From a place to buy and sell handmade items and craft supplies, Etsy has grown from a sales volume of $170,000 in its first year (2005) to an incredible $3.9 billion in 2018 that’s a lot of people looking to spend their cash on jewelry, vintage goods, clothing, art, and other handmade treasures. As a seller on ETSY it may have crossed your mind, what exactly is that shop’s secret for a higher number of sales conversions? If that’s the case, consider this your lucky day. It’s not me but ETSY themselves who published a survey recently that found out that the most important factor among – the quality of images, the cost of the item, shipping fees, and user reviews that influence its shoppers to actually buy a product is quality of images. Simply put, whether you sell on Etsy, another platform, or your own website, taking pro photographs of your products is crucial to the growth of your business. These simple yet efficient techniques can be applied as a seller to capture a bigger customer base by taking pro product photos for ETSY.
Image clarity matters most
I won’t blow the bells and whistles on this one, it’s either done right or not. You can’t compromise the clarity of your images at any cost. Hazy and poor images will not only make customers go away but also question the professionalism your shop acts upon. Make sure the images are clear, well-lit, and sharp because if you don’t then nothing else matters.
The right lighting will make your business shine
It doesn’t matter if you are shooting from Phase One IQ3 ($57,500) or your smartphone, a well-lit photograph will always be your best bet. While having a photo studio makes life very easy, it doesn’t if you are a small business as it involves cost. Making sure that your images are well light can be as easy as tapping into some good old sunlight. Photos with natural light are more appealing as they display the products in their actual colors and hence they tend to be the winner on ETSY. You can also create some great natural light effects with the changing day phases and display how your product will actually look at different times of the day, this is most crucial if you are into the decor or fashion business. This article might help you out further.
Photo background is crucial
Another most important factor for your ETSY product photos to stand out is to have a clear background that is free of distractions. The most popular choice is a white or light-colored background, however, that may change as per the colors of your product. Contrast is the key here as It gives a clear way for your product. Additionally, you may use natural backgrounds like a wood panel, a window pane, or even a tree leaf for smaller products. Get creative while keeping it clean.
Variations go a long way
Have a product in more than one color or pattern? Well, it’s time to get creative. Showcasing a product in different colors and patterns will help you boost your conversion on ETSY drastically. When we display the product in different variations it creates room for a wider audience, as seven out of ten buyers, have abandoned their carts as they don’t like the color it came in or the pattern it had.
Use models
The photos on Etsy are different from that on Amazon in various ways, on ETSY you can use models as per your need. ETSY not only allows it but recommends it in specific categories. If you analyze the top 25 fashion brand websites, you will notice that 62% of product photos feature people. This is really important as, if you are trying to sell a necklace or a dress it may not actually be enough to have it on a clear background lying flat. Models show the product in the application, which instantly gives a clear understanding to the customer and the best part is it doesn’t have to be expensive if you are just getting started, as you can always seek help from your friends or family members.
Create beautiful close-up shots with Macro
Almost all modern-day cameras have a close-up mode, this is known as macro. It is usually represented with a little logo that looks like a Tulip. The general usage of this mode is to focus at a short distance, this helps in capturing small details. When it comes to selling items like jewelry, key chains, buttons, or any small products for that matter, using macro will be your best bet. If you are new to photography, then give it a try a couple of days before going with actual product images. This article has this awesome guide on macro photography with a cell phone.
Shooting on a smartphone? Let’s get to pro mode
If you tend to use your smartphone to shoot your product images then the pro mode is what you should definitely be going for. It’s actually a built-in feature that most modern-day smartphones are equipped with. To put it in simple words, it lets you choose custom settings for your smartphone camera as if it was a DSLR. You can tweak features like ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed, and White balance. It also allows you to shoot images in RAW format which makes them more suitable to edit via Photoshop or similar applications. You can also check out this article to make the most of product photos taken from your phones.
Quick Tip: Always follow the prescribed image size from ETSY.
Not a photographer yourself or don’t have the budget to hire one? Let the Blend App be your savior.
If you have products to sell and everything set up but you just learned that you are not a photographer or don’t have a budget to afford one right now then you can let the Blend App worry about it. With the Blend App, you can create beautiful product photos that can be set to different backgrounds, with more than 500 templates all you have to do is tap and choose the one that works for you. Go ahead, try it out now.
You can go to the Google Play Store for Android and iOS Store for iPhones to get started.