Or so that is the goal!

The most inciting element of selling online is seeing what the product looks like. A picture and description in most cases are the only two elements sellers can use to encourage a sale in the online marketplace, besides price of course. Would you buy a product if you didn’t see it first? I know I wouldn’t or at least would be pretty nervous until I saw the finished product on my doorstep!

I thought taking pictures of our products for our Goodsmiths store, Simply Sassy, would be as straight forward as it sounds – just point and click. However, after a few trial runs I quickly realized how important it is to take a few precursory steps to ensure your products are being captured in the best light.

• Subtle but coordinated background: Find a backdrop that works well with your style and brand but doesn’t act as a distraction from the item you are trying to sell. We went to the scrapbook section of a craft store and bought a few solid color pieces of rustic looking paper that will coordinate with our Simply Sassy mantra but not take away from our beautifully crafted items (if I do say so myself!). If you are taking pictures of larger items or items being modeled make sure you use a solid colored wall as a backdrop.

The striped background washes out the vibrant color of the floral pin.

Using a solid colored neutral background allows the colors of the floral pin to pop.

• Find the best lighting: Make sure the glare from a window or overhead light is not jeopardizing the color of your product or washing it out. Most digital cameras have automatic lighting settings to detect the best light for your surroundings. If all else fails, you can manipulate the color, brightness and contrast in a photo editing program.
• Bring your product to life: The use of people whenever possible is critical for the buyer to really see how the product functions or looks on. In the example below, you can see the difference between the scarf lying stagnant on the table versus when the product is being modeled in the recommended style. Disclaimer: Please use your discretion on determining whether your products can be appropriately demonstrated via photograph (i.e. if you are selling bars of soap, there is no need to schedule a photo shoot of someone in the bathtub enjoying the fresh lavender scent. I think most people can use their imaginations for that particular product!)

The scarf is lifeless on the table and gives no indication of size or how it can be worn.

Using a model the brown scarf is brought to life and customers can see how it can be styled.

• Embrace any imperfections: Highlight unique characteristics of a product and don’t stress yourself about making sure blemishes are hidden. People buy handmade goods for that exact reason – they are handmade and every product is a little bit different from the next. Also, you don’t want to hide things from customer so they know exactly what they are getting and won’t be surprised (in the bad way) upon opening their package.
• Crop it out: Focus in on the product and make sure you leave no room for distractions in the margins of your photos. Use a photo editing software to trim the excess margins that could take the sellers eye away from the product at hand. In the scarf example above, leaving the person’s face in the picture is not recommended as it takes the emphasis off the scarf and onto the person. The scarf is what you are selling, not the person wearing it.
• Be consistent: When a buyer visits your online store and browses through your product offerings, it is best to keep your “style” of pictures consistent across product lines. You want to reinforce your standard of quality and credibility. This can be achieved by using similar backgrounds or backdrops, keeping the contrast and brightness levels the same, as well as using the same angles and focusing techniques.

It is important to note, that there is no need to buy a professional grade camera to achieve professional looking photos. Any digital camera should equip you with the necessary tools to take quality looking photographs to elicit a sale; along with the help of a photo editing software to crop and adjust color/brightness of your pictures.

Remember these few pointers as you get ready to snap your product pics and you are on your way to making thousands of sales!

Kelli-Kelli@Goodsmiths.com