Traditionally, brands hardly paid attention to giving customers visual credit to make their purchases. But, today the scenario has entirely changed; photos have become an integral part for converting your potentialities into realities. May it be brands, clothing, marketing plans, selling, purchase or whatever? Photos and images entirely drive sales and this is the reason why social media platforms have become a greater marketing tool for brands. Brands are putting up their visual ads; videos on social networks and customers are increasingly viewing and sharing the visual content. Bigger domains, make use of visuals to display their products, customers can choose their color, pattern, fabrics on models online and buy their products. The important element for brands today is to vouch for customer attention that comes a hardy way due to increasing competitions. Lets check some of the ways through which brands can unknowingly spoil their product image and avoid conversions:
Stock Photographs
Some cases, the stock photos do well but not always as customers have already explored many places before landing up on your page. The pictures actually do very little to promote your brand. The photos need to be effective to attract a buyer’s attention. Different people foresee a different image and hence a different thinking. Limiting the stock photos will help represent your brand in a better way.
The above image was almost found on 1500 websites, shoppers see every detail when it comes buying and hence small images don’t always magically work. Customers are always looking for clearer view and genuineness in the product-detailing page. Brands should be aware that customers would view the zoomed image for better viewing hence such options is to be kept. If you feel, that particular image doesn’t necessarily go with the context of the page, than you can add caption on the image for good understanding by the customers.
Coolibar have always used images that go well with their product line. Brands should avoid photos that are blurred or are not properly cropped. Sometimes there are photoshop failures, like blurry image or some elements may be cut-off from the main image or removal of some important things, product images are not properly used, etc.
The above image shows how the leg of the model was cut off in the editing process. The source is Huffington post. For any image where the brands are trying to demonstrate, it is best idea to make use of real photos. They can even go for candid photography that will help represent the brand idea and image. Sometimes, stock photography is overused and it raises many a questions about the product and brand services.
The image shows a representative, but so many times this image has been used that represents a call center. But ideally, would it be possible for a person to work for so many call centers at a time. It is best idea for brands to take reviews from several people before finalizing the product photos.
The best photographs for representing any brand or for marketing purposes is to avoid artificial stuff. Like over staged photos of people, the people who are not acting in the image should be avoided. The body language and the pose of the models are highly important in showcasing the brand image. If people see that models are uncomfortable wearing some clothing for a clothing brand, they will avoid buying the product.
Sometimes, the crowd photography is used by brands to convey the message of happy customers. But these photographs do not always convey that message. A stock photography should anyway be avoided and with crowd in side it might send an unrealistic message.
A testimonial page should best consist of a customer posing with the product for better understanding for other potential customers. Some customers would be glad to pose with the product and your reviewers will enjoy watching the pleasure the customer is having in using your product.
Stock photos are not counted as authentic because it describes unrealistic expectations from a brand. Actually speaking, masses do not use the same product so isn’t it a bad idea to represent a crowd in your brand image? Personalization everywhere is the key. So even it takes a good share of pie in photography image too.
Original photos are always the best regarded, so replicating from duplicate photographs is nearly a bad idea. Copying other brands image may lead to copyright issues and if the brands copy it could be possible that the image was a big mess and gave bad results so even the brands copying will have the same bad luck. So being original is the best way to turn potential audiences into real ones and set real par expectations by the customers and give them the trust for buying your product.
