The importance of high-quality product photos on Amazon should not be underestimated. High-quality and attractive product photos convince customers to buy without having to read the product description. The trend on Amazon is increasingly moving towards mobile online shopping on smartphones and tablets. These have a special feature compared to the Amazon homepage on the computer: product images take up a much larger proportion of the screen. Product photos will therefore become increasingly important on Amazon in the future and play a key role in successful conversion.

Align product images on Amazon with the target group

The right product photos depend in particular on the product category and the customer to be addressed. Customers can be roughly divided into two groups:

On the one hand, there is the technically savvy customer. This customer buys particularly technical products such as laboratory accessories or professional DJ equipment. With their specialised knowledge, they want to decide on the purchase themselves based on the product’s key figures. For this reason, the most important facts and figures should be clearly presented in the product photos and the condition and product details should be shown.

The second customer group, on the other hand, would rather be addressed emotionally. A good example of this is a perfume at Douglas. Of course, the chemical ingredients of the perfume are not listed here. Instead, an emotional image of the fragrance is created. This should enable the customer to visualise the fragrance. Particularly expressive photos are suitable for this. In the case of a children’s toy, for example, the focus is on fun. A photo of a child beaming with joy while playing with the toy can be used as a secondary image. At the same time, the safety of the child is very important for the parents. This is where the test seals and safety-relevant features help to reassure parents.

Amazon product images: Guidelines and technical image specifications

Amazon has defined certain minimum requirements primarily for the main image. These must be adhered to, otherwise the image or even the entire product may be hidden. In addition to the following general requirements, there are also category-specific guidelines. These are particularly important in the fashion category.
> The images must be photos. Line drawings, for example, are therefore not permitted.
> The possible formats are JPEG (.jpg), PNG (.png) or GIF (.gif). However, JPEG is preferred.
> The product must take up 80% of the image size. The background is always white.
> Width and height must be at least 500 pixels and max. 3000 pixels.
> A size ratio of at least 1000 x 500 pixels is required for the zoom function.
> The focus must be on the actual product. Therefore, no additional products may be depicted, such as props that are not included in the scope of delivery.
> Main images may not contain text, logos, frames, colour blocks and watermarks above the top edge of a product or in the background.

You can find all the specifications for main images and product images on Amazon in this article.

Tips for convincing product photos in Amazon listings

In addition to Amazon’s official guidelines for product photos, there are also some best practices: The most important thing is to answer the customer’s questions so that they can buy the product without hesitation. It is therefore important to define these questions beforehand. In addition, the product-specific features and USPs should be shown in the additional images. This is the most important information, which should therefore be shown in the images and not hidden in the description. This often includes showing the solution to a problem using the product. In most cases, before-and-after or comparison images provide an elegant solution, possibly also to the competition.

Ultimately, the aim is for the customer to have to think as little as possible about their decision and check every single product detail in the description. Ideally, the product should be shown in its function in the additional images. It is also important that the images convey emotions. Accordingly, it is essential to think about the images and the intended message before photographing the products.

Amazon product images: Do it yourself or have it done by a professional?

Quite simply, it is always worth having the pictures taken by a professional product photographer. Even if you have experience and equipment as a photographer, you can hardly achieve the quality of a professional product photographer. Photographers always work to create the best possible photo. Product photographers, on the other hand, emphasise the relevant product features so that the customer buys.

If you only have a small amount of starting capital available at the beginning, you can create the product photos yourself. A good camera and professional lighting with softboxes are essential for this. However, as a professional retailer, you should also have professional photos on Amazon.

Product images for Amazon separate the wheat from the chaff

Professional product photos are extremely important on Amazon. Due to the trend of online shopping with smartphones, images are becoming increasingly important. In particular, Amazon’s own specifications for product photos should be observed. It is also important to show the special features and reasons for purchasing the product in the images and to anticipate any questions. It is generally advisable to commission a professional product photographer. Only in the case of low start-up capital and professional equipment including photographic expertise can this be dispensed with in exceptional cases.

In this presentation, experienced product photographer Mohamad Al-Hakim gives further valuable tips on the topic of product photography on Amazon. He also explains how he himself works as a professional product photographer.