Traditional Photography vs. 3D Product Photography for eCommerce

In a world where either you’re going viral or being forgotten, you can’t put a price on the best version of product photography—which can be the lever your company needs to take its website to the next level.

 

Crate & Barrel 3D product photography for eCommerce

 

And although there are many businesses that are still using traditional photography to sell their product—the transition from traditional to the new age is slowly turning heads and converting customers, one business at a time.

Some businesses loyally stick with their traditional ways, swearing that it still leads to successful conversion. However, more and more businesses are making the switch to 3D photorealistic product photography and AR technology—and are never looking back. Of course, there are two sides to every story—both advantages and disadvantages to choosing one over the other.

In this article, we’re going to take a closer look as to why switching up your product photography can be the most important decision you can make to turn website visitors into successful customers.

 

Traditional:

So, with the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it mentality,” let’s take a closer look at the old-school version.

Photoshoot image

What are some of the advantages of sticking with traditional photography?

  • Getting product photos directly from the manufacturer, saving you time and money.

  • Familiarity with your customers and your target audience.

  • It has unmatched versatility.

  • Creative possibilities are endless.

  • It keeps fleeting attention locked in.

  • It gives you control over your “photo shooting”.

  • You can tell a story rather than just show a product.

Why make your job any harder than it should be?

With traditional photography, you can get product images that were taken directly by those who know your product best—the manufacturers. These basic, yet effective 2D images are in-stock and require no additional work from you. Just grab and post or upload the final image.

Since the manufacturer photos have already been taken and distributed, they entail no additional cost from your pocket. You also don’t have to invest any time in creating or digitalizing photos. Of course, if you want higher-quality images, you'll need to outsource a photo studio or hire an in-house product photographer, but you have the option of manufacturer photos to fall back on.

If your target niche is older and not-so-tech-savvy, then sticking with traditional photography can be beneficial. If a potential customer is overwhelmed with how to use the product photography on your website, fumbling with customization options or changing up display options, then forget about conversion to sell. However, this is typically not the case.

 

3D Product Photography:

For product photography, 3D and AR technology have been more and more prevalent in the online sell-and-shop business. However, if some businesses are still using the old-school version of product photography and swearing by the traditional, what could be the benefits of upgrading your technology or software?

For traditional photography, you may have noticed that there were not too many listed “advantages for”—which is why most retailers are making the switch to 3D product photography for eCommerce.

 

Jpress Shirt Customizer-gif

 

Here are a few other reasons:

This software gives you the option to import a single photo, 3D file, or CAD file of just one of your products, which the platform renders in photorealistic 2D and uses rules from your product catalog to create customization options. This way, the shopper can customize the product to reflect every possible combination of other colors, patterns, textures, and styles you could have in-stock, and the retailer can scale their product catalog in a far less time-consuming way. The possibilities are endless when it comes to multiplying the effect of a single product model into various styles.

 

suit customizer v2-gif

 

This means that the customer can change the product design, color, visual effect, etc., in real time, helping them literally visualize what they would be ordering, down to the last detail.

From using a plain white background to lifestyle scenes to a 360 product viewer, you can effectively showcase your product in an interactive experience for your customer that simply converts sales.

 

Rolex gif

 

3D photography makes it possible for your customer to truly get a “feel” for your product, with quality and realism that you simply cannot get with traditional photography. The software takes online shopping to a whole other level, from incorporating a 360-degree spin of the product so your customer can view it from different angles to interactive room scenes and customization that engages the shopper to the fullest.

3D product photography makes your customers feel in control—turning them from just a passive scroller to an active participant in their shopping experience. This can truly help you enhance the experience for an online visitor. It gives them that in-store feeling without all the pressure of a salesperson watching their every move. They can make a buying decision in their own time, sitting in the comfort of their own home, with all the visual benefits of being in-store.

Instead of hoping for good weather with traditional photography and a planned, outdoor photo shoot, you can hone in on 3D visualization, where everything can be adjusted—even the background.

 

Virtual Photography for chair

 

You also don’t have to worry about having all the products of every color that you would have during a traditional photoshoot. Instead, 3D visualization gives you the better opportunity to be able to revise, edit, and make corrections—even after the last photo has already been taken and your stock has been put away.

Rather than showing your customer a run-of-the-mill picture from a manufacturer’s website, which could appear on countless other websites similar to yours, you can stand out from the crowd by bringing your customer right on-set with you.

3D visuals can help show your product in its most natural environment, which helps the customer visualize what it would be like in action. This also gives your customers a realistic view of usage, aesthetics, and size, which are big concerns when it comes to online shopping. In other words, it can help reassure the customer about their purchase—before they purchase it.

 

Convert online scrollers into loyal customers

Whether you need various options of the same product displayed on your photography platform or you are simply looking for a high-quality alternative to help convert viewers into customers, 3D photography from ThreeKit can help.

This software is fully designed and formatted with the online shopper and shop owner in mind. Not only is it helpful in providing customization and visualization, but it also helps convert customers and boost sales.

To learn more about what 3D product photography can do for your business, schedule a demo with our team today.