A prerequisite for listing your product on Amazon is including at least one product image. But why are images so important on Amazon? Discover how a good-quality photograph of a product can have a significant impact on conversion rate.
Why are Amazon product images so important?
If you want to buy a product in a brick-and-mortar shop, you can take the time to look at it, touch it, rotate it and try it out. However, when shopping online, most of the sensory impressions that you normally receive whilst shopping are missing – you have to rely purely on your eyes.
That’s why product images are particularly important on Amazon: only an item that is presented in an appealing way will attract potential customers. The product image has two main functions on Amazon:
- Increasing sales: a good product image significantly increases the likelihood that a prospective customer will click through to the product detail page. This helps drive a higher volume of purchases, especially if more detailed photos of the product are available.
- Improving page rankings: if a product page receives more clicks and generates a higher volume of sales, it will rank better in Amazon search results. A good product images can help drive an increase in CTR and sales.
Amazon’s search algorithm is designed to offer the best possible user experience. That’s why product images are required by Amazon; including at least one main image is a prerequisite for listing products.
How many product images can I upload to Amazon?
A main image that is displayed next to your product in Amazon search is mandatory. If this is missing, your product page will not be listed and therefore cannot be ordered. Up to seven images can be used on Amazon.
Amazon product images: What size is ideal?
Amazon’s guidelines stipulate a minimum dimension of 500 pixels on the image’s longest side. If you wish to activate the zoom function on your article, the lower limit is 1,000 pixels; this function works best with a images that are 1,600 pixels and up. The longest dimension, however, must not exceed 10,000 pixels.
Amazon & images: which types of image present the product in the best light?
There are three types of photos that you can use on product pages:
- Main image: this is the first image that is displayed on the product detail page and it is also shown in the search results. –The product must fill at least 85% of the image area. Only the item that is being sold should be displayed – optional accessories and packaging should not be included – and it needs to be set against a pure white background.
- Presentation of the USPs: the next 2-4 photos should show the unique selling points of the product in detail. In the case of a shoe, this could be an unusual profile, colourful laces, the footbed or the high-quality workmanship of the seams.
- Action shots: include images of your product being used in order to encourage people to make a purchase. If you are selling a leaf blower, for example, you should show a picture of a person using the device in the garden.
What are Amazon’s requirements for product images?
Amazon has strict requirements for the images that can be used. These are as follows:
- The following image file formats can be used: JPEG, TIFF, PNG and GIF (not animated)
- Clear image quality
- No nudity or sexually suggestive imagery
- No depictions of baby/children’s clothing on child models,
- No logos or trademarks used by Amazon or corresponding brands, such as Alexa or Prime
The style guides for certain product categories include a number of further requirements. For example, the main image used for product pages in the clothing category must always show the garment on a model. The model must not be sitting or lying down.
Tip: Take the time to produce good-quality product images. If the photos do not meet Amazon’s guidelines or are blurred or unattractive, you may find that your product pages are ranked lower or even removed.
Conclusion
If you want your product pages to perform well on Amazon, you should take the time to familiarise yourself with Amazon’s guidelines. Investing in professional product images that have been taken by photographers who specialise in taking pictures of products may be costly, but it pays off in the long term through significantly higher sales.
