Competing for consumer business online is already challenging. But one way you can stand out is through virtual photography.
There are more than 500,000 small and medium-sized businesses on Amazon (and counting). That competition is heightened 10-fold when you move your business to the popular marketplace, so focus on visuals.
Virtual photography creates high-quality, high-resolution representations of your product. It also highlights essential features with a simple tweak of a shadow or shift in angle.
For instance, a combination of 2D imaging and 3D modeling software can turn your typical 2D photos into a 3D model and a virtual tour that can be manipulated in a 360-degree view among online shoppers.
How does this affect your brand on Amazon? According to Dimitri Bir, founder of Webrotate 360, on PracticalEcommerce, they have seen reports of a 5% to 40% increase in sales with the adoption of 360-degree product views.
Here's your guide to using virtual photography to stand out from competitors on Amazon.
360-Degree Virtual Visuals Give Brick-and-Mortar Experiences Online
The main benefit of brick-and-mortar shops over eCommerce is the ability to see every inch of your product before purchasing. With the all too common scam of counterfeit goods and phony products hitting the Amazon Marketplace, it's important to make your company's product images stand out in terms of authenticity.
For instance, CXL reports that around 29% of consumers are wary about online purchasing.
The good news? Wary customers can be converted with the right tactics.
Enter 360-degree virtual tours.
Allowing your online shoppers to see every detail of your product — highlighting its most unique and beneficial features — will give them real-time insight into what to expect from their purchase. Add in capabilities to zoom in without sacrificing the resolution and quality of your virtual photo, and you have a winner.
This is significant since it's the closest eCommerce shoppers can currently get to brick-and-mortar benefits combined with online conveniences. Together, you have the ultimate customer experience, attracting the more than 46% of people that prioritize customer experience over other important factors like product and pricing.
Virtual Photography Levels Up Traditional Photography
There's almost nothing more important than incorporating high-quality images into your Amazon product listings.
In fact, 90% of online buyers consider photo quality to be the most important factor of their online shopping experience. Also, at least 22% of shoppers will return items that don't look like their photos.
Virtual photography gives consumers the closest look into what to expect from your product, offering them the unique opportunity to virtually hold the product in their hand and inspect every inch of it. This allows shoppers to capture the fine details, despite not physically having the product in person.
Image variety
What's more is you can offer several variations in your listing.
This means that your customers can customize your product listing to match their specific needs. This is a big competitive advantage since most other brands are still stuck in the past with one of these two options:
- One photo that they Photoshop different colors or variations into. This is an affordable solution, but it is easy for shoppers to detect and can be unprofessional-looking.
- A different photo for each color or variation. This is more expensive because each item must be photographed consistently and requires you to bring in every variation for the photoshoot.
Traditional photography can't compete in this area, and your potential customers will recognize the difference.
Quantity
Online sales aren’t just a matter of quantity versus quality. Shoppers want both.
In fact, customers respond best to product pages that have between five and eight photos, at minimum. More images, especially from different angles and in different contexts, give shoppers a better understanding of your product.
360-degree visuals can be thought of as a compilation of hundreds or thousands of visuals, arranged like a flipbook. Shoppers can zoom in, spin and re-orient the images to get a “first-hand” look at the details that matter to them.
Virtual photography also allows shoppers to see customizations in real time. You can set your products to be available in an endless array of colors, with different materials, or in different sizes.
All of those images make the products even more enticing to Amazon shoppers looking for convenience and instant purchasing power.
Engagement
As if that isn't enough, you'll also benefit from social sharing.
Social media users are at least 40% more likely to share your content with their followers if it has high-quality photos. Combine this with a great experience with your brand, and you're looking at a much broader reach in your target market.
According to Forbes, at least 49% of people who've had a positive customer experience say they would share it on social media or post a positive review online. A great review about their positive experiences alongside virtual product photography equals more:
- Trust
- Authenticity
- Loyalty
- Conversions
Click here to learn more about virtual photography.
Bring Real-World Experiences to Your Amazon Listings With Threekit's Virtual Photographer
Amazon is a giant in the eCommerce world of business, making it an essential place to be for most companies.
However, the problem is just that most businesses are already selling on the marketplace. This makes it difficult to set yourself apart from the dozens of other brands selling similar products just a click away from your own.
A professional photographer can make your product photos shine. But Threekit's virtual photography tools will take it to the next level.
Most brands on Amazon are already taking advantage of professional photos. But few have yet to incorporate virtual reality into their photoshoot.
If there's one thing Threekit knows, it's 3D. We'll keep you up to date on all the latest in virtual photography while helping you ditch outdated photoshoots for virtual photoshoots that:
- Save on costs
- Enhance visualization
- Deliver customizable results
Whether you sell exclusively on Amazon or it’s just one of your selling platforms, don’t wait to make virtual photography part of your selling strategies. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our virtual photography solutions.
