Whether you’re selling cosmetic products, clothing, kitchenware, or healthcare supplements, Amazon main image optimization matters. Your main product image (or your hero image) is the first thing that people see, and there’s just a matter of seconds to make an impression and capture your customer’s attention.
And we really do mean seconds. There are studies to show that the human attention span is shorter than ever. When in 2000, it was recorded at 12 seconds – by 2013, it dwindled to a mere 8 seconds.
That’s why effective photos and considered Amazon image optimization are essential to improving CTR. Making your product stand out from the crowd is harder than it used to be, thanks to the shortening attention of online shoppers, as well as ever-increasing choice and selection across all product categories.
The importance of Amazon image optimization
Amazon main image optimization can make or break your listing. Not only can a well-optimised product image make people stop scrolling and click on your product, but it can enhance your listing in other ways.
Here’s a look at why your Amazon product image matters:
- Increase CTR – and SALES!
If you increase your click-through rate on listings, you may also see a boost in sales too. As long as you can provide clear product information, and market benefits and features effectively, those clicks can turn into conversions.
- Improve visibility on Amazon
Amazon’s algorithms take a lot of things into consideration when it comes to SEO, including CTR. So positive click-throughs can actually level up your rankings and improve your brand’s visibility on the marketplace.
- Create a brand identity
While your main goal is to attract clicks, the main photo on your listing can also help your brand stand out against the competition. How can this be done? By making sure your image is professionally captured and that it aligns with your brand story – that not only increases clicks and sales, but elevates engagement and makes your brand memorable.
- Build trust with customers
Amazon product photos should offer complete transparency so customers know what they are buying, what they should expect from your product, and how it will look when it arrives. Ensuring your main product image is clear and accurate is a great way of making sales run smoothly, and also creating trust and loyalty.
- Improve user experience
Through effective Amazon main image optimisation, you will also be supporting the overall customer experience. This is something that is very important to Amazon, and better user experience benefits everyone – you (the seller), the marketplace, and the customer.
Why make CTR a priority?
Of course, one of the most important benefits of Amazon main image optimisation is improving CTR. Every brand should prioritise their click-through rate. The first reason is simple – a higher click-through rate means more people adding products to their basket.
But with a good CTR also comes more intelligence. The more people that click on your listing, the more data you’ll have. This is how sellers can find out what works – and more importantly, what doesn’t. For instance, a high CTR but low conversion could indicate a problem within your listing, such as your product copy or bullet points.
When your product is optimised for both clicks and conversions, your product will be in the best position to take a larger market share.
Not only should sellers focus on Amazon image optimization to improve CTR, but there are other factors too. These include:
- Product title – is your title optimised with relevant information and keywords? Are your USPs clear within the title?
- Price – is your product strategically priced to match or compete with other brands in the same category?
- Reviews – the Amazon star rating display makes a huge difference to click-throughs, with research showing that one review makes a product 65% more likely to be bought than one with no reviews at all.
Amazon image guidelines and optimization
When it comes to optimising your Amazon images, it’s important to bear in mind the official guidelines that have been published by the marketplace. The guidelines are as follows:
- The whole product must be in frame and products should fill 85% or more of the frame
- The main image should be on a pure white background
- Product photos must be professionally lit and photographed
While these guidelines are in place, there are some instances where there can be a bit of a grey area. For instance, it’s still possible to experiment with visual elements as long as there is reason for doing so – such as transparency and improving customer experience.
Optimising your Amazon images creatively
Now, this is where the grey area can work in your favour. It’s important to make your hero image stand out and be as creative as possible to stand out from the crowd, but can you do this without breaking Amazon’s rules?
Amazon’s vetted daily deals often include hero images featuring additional elements that are advised against within their own guidelines. This suggests that tactics used in Amazon main image optimization may be judged on a case-by-case basis.
If the way you choose to optimize your product’s hero image is useful or helpful to the customer, it may fall into the grey area.
Amazon’s main goal is to provide an engaging shopping experience. So if any additional elements you are looking to add can make your product clearer, more accurate, more helpful and more transparent, then it may be worth trying.
Here are 5 creative ways to take Amazon main image optimization to the next level…
1. Show the main USPs of the product
There could be many competitors within the same category, many with same/similar products. If you have USPs that set your listing apart, try and show these in the main product image. For instance, there could multiple sellers selling vegan pancake mix on Amazon, but if yours is sugar free / dairy free / gluten free, you could add this as a call-out on your main image.
By optimising your Amazon images with these details, you can appeal to specific audiences. Within the food category, this could be people with special dietary needs, or just people who are attracted to healthier options when they are available.
2. Reference value for money
One of the biggest factors for consideration when it comes to click-throughs is how your product can help customers save money. This can be seen in the pricing itself, but there are other ways to showcase value, such as multipack savings, packs with 50% extra, or the exact quantity supplied. If a buyer can instantly see that your listing contains 100 pieces, they are likely to choose yours over a similar one where the quantity is not instantly visible.
Or if you are selling a food item that comes in a bulk pack, a great Amazon main image optimisation idea would be to add text or imagery that depicts the amount. This could be graphic text that says ‘6 pack’ or something to that effect.
Similarly, for products that offer a certain amount in terms of servings or supply (such as a 30-day supply of supplements or 70 washes with a washing powder), these details should be optimised too in the hero image.
Being clear with quantities and usage isn’t just a good way to increase click-throughs, but it’s a way to be more transparent. This transparency is loved by Amazon, as it improves the customer experience, making it easier for them to find the products they need.
3. Provide product context
While having only the product as the main image on a pure white background is standard practice in most cases, there are some listings which will benefit from more context. This is where 3D rendering – rather than just simple product photography – could be helpful.
Let’s take chocolate protein powder as an example. Based on Amazon guidelines, displaying the protein powder tub on a plain background would be advised. However, customers sometimes need more context than that. They want to see the tub, as well as what’s inside the tub. This is where it could be handy to add imagery of the actual powder itself.
Simply by seeing the colour of the powder, customers are assured of the authenticity of the product. It could even be useful to include an image of the ingredients used so that shoppers are clear on what’s been used in the manufacturing process.
Or if you are selling plastic cups for parties/catering events, showing the product with an example beverage or liquid can quickly give customers context.
4. Experiment with visual elements
Making your product the most attractive one in a saturated market is hard, especially with online marketplaces like Amazon where there are new sellers popping up every day. Sometimes, simply getting creative with your hero image can help with CTR.
For example, try different camera angles, and compositions and experiment with shadows to give your main hero image a point of difference.
Have you ever considered why some brands get away with featuring packaging on their main image? This can be seen with quite a few cosmetic product listings, often where the packaging is a part of the shopping experience. People buy beauty products, not only for their efficacy but also because of the brand, so sometimes using packaging in the photo can be useful for displaying authenticity. As an additional bonus, adding your main keyword to your packaging will reinforce to buyers that your product is what they are looking for.
5. Let people know there are colour options
Variety and choice are hugely attractive to customers and if this can be conveyed in the first image they see, you’ll likely get their attention. With a product photo that includes a product tag, you could render it to include variation colour swatches. This way, customers will instantly see that whatever you’re offering also comes in different colours/designs to suit their preferences.
For homeware and home décor categories, this is particularly advantageous as customers will likely have a colour/style in mind, and being able to offer variety means they may click on your listing to find out more.
More tips on optimising your Amazon images
If you want to get the most out of Amazon image optimization tactics, be sure to do as much as you can to understand your target customer. Here are some ways you can align your Amazon main image optimisation techniques with the right audience:
- Conduct thorough market research
Knowing your customers’ wants, needs and main pain points is key to tailoring content to suit them. With a better understanding of what makes your customers tick (and what makes them add to cart), you can make sure the right information is incorporated in the hero image of your listing.
For instance, if price and value for money are the main conversion drivers, make sure you feature the quantity/how many days’ supply as well as multipack savings, etc.
- Test and analyse performance
It’s not always easy knowing the best approach so if you have different ideas you want to try, conduct A/B testing to understand what works best. It may be the case that one main image performs better than the other, or it could be that they appeal to different markets.
- Don’t forget Amazon image guidelines
While we do talk about the ‘grey area’ and allowances for certain Amazon image optimization techniques as long as there is value and a positive impact on customer experience, it’s still vital to keep up to date with the latest Amazon main image guidelines.
Familiarise yourself with these guidelines so you can make an informed decision when it comes to creating your hero images.
Amazon image optimization with Seller Presto
At Seller Presto, we have years of experience working with Amazon sellers. If you are unsure about how to approach Amazon main image optimisation, we can help.
With guidelines in place and contradicting articles on optimizing your Amazon images to generate click-throughs, we understand that it can be very confusing!
We offer consultative services, as well as product listing creation and complete Amazon account management to save you time, while also increasing your sales.
To find out more about how we can support you with Amazon main image optimization and other services, get in touch with Seller Presto today.