Images are inevitably the eye-catching elements of product page design since they are much quicker to scan than is text. It’s not surprising that on-line shoppers expect an average of three videos and six images on product pages, according to Salsify research.
However, product page images must do more than grab attention: they must give a digital product a real feel. The images should create a product experience, and tell a story without using words.
How images are able to tell a story depends on the product. Dimensions are usually important for physical products, and it means more than just showing measurements. Furniture, for instance, benefits from an image showing the product in a completely furnished room, not only to provide decorating ideas to customers, but to compare it with nearby objects to get a sense of scale.
Apparel brands commonly utilise models to demonstrate fit, but they also go further by showing models in glamorous settings to hint at a potential lifestyle that might accompany a purchase. When ingredients or mechanical parts are main selling points, they can be highlighted in artistic ways, such as the animated grains featured in the Bennett Tea design.
For services or products with no visual components, designers must be even more creative by evoking the user’s experience of using the product. In addition, using simplistic illustrations or icons as part of a how-it-works section could summarise the steps of a process for users who are visual learners. When using this approach, find inspiration in infographic web design to become familiar with how to filter complex data through the use of images.
Don’t Underestimate Content Generated by Users
Although your first instinct might be to manage every web design element of the page, allowing room for user-generated content could definitely be worth a bit of potential chaos. Typically, users are able to submit public reviews, questions, or product photos. It may seem like a designer’s nightmare with poor quality images and occasionally negative reviews displayed.
However, users often trust other users much more than they trust carefully curated testimonials and images shown by the brand. This type of trust could potentially spur an undecided buyer to make a purchase. This influence is the reason for user-generated content usually being saved for the page’s bottom, after the visitor has scanned official information and may be weighing a final decision.
