How to improve your eCommerce’s conversions by using pictures and videos (with real-life examples)

Abigail Bosze

Content Writer

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Imagine you go on a store’s product card and you come across pixelated images that look like they’ve been taken with a cellphone

You’d immediately leave and go back to Google, right?

Well, it may not be as bad as it sounds, but there are –without a doubt– many stores that don’t take their website’s images seriously. They’re happy with simply uploading pictures of the product against a white background (or stock images for homepage banners) because “any image will do.”

And that’s just such a shame because —when well used— images and videos are a powerful weapon to boost the conversion rate.

Would you like to know how?

Then keep on reading, because you’re about to learn how images and videos can help you sell more.

From now on, you will definitely see your store’s images with new eyes. 😉

👉 How videos and images help you attract customers and boost conversion

Surely you’re now thinking something like:

“I mean, I know images are important and all, but… maybe not so much as to sell more…”

Hang on in there; here are a few reasons.

✅ 1. They step up your SEO

That’s right: images and videos help you improve web positioning.

They do so in three ways:

• With “alt tags” and image names: when Google indexes your website, it does not “see” the images but it “reads” them by focusing on the text on the alt tag, or any alternative text, and the file’s name. To improve your SEO, you can include here the keyword you want to position yourself with.
• By keeping your customers on your website: when a user goes onto your eCommerce, the first thing they notice are your images. If they come across ordinary images, it’s possible they don’t feel compelled to keep on visiting the site and return to Google (which would increase the bounce rate). If this keeps on happening, Google will position you lower in the long run because it will interpret your store does not offer a good user experience.
• By increasing the time spent on the web with the use of videos: on the other hand. If —in addition to keeping users on the web—you also increase the time they spend on it, then that’s twice as good for your SEO. Videos are your best ally here because as long as users keep on watching them, you increase the time spent on your website.

This way, you can improve your eCommerce’s SEO while skyrocketing the amount of visitors you get. But yeah… we were “only” looking into improving ecommerce conversion rate, right? 😉

Hold your horses because images still have a lot to offer in this regard.

✅ 2. They improve added value

“Added value” may sound ambiguous.

It’s a way of saying we simplify things for people; in this case, through images and videos.

So, how do we make this happen?

Like this:

• Photos on the homepage: by simply landing on your homepage, the user will be able to get a sense of what you sell, your special offers or your featured products. Here, you need only to consider the products or sites you’d like to guide your user to.
• Product cards: “it’s a lovely dress, but…” Surely, the user would like to know whether the dress shines through to try to picture themselves in it. That’s where high-quality images and videos come in handy: in product cards.  We’ll see a concrete example of this below.
• The search engine’s autocomplete: you weren’t expecting this, for sure. Well, it turns out you can also include autocomplete suggestions for the person to find the product they are looking for faster. This is something not every store has; however, it can make your sales skyrocket. If you’d like to know more, check this post out.

You start getting their value, right?

Well, one more tip: for images and videos to work well, knowing your buyer persona is a must.

This will help you know the kind of images that will make an impact on them instantly.

For example, imagine you own a bikini and summer apparel store, and you know your target audience is made of youngsters who are into surfing. Then, infuse all your images with that “alternative” vibe, with models wearing your bikinis in hippie settings and appealing to the surfer lifestyle…

… the way Billabong does, for instance. 😉

Here’s a screenshot of their homepage, but the principle is the same for every image in your store.

✅ 3. They help you build brand

Images transmit your brand image.

For this, make sure there’s consistency across:

• Colors
• Hue
• Settings
• Etc.

In other words, have your customers recognize your brand instantly, even if they don’t have your brand’s logo on them.

Just like in the previous example. Billabong’s most enthusiastic customers can recognize the brand in its pastel colors and surfer-lifestyle casual pictures that distinguish this brand.

👉 3 real-life examples of how you can optimize conversion through your store’s graphic contents

Let’s move onto a more practical matter.

Up next, we’ll be talking about 3 growing trends related to images in eCommerce, which you can apply to your own store.

Grab a pen and paper. 😉

✅ 1. A good banner encourages browsing

You must have seen it in most of the stores.

It’s nowadays fashionable to have images and videos across the entire above-the-fold space, typically next to a call to action (to redirect the user to the product or category we want).

Check out Decathlon website’s “Let’s Camp!” and this picture of one of their camping tents in the middle of the mountains.

This image is not meant to decorate but to:

• Push a concrete product: in Decathlon’s case, they take advantage of camping season to promote their tents.
• Display offers or sales: if you have a juicy offer you know your customers will love, why not place it where it looks appealing enough for them to just go for it?

Remember how we mentioned earlier that images must follow a strategy?

Here’s a very clear example.

✅ 2. Don’t settle for pictures only (include videos on cards)

It’s clear that a product card needs images that:

• Show the product from different angles.
• Have a high quality.

But that’s practically taken for granted and 99% of stores already do.

If you want to stand out from your competitors, this next trend might be interesting for you: videos on product cards.

At first, they were mainly used only for products with a complex functioning (such as in certain consumer electronics stores).

Nowadays, it’s a resource that’s becoming more popular because videos help customers from any sector to better visualize the product they are considering to buy.

Here’s an example of it on this product card from Desigual (fashion brand).

And this isn’t the only brand that includes videos of their products on every card.

If they keep doing so it’s because it must work, right? 😉

➡️ An image with a model in it sells more

One more tip to add value with your product pictures.

If your product cards display people using the product, that will be useful for the user to picture themselves with it. For example, if you see a person wearing the same pants or dress you’re thinking about getting, it’s easier for you to have a sense of how it might look on you.

Pay attention to the difference between this picture and the one above.

Yes, it’s the same dress. But, out of the two images, which one makes you want to buy it more?

Attention now. This applies to any eCommerce.

For instance, if you sell electric shavers, then display a person using one. Or if you sell cat scratching posts, use a picture or a video of a cat sharpening their claws on it.

✅ 3. An “augmented” shopping experience

Here’s the ultimate tip.

Some stores have decided to take it up one notch from the typical product images and use augmented reality. That is, a kind of technology that allows you to see a real image with an overlapping specific graphic element. 

For example, a “virtual fitting room” that allows the user to try on your store’s clothes virtually, using their own laptop’s webcam.

Maybe you think it’s out of your reach, but this kind of technology is way easier to implement than you think. To learn more, we suggest you visit our post on augmented reality.

👉 You’re up now; use the power of images and videos to increase your sales

You know what they say: “a picture is worth a thousand words”… or almost.

Because, when it comes to an eCommerce, there are many factors that count, such as:

• Appealing product cards (including the copy).
• A positive user experience.
• A simple purchase process.

Only to name a few.

You must give images due importance and think of them as one more tool to convert.

If you use this “power” wisely, you’ll touch your users’ hearts and skyrocket your store’s conversion.

Let’s get on it! 😉