Making Your Photos Work for You: E-Commerce Sellers Guide

The quality, type, and number of photos placed in an online listing can make or break a deal. 

Quality is important: people want to know that the item that they are considering buying is coming from a considerate home. What way to better show that consideration - for the item and the buyer - than to take quality photo (ie, well lit, well thoughtout, well cropped). Realize that the photos you present to the buying community are often all that they have to familiarize themselves with the item. 

Type of photos taken say something: if the photos you take are not informative, they really don't take into consideration the needs of the potential buyers. You must have an attitude that the buyer has never seen this item. Taking the type of photos that your buyers need is about considering any scratches or blemishes, plus all the good qualities, and any unique information or characters, photos of name brands, and don't forget to put in some photos that excite buyers! 

Number of photos: this last one may be limited by the contract that you have with the site that you are selling on. But, bigger purchases generally require more photos. For clothing, I tend to suggest that a range of five to eleven photos is responsible - remember buyers know only what you present of your items. Electronics, antique - toys/collectibles, these things can be sold with fewer photos generally, but think of the difference and the security that you'll give your buyers if you go above and beyond by adding two more photos of the items you are selling? 

 --Your buyers will appreciate it, and they will reward you too.