Do you know 90% of online shoppers say that when buying a product online, photo quality is hugely important? That is the main thing that convinces them to buy. This high level clearly demonstrates the importance of photo editing to build trust and increase sales. 90% is a large percentage!
In the e-commerce world, your product images are the first thing customers see. This means your images need to be more than good. They need to be great.
This is where photo editing comes in. Professional photo editing is the secret weapon when it comes to improving ordinary pictures into images that sell. We are a team of professionals at UK Clipping Path who love to help online businesses stand out through great professional images.
The First Impression is Everything: Why Image Quality Matters
When you walk into a store, you can physically touch and handle products. Your customers cannot do that online. Your product photos are all your online customers have.
Product photos are their first introduction to your product. For that reason, your photographs need to be bright, clear, and convey all the necessary details.
Good images don’t just show a product; they create trust. When a customer sees a nice, well-made image of your product, they see a brand they can trust. It tells customers you care about quality, and it helps them feel more confident in purchasing.
But what do we mean by “quality” images? It is all in the details, and that is where editing photographs should play a part.
The Core Techniques of E-commerce Photo Editing
Photo editing is not a singular topic. Rather, it is simply a series of special skills and techniques that work together to make your average photos the exact photo you want.
These are the techniques that are going to refine regular photos into professional photos that hold the reader’s eye. We are going to consider some of the most common techniques outlined below.
Clipping Path and Background Removal: Creating a Clean, Consistent Look
Have you ever come across a product photo that appears to be floating on a pure white background? Your perception is likely due to a clipping path and background removal.
A clipping path is just like using a pair of digital scissors to neatly cut the product out of its original background. Once cut, we can place your product on any background we see fit, usually a clean white background.
This editing is extremely important for several reasons. Most importantly, it eliminates all distractions. The customer will only focus on your product. Secondly, it creates a clean and consistent look across your entire website. All of your product photos will look like they belong together. Further, large online stores such as Amazon and eBay require a white background. Therefore, it is important to make sure you take the appropriate steps for selling on those sites. Our background removal services will always keep your product the focal point.
Color Correction and Enhancement: True-to-Life Product Representation
Have you ever ordered something online and when it arrived, it was a different color than you thought? This happens a lot, and it typically leads to returns. This is when color correction comes into play. Color correction is the process by which we make colors in a photo look the same as the real-life product. This allows customers to know exactly what they are going to get. Not only is color correction used, but we can also make the colors more vibrant.
Enhancing the color means the product is even more colorful and appealing. Customers are excited to purchase a product that appears to be more colorful. When customers receive products that are inaccurate in color, they feel unhappy and return the product. To learn more about color correction and how it can help your business, browse our website.
Retouching and Blemish Removal: Presenting a Flawless Product
Even within a studio environment, small defects can be experienced in photographs. There may be a piece of dust on the product, a small scratch, or an unwanted reflex.
Photo retouching is the process or art of removing all those small defects. They are simply digital cleaning. Though we will zoom and remove or clone all imperfections until it is absolutely flawless.
The point is, even without others experiencing these flaws, these small details show professionalism. They show the consumer you care about presenting your product in the best manner. A perfect product should suggest a perfect image of your product.
Shadow Creation and the Ghost Mannequin Effect: Adding Depth and Realism
Products on a bare white backdrop can sometimes lack dimension. But simply placing a natural-looking shadow underneath will make a huge difference!
A shadow provides the impression that the product is actually sitting on a surface. It adds depth and makes the image more realistic and three-dimensional.
For clothing, there is a neat trick called the “ghost mannequin” or “invisible mannequin” effect. Instead of using a flat lay or model, we will shoot the clothing on a mannequin and edit the mannequin out. The end result is an image with depth, shape, and fit that gives the appearance of 3D depth without distractions.
This provides the viewer insight into what the clothing would look like on a person, which can help reinforce their decision to buy. Check out our ghost mannequin service and see what we can do to bring your apparel collection to life.
These effects are the foundational elements of amazing product and lifestyle photography, but their impact surpasses beauty alone!
The Business Benefits of Professional Importance of Photo Editing
Investing in professional photo editing isn’t just about looking good. It’s a business investment that gives actual results. This area is where you’ll see a great return on your investment, and we’ll show you how it grows your business.
Increased conversion rates and therefore more sales.
This is the big one. High-quality images equal high-quality sales. When customers see attractive, clear, and professional photos, they are much more likely to hit the “add to cart” button.
Better images keep people on your site longer. That means more clicking through products and just being engaged with your website. Better images = higher conversion rates = more money for your business.
Enhanced Brand Perception and Consistency
Consider your preferred brands for a moment. It’s a good bet that they have a defined and recognizable look and feel. Look at their websites and social media; they likely look related in some way.
Professional photo editing allows you to create this effective and impactful brand consistency. This creates a strategic method for all your images to look the same, whether with the background color, the lighting, or the handles. It will create more of a brand identity and look more professional overall.
Your brand consistency will help build trust in your business and make customers recognize you and connect to your business in some way.
Reduced Product Return Rates
While we already touched on this topic, it’s important to repeat: Returns are a substantial pain point for e-commerce retailers.
Returns happen for many reasons, but one of the primary reasons is that it didn’t look like the photo. You can help set expectations for the products you sell by utilizing color correcting and offering more detailed, clear images.
When a customer receives a product that looks like what they expected, they’re much happier with the product. This means fewer returns and loss of time and the product.
It goes without saying that photo editing is clearly important to any e-commerce retailer with serious intentions. But how do we put that in a context for content strategy overall?
Choosing the Right Photo Editing Partner
Outsourcing your photo editing can save you a lot of time, along with exceptional results. How do you go about finding the right partner?
First, examine their work. A great company will demonstrate a solid collection of work that illustrates numerous styles of photo editing. Be sure their style matches what you are looking for.
Second, review their catalog of services. We sometimes need background removal today, but tomorrow we may need retouching or ghost mannequin. It is a massive benefit to your strategic position if they can handle every service you may need.
Lastly, consider communication. Find a team that is easy to communicate with and has an understanding of your objectives. A good partner will work with you to make sure they nail the images for your brand.
Take a look at how our process works and receive a free quote today.
Conclusion
In the realm of e-commerce, photography is your most powerful asset. It serves as your salesperson, storyteller, and brand ambassador, all in one.
Every step of your customer’s journey – from the first impression to building brand trust, to increasing their purchase – is driven by your photos. And the core post-processing techniques, such as background removal, color correction, and retouching, are the tools that take an image from ordinary to powerful.
The impact of photo editing cannot be overemphasized. It is a baseline investment for the success and growth of your online business.
Are you ready to take your e-commerce business to the next level with professional photo editing? Contact UK Clipping Path today to find out how our professional services can change the game for your end-product images and your bottom line.
FAQs
- Why is photo editing so important for online stores?
Photo editing makes your products look attractive and professional. Since customers cannot touch items online, high-quality images help them trust your brand and decide to buy, which is a key part of the importance of photo editing.
- What is the most basic type of photo editing for ecommerce?
Editing out the background is the most basic and essential type of edit. A clean, white background makes the product, and only the product the focal point, eliminates distractions, and gives your online store a consistent, clean, and professional look.
- How does editing photos enhance sales?
Although eye-catching images can make things appear more attractive, clear and authentic images facilitate the trust with customers needed for them to feel confident making their purchase. This ultimately leads to increased sales online.
- What does it mean to do “color correction”?
Color correction is adjusting the colors in the photo to represent the actual product correctly. This is helpful because it minimizes returns based on customers not liking the color they received; it is not what they thought it would be.
- How can editing improve my brand’s image?
A consistent editing style to your product photography creates a strong, professional brand identity that is easy for customers to recognize and helps establish lasting confidence with your products.
- Is professional photo editing software necessary?
If you’re looking for the best results, professional editing software such as Adobe Photoshop is best for product editing. Simpler editing apps can also get the job done but professional products contain a lot of advanced imagery editing features which are needed for quality, professional ecommerce images.
- What is a “ghost mannequin”?
The ghost mannequin effect is common with clothing photography. Editors will composite two photos, the first of the clothing on the mannequin, the second of the mannequin photographed on a solid background or with a solid backdrop. Editors will digitally remove the mannequin from both photos to reveal the garment in a 3D shape as if it was worn by an invisible human body.
