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Want More E-Profits? What You Should Know about Product Pictures |
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Written by Brad Beiermann Ph.D.
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 | | entrepreneur online |
Top E-Secrets from Successful Online Retailers
We have all heard the old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, right? Well, that couldn’t ring more true than on the Web when you are selling a drop ship product.
I have seen many online stores sell the same exact product and yet only a select few are making all the money. Why? Because these online store owners took the time to find ways to be more creative in grabbing the attention of the "would be buyer." They pay attention to the details and make sure to get a good quality product picture.
What Makes a Good Product Picture?
Let’s face it, sometimes on the Web, the only thing that separates a product from selling or not is the picture. A good product picture depicts the item in a proper background setting. Let’s say you sell coffee tables online. A proper background setting for a coffee table would be a cozy living room or a sitting room setting. I have seen many online retailers try to sell a high-end item like a coffee table with a plain white background and then seem perplexed as to why it isn’t selling. A white background picture looks nice and clean, but it is less effective for a few reasons: 1) It will not give the buyer an indication of size relative to other things. Sure, there might be a product description that says an item is 23 inches in height, but how tall is 23 inches? Some customers don’t know how much 23 inches can be physically. A picture of the item in a natural setting such as a living room can be a tremendous help to these customers. 2) A white background picture does not help a person visualize how the item would look in a setting. Seeing the item in a setting helps them visualize it better for their situation. 3) Finally, the lighting in a white background picture can do the item little justice. The best pictures use real natural lighting as this allows the natural colors of the item to come across. Most white background pictures have been taken with hundreds of watts of light beaming at the object. Another problem I have seen, in regards to pictures, is when the picture is too small or fuzzy and a customer cannot make out any of the details. If you want to make the sale, it is vitally important that your customer is able to make out the details in a product picture. Methods for Getting a Good Picture
It is important to remember that you only have one chance to make that sale. You need to be creative and really stand out above the masses of online stores. If you really want to get ahead online…get the picture! Below are some top secret methods used by the most successful online stores today for getting a premium picture for your online store: 1) Always get a catalog style picture for the product you are selling. If the manufacturer or importer only offers white background photos or worse yet, out of focus product pictures, I suggest moving on. 2) Get a high resolution image of the product picture for better product clarity. Usually 300 dpi works best. 3) If a high quality image is not currently available for a particular item but you would still like to sell the product, I recommend ordering a sample of the product and having a professional photographer take some new pictures of it in a styled setting. 4) Learn how to use photo editing software. I know many online retailers who use photo editing software when all they have to work with is a product on a white background. Photo editing is easier than you think, and you can learn all about it by getting a book out of the library, or taking a class on the subject at your local community college. These are some of the top secrets that successful Internet retailers hope you don’t find out about! Armed with this knowledge, you are in a better position to make a lot more money online and have a "stickier" site than your competition. Get in the game and do everything in your power to get or create a better picture of your product and watch your sales take off! HBM Brad Beiermann Ph.D., is President of Hienote Inc. Dr. Beiermann is one of the leading experts in business technology and e-commerce. Hienote Inc. specializes in product sourcing, exhibition marketing, and assisting small businesses locate wholesale drop shipping companies. You can visit their site at http://www.hienotedirectory.com. Get a FREE copy of the exciting e-book that is taking the Internet world by storm, "Starting Your Online Retail Niche With Drop Shipping" Just go here: http://www.hienotedirectory.com/drop_shipping_ebook.htm to grab your copy today...it's FREE! Previously published in the June 2007 issue of HOME BUSINESS® Magazine, an international publication for the growing and dynamic home-based market. Available on newsstands, in bookstores and chain stores, and via subscriptions ($15.00 for 1 year, six issues). Visit www.homebusinessmag.com |
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