Here’s how to rake in sales by adhering to eCommerce platforms’ product image guidelines.

If you’re a small retailer looking to efficiently sell products online, it’s time to give eCommerce platforms like Shopify a chance. There are plenty out there, but all of them have the same goal: to help you to make sales.

The process of creating your e-store through one of these platforms is actually quite simple. Many platforms offer attractive templates that you can utilize to design an e-store that fits your branding, with all of the practical features that are necessary for managing and facilitating sales included. This simple process will save you a great deal of time so that you can invest hours into making your product images look stunning.

Every platform enforces its own set of product image specifications and is important to follow these guidelines to stay in your platform’s good graces, to make your online store more attractive to your customers, to differentiate your online business from your competition, and ultimately, to sell more products. Taking these guidelines into account will definitely attract visitors to your online store and improve their shopping experiences!

Why Good Images Matter

High quality images are a major key to winning sales. A beautiful and attractive eCommerce image can be obtained by considering both the technical and aesthetic aspects of product photography. As you read through the following lists, keep in mind that in product photography, every tiny detail counts.

  • The technical aspects of product photography include image size, compression method and file type, margins, color profile, and resolution.
  • Aesthetic aspects to consider when creating product images include background appearance, accurate color, product styling, alignment, number of images provided, shadow effects.

It’s important to note that high quality product images are just as important to eCommerce platforms as they are to large-scale marketplaces that enforce their own unique sets of image guidelines, like eBay, Amazon and Google Shopping. It is important to acknowledge these rules and comply with them in order to improve the results of your online store.

Take a look at the following comparison chart to for recommendations on image sizing from well-known platforms Shopify, Magento, Volusion BigCommerce and PrestaShop.

eCommerce Platforms Image Guides

By becoming familiar with all of your eCommerce platform’s specific image guidelines, as well as these universal specs, you can minimize the time you spend post-producing and managing your images on your own and even streamline the process of outsourcing image edits to professional companies like Pixelz by being able to provide them with your platform’s image sizing guidelines up front.

Image guidelines will help you to make the most out of every product listing and minimize post production time, freeing you up to rethink selling strategies, manage PR & Communications, and attend to other areas of business that need your attention. This is why it’s important to stay updated on guideline changes and product imagery trends — because no customer wants to buy a product with an ugly or out-of-style product image.

If you create stunning product photography that adheres to strict image guidelines, then your customers will not only thank you for providing them with wonderful and consistent shopping experiences, but they’ll also probably share your page and products on social media. You know what that means!