If you’re like most of us selling in the Amazon car parts niche, you probably haven’t given much thought to your products images. And, honestly, what more do you need to do when selling auto parts online than to upload a few good pictures of your product to Amazon? Turns out that it’s not that simple after all. Once you’ve checked to be sure that your photos meet the minimum product image requirements, there are some other important ways to optimize your product images that you just don’t want to skip. In the following guide, we’ll walk you through the six top tips you’ve got to be using if you want to boost your sales and improve your search results.
1.) Use Large, High-Resolution Images
Once you’ve mastered the basics and ensured product image compliance, you will want to ensure that your photos are high-quality, have a high resolution and are in either TIFF (.tif), GIF (.gif) or JPEG (.jpg) format. Most important of all, all images need to be a minimum of 1000 pixels in height or width in order to enable Amazon’s zoom function. It should be noted that Amazon lists JPEGs as their preferred image format probably because they are far better at rendering photographs than GIF or TIFF files. Be sure to keep this in mind when editing your images and resist the temptation to simply resize an image to make it larger rather than retaking product photos because the results will be blurry and pixelated — a sure fire way to turn buyers off.
2.) Use All of the Image Slots Available
We almost feel like we shouldn’t have to say this but we can’t tell you how many times we’ve seen sellers list a headlight or other auto parts online and upload a single product image. Worst of all, these are the same sellers who don’t even bother to make their images zoomable. Don’t be like these guys. In case you missed it above, Amazon differentiates between your main image (the one that will show up in the search results) and secondary images which are displayed to the left of the main product photo. Here are the most important features your main image needs to have:
- The image must be a professional photograph of the product being sold.
- The image cannot contain additional objects not being sold with the item.
- The image must be in focus, professionally lit, with realistic color, and smooth edges.
- The full product must be in frame.
- The image backgrounds must be pure white (RGB 255,255,255).
- The image must not contain additional text, graphics, or inset images.
As you’ll see in the tips below, you have more leeway with your secondary images.
3.) Show Your Products from Multiple Angles
This tip is really a corollary to the one above and, let’s face it, there’s nothing worse finding that the product you’ve been looking for has one, lonely photo. Whether it’s a Seiko watch or a pair of replacement LED light bulbs, we all need a little more help to push us over the edge when it comes to online shopping. Multiple angle shots of your products do just that, since they allow online users to feel as if they are getting an almost virtual, 360-degree look at the object in question.
4.) Be Sure to Include Background and Use Context
One of the best ways to really appeal to your customers and game the A9 algorithm at the same time is to use images that show your auto parts in their actual context. Show how your customers will use your product and how it will improve their lives. Although this may seem a little more when it comes to the product mix we associate with auto parts marketing, it’s not impossible. If you’re marketing windshield wiper blades, you could show a happy couple in the cab of a truck during a rainstorm. Too complicated? How about showing how brightly your LED dome light or map lights illuminate the interior of a vehicle? Not only do these in-contact shots humanize your products but product photos that include humans boost conversions and show scale.
5.) Crop Your Images to Make Them Square
Although it’s a fact that Amazon can support images that have been cropped to a number of diverse sizes you want to be sure that all of your images are square in shape. Why? Simply because if your product image isn’t square, padding will be added around the periphery to make it fit into a square frame. The reason why this is so important is that if you create product images that are rectangular they won’t use the entire square image space and they will be compressed and padded which will, in turn, make them look smaller. Bottom line: don’t waste your precious time making images that will be resized and cropped to fit when you can do it yourself in the first place by using the correct formatting.
6.) Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Your Background
We’ve already mentioned that Amazon prefers the use white backgrounds and, in the case of your primary product images, this is especially true. One great way to put this fact to work for you is to enhance your product images through the use of a special photo enhancement technique known as an infinity curve or cove. In essence, an infinity cove or curve results when the background of the image is removed and only plain, white space is left. Although infinity coves began as an actual element used to stage product photos almost anyone can create the effect with simply photo editing tools. By using this effect, your product images will pop off the page and you’ll stand out from the crowd.
Put Your Amazon Marketing Strategy to Work with Optimized Images
Now that you’ve got the know-how, put these easy to easy tips to work in all of your product images today. Even if you’re not able to implement every single tip we’ve covered, just upgrading your images with a few of them will make your product stand out from the competition and, let’s face it, in Amazon’s crowded marketplace, we need any edge we can get. Really, when it boils down to it, all of these tips help you to make more attractive and useful images that will truly captivate potential customers regardless of any algorithmic effect they might have. So, put your newfound knowledge to use today and optimize those product photos!