto Star today featured a business story about local artisans who sell their products to a global audience using only their websites. The newspaper’s print headline included “Photos key to online selling.”
The business owners pointed out that, “having excellent photographs helps…” and “you can’t sell without a decent picture.”
This should be obvious. Yet many businesses, large and small, fail when it comes to website photography.
Photography grabs attention. Consumers look at the images first—before the text or price. The ad copy supports the photography, not the other way around. High-quality product photography commands more attention, and the longer a viewer engages with the ad, the more likely they are to make a purchase.
Product photos generally falls into three types of photography:
Product photography
This includes everything from simple product-on-white shots to highly stylized “hero” images. Product photography aims to inform the viewer, showcase details, and convey information. For many products, a good photograph can speak louder than words. Don’t just describe the product, show it.
This type of product photography works well for common items like books, office supplies, hardware, tools, and other commodity goods.
Lifestyle photography
Lifestyle shots range from the product placed in its natural environment to action shots of the product in use. This type of photography is designed to evoke an attitude, support a brand, generate interest, and even entertain.
Lifestyle photography is especially effective for showcasing features or benefits that aren’t immediately obvious from just looking at the product. For example, lifestyle images work well for clothing, highlighting fit, style, and versatility.
It can also elevate a commodity product. Imagine a photo of a model running through a field of flowers to market shampoo, instead of just a bottle shot.
No Product Photography
The third type of photography doesn’t show the product at all. Instead, it focuses on images of happy customers or confident, relatable people. For this to be effective, the product or brand must already be well known.
This approach works well for intangible products like insurance, electricity, home heating, or financial services.
These three types of product photography often complement each other. However, the nature of the product often dictates which style is most effective.
Remember: Customers won’t buy if they’re bored. Photography’s primary job is to capture attention and draw the customer in for more.
