Having quality photos of your handmade products is everything when selling online.
If you're just starting out, it can be hard to know what type of photos to take of your products. Etsy gives you 10 photo spots per listing and Shopify gives you up to 250 spots! Do you need 10 photos per product listing? No, but the more photos you provide your customers, the better.
When selling physical products online, you need to remember a customer isn't able to pick up and touch your product like they would if they came across your booth at a craft show. Customers only see what you show them so it's important to think through what photos your customers need to see so they feel confident in purchasing from you.
So let's go over what type of product photos you should consider including in your listings when selling your handmade products online.
How to build trust with your customers
Have you ever wondered why larger brands can get away with only showing 2-4 product photos? It's because they've already established themselves as a trustworthy, reputable brand.
If you're just starting out and you're a small business, customers don't know who you are from all the other craft businesses on Etsy. One of most important ways you can build trust with your customers and present yourself as a professional business is by providing them with quality photos of your work that gives them the information they need to buy from you.
This not only helps establish you as a trustworthy business, but it also provides your customers with a better shopping experience.
Front Angle
This is probably the most common type of shot you see of many products. It’s a basic straight-on shot of the product primarily taken at eye level. This shot is great to use for your main listing image because it makes it clear what your product is.
Profile/Side Angle
This is a common shot you see a lot with products, especially shoes and furniture because it helps show depth, shape and also other details you may not see with the standard front angle. They’re typically shot at eye level but it’s not required.
Back Angle
You’ll find this type of photo commonly taken for clothing products. You could think a top looks great until you see the back and realize it’s backless! So being able to see the back of a product can be extremely important. The back of a product can also have instructions which can be very important customer.
45 Degree Angle
This type of shot can give a product a more interesting perspective. It’s frequently seen with beauty products but can be used with other products as you can see with this ceramic dog.
Top/Bird's View Angle
This may not apply to all products, but it’s important if you want to show off some important details of your product or something you may not be able to see from the front or side angle view. This bar of soap had a lot of fun details on the top that was hard to see from the side or the front, so photographing it from a top angle helps to show the beautiful details.
Bottom Angle
People are naturally curious about all aspects of a product, including the bottom. If your product has something on the bottom of it, feel free to photograph it. If you make pottery for plants, photographing the bottom of a pot can provide information to your customer about whether the pot has a drain hole or not. If you’re selling vintage shoes, photographing the bottom can be important so a customer knows how much wear and tear the shoes have before purchasing.
Close-up/Detailed Angle
Customers LOVE seeing detailed shots of products! Does your product have a unique detail you want customers to see? Maybe your product has an interesting texture or dramatic feature you want to make sure your customers see. Taking close-up shots can bring attention to beautiful details of your product that can help a customer understand the quality and uniqueness of your product.
Flat lay
These are all the rage online right now. You find these types of photos on social media and even in magazines where products are arranged on a flat surface and the photo is taken from directly above. These photos can be very minimalist and simple or be very busy. It’s a nice way to style a product and create a mood or feeling. It can also help with guiding a customer on ways to style a product they might not be aware of.
Human Element
The best thing about the human element is it can show scale for your product. Whether it’s something you wear or not, it can help a customer understand how large or small a product may be. It can also add a bit of a personal connection to the product so don’t be afraid to include yourself or someone else into photographing your product.
Scale
Showing the scale of a product is really important, especially if you’re selling something a person can wear. Depending on your product, you can use a ruler or even using a human element as described above to show the size of a product. You can also use currency like a quarter to show the scale of jewelry or other small objects.
There are plenty of other photos to take, but this is a good starting point.
Decide what type of shots you want to take of your products and make a list. That way, when you go to photograph it, you know exactly what shots to take saving you time and keeping you focused.
Do you keep a list of what product photos to take when you're photographing your products? Let me know in the comments!