Complete Guide to E-commerce Product Images

Introduction

Marketing is about finding a problem in the market and then selling the solution to the customers. In other words, it is about creating and spreading awareness regarding a problem. While creating awareness, it is fundamental to consider that you’re communicating to the right consumers as a marketer.

Search Engine Optimization is crucial in boosting traffic to your website by finding the right audience. SEO helps rank the content in search results driven by the search query. It consists of three components.

1. On-Page SEO
2. Off-Page SEO
3. Technical

On-Page SEO covers content present on the page. Images are an essential part of ON-Page SEO and an excellent medium for traffic to web pages and increasing your ratings.

Purpose and who is this guide for?

If you manage online content using google, this guide is for you. The Learning outcomes of this guide are the following:

• Learn the basics of Search Engine Optimization
• Learn the importance of Optimizing images on Google
• Learn and understand the technical requirements for optimizing pages and images on Google
• Learn and understand the best practices for optimizing images

If you own, manage, monetize, or promote online content through Google Search, this guide is for you. You could be the owner of a thriving business, the owner of a dozen websites, an SEO specialist in a web agency, or a DIY SEO expert passionate about Search mechanics: this guide is for you.

If you are looking for a comprehensive overview of the techniques for better optimizing images according to Google's best practices, you've come to the right place. An important point to note is that this guide will reveal secrets that automatically rank your site first in Google.

However, following the best practices should make it easier for search engines to crawl, index, and understand your content.

Product Image Optimization

Optimizing the images on Google will help you increase your conversion rate and boost sales by up to 9%. It will also help enhance the user experience. About 10.1% of google searches are images.

Images are also a way of discovering content. While searching for images, users may also like to read about the content that the image provides, and this is how you will attract more traffic to your webpage.

Search engines have a limitation: they can’t read the images. Instead, they focus on the content an image has. Because of this, the product image optimization techniques are essential so that user can attract more visitors via image search.

Google images can be significant for the discovery of content. Data shows that overall, 20% of the searches of Google happen through image searches. In addition, ranking images on google take less time than ranking content.

Visits to images can play a significant role in bringing traffic to your website because it will make relevant and essential content discovery easier. Images ignite interest in the user's mind regarding the description or the story behind it.

Moreover, optimizing images are also crucial for enhancing your user experience. Loading speed is directly affected by the quality and size of an image. If a page is taking more time to load, then there is the possibility that visitors will bounce from this page, hence increasing the bounce rate.

Google has also started using website speed as a ranking factor as well. The performance of your website impacts the number of visitors.

Reports suggest that unoptimized images take up to 75% percent weight resulting in an awful user experience.

Suppose you’re trying to find an answer or content related to your problem. But if the website you reached takes a long time to load, there is a chance you will bounce to the other website.

On the other hand, visitors will also abandon your website if they don’t see any images on your content, making it awful and hard to understand.

Optimizing and adding images regarding products will also increase your conversion rate because customers will understand what products look like.

6 Fundamental Tips for Product Image Optimization

As a website owner, you need to optimize your web pages for better performance, as described earlier. To improve the performance of your website, you need to work on areas such as user experience, technical SEO, and content readability.

1. User Experience

Creating a better user experience increases the performance and ranking of the website as well. If your website's bounce rate is higher, it can be a negative factor in ranking your website.

According to Google's policies, a website's performance has been a ranking factor since 2010. A better user experience indicates that users find the content and website according to their needs and search intent.

The following KPIs can measure user experience:

• Session rate
• Bounce rate
• Pages/Per session.

Google Analytics will help you understand the performance of your website so that you can analyze what is going wrong with your website.

To improve user experience, the first thing to do is write for people. New updates of Google require you to write the content that people need. There are three areas in which optimization is being carried out On-page, Off-page, and Technical.

Once you provide users with the required content, the website's analytics will improve. You can track the performance of your websites using the KPIs mentioned above by either Google Console or Google Analytics.

Enrich your content by adding figures, graphs, and images. For an e-commerce website, images are as important as the website. In the case of an eCommerce website, if an image does not back your product, then there is no need to have a website.

The website's primary purpose is to provide a visual description of the product and explain to the user a story. Plus, most users find it easy to understand and remember content when it is explained with the help of images.

Google recommends content creators create content for users, not for search engines. The image visibility can be boosted by following some best practices.

The quality of content on a webpage plays a vital role in ranking the images on Google Images. Images on Google provides more context and makes the results more actionable. Content on the page generates text snippets for images that can serve as a ranking factor for images.

User experience improves by making the interfaces and sites user-friendly for every device. Reports suggest that many Google Images are searched via mobile devices rather than desktops.

There is a high probability that the bounce rate will increase if a user has difficulty accessing the content or images. There is a direct relation between the performance of a webpage and its ranking. The supreme performance will enhance the ranking of the images on the webpage.

A user-friendly URL structure improves the website's performance because Google uses the URL path of images as file names to understand images.

2. Improve for Speed

Correctly apply image optimization techniques to improve the website's speed. Depending upon the situation and usage, you should select the image formats accordingly. There are two types of image formats vector and rasters.

Vectors are suitable for images that are consisted of simple geometric shapes such as logos, texts, or icons. Vector images deliver the best results at every resolution making them the ideal format for better results.

But when it comes to describing an image then, vector graphics fall short. For images, formats like JPEG, JPG, or WebP for saving the files. Both formats have pros and cons, as Raster images are unsuitable for high-resolution requirements. The following image describes a result between Raster and Vector images.

Optimization of images has no definite parameter; instead, it is a set of different techniques to display better results. Another essential factor is finding the optimal setting for better pixel dimensions and encoded data.

There is no right or wrong answer when setting the dimension of the image. That is why careful analysis is required to find optimal dimensions' settings.

However, specific eCommerce sites have devised rules according to the site on which they place their image. Based on the space available for images, these sites ask users to upload images of specific dimensions.

Successful image optimization for ideal web performance depends on using the smallest file size and the highest quality images. This combination contributes to image optimization, hence delivering the best web performance.

3. Alt Text Attribute

The structure of an image tag is given below:

<img src="img_girl.jpg" alt="Girl in a jacket" width="500" height="600">

Data shows around 90 percent of SEOs experts don’t utilize an essential aspect of image optimization, and that is the use of “alt” text in the image tag attribute. Adding keywords that describe your image will help search engines to identify the intent for which the image is being used.

People using screen readers or having low bandwidth connections can access images using the “alt” text attribute. We have built a foundation for search engines, and as we discussed earlier, search engines can’t read images. They depend upon the alt text to understand the description of images better.

The focus should be on adding useful and valuable keywords that best describe the image. The “alt” attribute is essential to the search query results. That is why avoiding keyword stuffing may end in a bad user experience. It is vital to adjust alt text according to the guidelines of W3. Following are examples of bad and good image tags and “alt” text attributes.

• Bad: <img src="tshirt.jpg"/> (Missing alt text)
• Bad: <img src="puppy.jpg" alt="Black Shirt Cool Shirt Boys shirt
• Boy designs Boy Tshirt Black Awesome shirts Sleeveless Shirts Cool Dude Shirts"/> (keyword stuffing)
• Better: <img src= "BMW-i8-White.jpg" alt= "BMW i8 Black" />
• Best: <img src="Tesla-model-s-red.jpg" alt="Model s Tesla Red Color"/>

Google advises its user to test the content using a slow network connection and auditing for accessibility.

As Google has facilitated its consumers with many attributes and guidelines, there are other technical requirements for better image indexing.

4. Use Image Tag <img>

Google parses the HTML of your page for indexing images, but it cannot index the CSS. Adding images in your CSS for display is useless because Google can’t index them. That is why Google advises the use of semantic markup for better indexing.

• Bad: <div style="background-image: URL(crikcet_bat.jpg)">Grey Nikols Balister</div>
• Good: <img src="crikcet_bat.jpg" alt="Grey Nikols Balister" />

5. Image Formats Supported by Google

Google images only support the following formats of images for indexing

• BMP
• GIF
• JPEG
• PNG
• WebP
• SVG.

6. Responsive Images

Adding responsive images will enhance the user experience for your webpage. Users can use responsive images across different devices, creating the best user experience.

As there is a direct link between enhanced user experience and ranking, responsive images are now a factor for image optimization.

An eCommerce manager's top priority is to provide the best user experience for its customers. User experience comprises responsive designs, loading speed, and optimized images.

Additional Tips for Optimization:

The mentioned above are fundamental image optimization techniques that are important to incorporate. The following techniques can enhance your image optimization to a new extent:

1. Automatically Generated Text

Google images automatically generate a title link and a text snippet to explain the search results of the user query. These text results will help users understand whether or not the images are according to their intent.

Google uses several sources to generate these links and snippets, such as meta-data, title descriptions, and meta-tags. Following are the best practices of Google to generate title links and text snippets to provide better results for users:

• There should be a specific title in every title tag <title> of a webpage
• There should be descriptive and concise text in the <title>
• There should not be any titles in the title tag, such as “Home” or “Profile.”
• There should be distinct keywords in the title tag of the webpage. Distinctive title text will help the user understand and differentiate between web pages for e-commerce.
• The title of your webpage can also be a place for the branding of your website. You can add a tagline for your business to provide further information.

<title>Facebook – Place to connect your people</title>

• The title text of your webpage should be clear because Google will use the following sources for generating the title links or snippets such asContent in the title tagThe visual title is shown on the webpageHeading elementsAnchor textText within links redirects to other pages.
  • Content in the title tag
  • The visual title is shown on the webpage
  • Heading elements
  • Anchor text
  • Text within links redirects to other pages.
• Content in the title tag
• The visual title is shown on the webpage
• Heading elements
• Anchor text
• Text within links redirects to other pages.
• The same script should be used as a primary script on your webpage. Google bots link the title of the page with the primary page. If Google determines the page title does not match the primary script, it will generate a new text file.
• Besides all this, checking that you have allowed all search engines to crawl is essential. If Google does not access your page, it will use off-page attributes for generating text files.

2. Adding Prominent Badges

Adding structure data will display your images as rich results. These rich results will be displayed along with a prominent badge that will provide its users with relevant information.

As in the image above, you can understand the cricket bat image is taken from a website that is selling this bat. If users want to buy a bat, they can click on the image, redirecting them to the transaction site.

Google provides guidelines for showing structural data:

• The web pages must be marked by one of the three supported image formats:JSON-LDMicrodataRDFa
  • JSON-LD
  • Microdata
  • RDFa
• JSON-LD
• Microdata
• RDFa
• It would be best if you had not blocked the Google bot for structuring data pages using any control means
• Provide up-to-date information because rich results won’t show old information
• Don’t use structured data for misleading information
• Structure data must provide accurate or relevant information about the page content
• You should make sure to provide relevant information that Google categorizes in the following badges:
• Article
• Book
• Breadcrumb
• Carousel
• Course
• Dataset
• Education Q&A
• Employer Aggregate Rating
• Estimated Salary
• Event
• Fact Check
• FAQ
• Home Activities
• How-to
• Image Metadata
• Job Posting
• Learning Video
• Local Business
• Logo
• Math Solvers
• Movie
• Podcast
• Practice Problems
• Product
• Q&A
• Recipe
• Review Snippet
• Sitelinks Search Box
• Software App
• Speakable
• Subscription & Paywalled Content
• Video
• It would be best if you tried to use the most specific categories for badges.

Google assigns prominent badges if the users can follow the guidelines.

3. Image Sitemaps

URLs of images can also be provided on the webpage, so you should include sitemaps in the image; otherwise, Google won’t understand or locate your file.

Image sitemaps contain images from other domains, and they enforce cross-domain restrictions. The cross-domain restriction will allow you to use Content Delivery System (CDS) that will help you decrease the server load, improve site performance and allow audience segmentation based on analytics.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding=" UTF-8"?><urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"        xmlns:image="http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap-image/1.1">  <url>    <loc>http://example.com/sample1.html</loc>    <image:image>      <image:loc>http://example.com/image.jpg</image:loc>    </image:image>    <image:image>      <image:loc>http://example.com/photo.jpg</image:loc>    </image:image>  </url>  <url>    <loc>http://example.com/sample2.html</loc>    <image:image>      <image:loc>http://example.com/picture.jpg</image:loc>    </image:image>  </url></urlset>

Apimio Optimization

There is a Product Information Management Software named Apimio that can help you analyze and understand whether an image is optimized or not. Our PIM does the following tasks to enhance the experience of Shopify users.

Apimio makes every part of your product journey more efficient. Getting started with optimized product data on your online stores has never been faster and easier. It allows Shopify users to import bulk product data and improve optimization.

Our PIM analyzes images and returns the optimization score based on parameters. The following attributes Apimio PIM analyze

1. Image Dimensions
2. Format
3. The size

These images are scored based on their features. If any two features mentioned are not completed, it will be a 100% unoptimized image and vice versa.

The above image is an example of the screen showing that attributes such as file format, size, and dimensions are not according to optimization standards.

Moreover, Shopify also facilitates users by providing a plugin costing around $2. It allows its user to automatically resize and compress images, saving time for compressing and resizing thousands of images.

1. What is the SEO pixel size for SEO?

The ideal pixel size for SEO really depends on the specific platform you're using, but as a general guideline, most e-commerce platforms suggest using images that are at least 1200 pixels in width. Larger images provide better zoom capabilities and can improve user experience.

2. What is a good pixel ratio?

A good pixel ratio, or aspect ratio, is typically 1:1 or 4:3 for product images. Also square aspect ratio (1:1) is commonly used for product thumbnails and provides consistency across your site. The 4:3 ratio is often used for main product images and provides a slightly wider view.

Did you know that 75% of online shoppers rely on eCommerce product images when deciding on a potential purchase?

Hence, you can say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and in ecommerce, it’s worth a thousand sales.

High-quality visual content and product images for ecommerce can make or break a sale for online businesses as customers rely on visuals to make buying decisions.

So, in this blog, we're going to help you make your online store even better. We'll unveil eight transformative strategies to elevate your ecommerce product images, turning browsers into buyers and clicks into conversions.

Let's dive into these smart tricks to make your product images not just look awesome, but truly stand out.

Let's get started!

What are Ecommerce Product Images?

E-commerce product images are the visual representations of products in an online store.

These images are crucial because they are the first thing a customer notices, heavily influencing their buying decisions.

These images need to be clear and informative, showing the product from various angles and accurately representing its features.

These details help customers understand the product better, reducing doubts and leading to more confident purchase decisions.

However, it is important to note that Apimio's Product Information Management (PIM) software is a game-changer for e-commerce businesses, streamlining the management of product data across various online channels.

It excels in organizing and optimizing crucial product details, including images and videos, ensuring they are consistently presented and easily accessible.

This centralization not only improves product visibility and accuracy but also enhances the overall shopping experience for customers.

With Apimio PIM, businesses can efficiently manage their digital assets, leading to increased sales and operational efficiency in the competitive e-commerce landscape.

What are the Ways to Enhance Ecommerce Product Images?

We're going to talk about simple and easy tricks to make ecommerce product images in your online store look super awesome.

We'll show you how to turn plain images into ones that tell stories and make people excited to buy.

1. Display Every Color and Style Option

Offering a variety of colors and styles in your product images significantly enhances customer satisfaction.

It allows shoppers to see exactly what they're buying, catering to their specific preferences.

This visual clarity not only aids in making more confident purchase decisions but also reduces the likelihood of returns.

Customers are less likely to return items when they receive products that accurately match their chosen style and color.

By showcasing all available options, you not only meet customer expectations but also build trust in your brand, leading to higher satisfaction and fewer returns

This makes your product detail page even better and can really help your online store sell more things.

Example

Famous apparel brand SHEIN does this effortlessly, showing each of their products in each color available.

This allows the customer to visualize each product in their preferred color or style and boosts their conversions.

Source: Shein

Product Images for eCommerce store are an important part of your complete Product Content management strategy. Check out our PCM tool that helps optimize your images in bulk.

2. Provide Zoom In Option for Details

Enhancing your product images with a zoom-in feature significantly improves the online shopping experience.

By zooming in, shoppers can examine textures, materials, and craftsmanship, gaining a deeper appreciation of the product quality.

Consequently, this clarity in viewing details not only boosts buyer confidence but also reduces the likelihood of returns.

Essentially, a zoom-in option bridges the gap between online and physical shopping, leading to greater customer satisfaction.

Example

Shein's product images are zoomable, allowing users to have a closer look at the texture of the clothes and the material. This increases the likelihood of the customer going through with a purchase because they get all the necessary information they need.

Source: Shein

3. Observe the Basics of Image SEO.

Enhancing your product images for SEO is crucial. Use descriptive, keyword-rich filenames instead of generic ones.

For example, 'blue-cotton-summer-dress.jpg' is more effective than 'IMG001.jpg'. This helps search engines understand and index your images better.

Also, add relevant keywords in the 'alt text' for each image, aiding search engines in identifying the content, especially when images can't be displayed.

Keep file sizes in check to avoid slowing down your site, as this can impact SEO. Opt for JPEG for quality photos, PNG for images with transparency, and GIF for animations. These simple yet effective SEO practices can significantly boost your online visibility and traffic.

Furthermore, optimizing product images for SEO is crucial for online visibility. Apimio PIM simplifies this task by helping manage the SEO aspects of your product images.

It ensures that your images are not only visually appealing but also optimized for search engines, enhancing your e-commerce site's reach and effectiveness.

4. Use a White Background for your Products

A white background not only makes your products stand out but also ensures consistency across your online store. This approach simplifies editing and meets the requirements of major marketplaces like Google Shopping and Amazon.

White backgrounds are standard in almost every online store, and there are a few very good reasons for that:

• Your products will stand out on a white background.
• Your images will look consistent on product pages.
• You will save money and time in editing.
• You can easily reuse or replace the background on any of your photos.
• Marketplaces like Google Shopping and Amazon now have made it mandatory to have white backgrounds.

To achieve a perfect white background, consider these simple yet effective tips:

• Lighting: Good lighting is key. Use soft, diffused lighting to avoid harsh shadows. Natural light works well, but if that's not possible, softbox lights can be a great alternative.
• Editing Tools: For post-production, tools like Adobe Photoshop or the more user-friendly Canva can help you achieve a clean white background. These tools offer features to adjust brightness and contrast, helping to create a uniform look.Additionally, Adobe Express image editing provides a streamlined option for quick and efficient edits, making it easier to enhance your images with minimal effort.
• Consistency: Maintain the same setup for all your product photos. This consistency in lighting and editing will give your product pages a professional and cohesive appearance.

By following these tips, you can easily create high-quality product images with a white background, enhancing the visual appeal of your online store and making it more inviting to customers.

Example

Pandora uses a white background for all its ecommerce product images, which elevates the product and maintains consistency.

Source: Pandora

5. Boost Page Speed with Image Formats

It’s easy to just choose the default save option when you’re creating your ecommerce product images, but knowing the difference between file formats and settings can have a massive impact on your site.

The three most common formats used for ecommerce product images in e-commerce that are supported by most ecommerce platforms are ;

• GIF
• PNG
• JPG/JPEG

I. GIF

These images have a lower quality and take up less space in files. If you're making an image for small icons or tiny pictures, then using a GIF is a good idea.

GIFs are the only type of image that can move or change over time, like a mini video. But when images get larger, GIFs don't work as well for showing lots of colors.

II. PNG

They can show more colors and are the only kind of image that can have transparent backgrounds.

But, this advantage means the file size is bigger. If you have to change a picture many times, it's better to save it as a PNG file.

III. JPG/JPEG

These are the most common formats used by digital cameras and online.

They can show lots of colors, and the way they compress images lets you find a good balance between how clear the picture is and how much space it takes up.

We’ve covered these Image Formats in more detail in our blog: E-commerce Product Images: Best Formats.

6. Consistency with Each Image

To make your brand stand out and give shoppers a unified experience, it's important to keep things consistent in your online store.

Whether you're using flash effects or not, having a background or not, using models or mannequins, the choices you make should be the same for all your products.

A smart way to make things look the same is to get all your product photos from one source.

Most business owners do this in three ways:

1. Use pictures provided by the manufacturer.
2. Get a professional photographer to take your product photos.
3. Take the photos yourself.

Getting images from the manufacturer will make everything look the same and accurate on all your product pages.

But hiring a photographer or doing it yourself also works well. It depends on what fits your business needs, time, skills, and budget.

7. Use 360° Views or High-Resolution Videos

Incorporating 360° views and high-resolution videos into your product pages can dramatically increase customer engagement and sales.

These interactive features allow customers to explore products in detail, providing an experience akin to handling the item in a physical store.

Studies show that products with 360° views can increase conversion rates by up to 27% compared to static images. High-resolution videos, on the other hand, have been found to boost engagement by keeping visitors on the page 88% longer.

For instance, a leading electronics retailer reported a 30% increase in sales after implementing 360° product views. Customers were able to get a comprehensive understanding of the products, leading to more confident purchasing decisions.

Integrating these features becomes seamless with tools like Apimio PIM. Apimio's Product Information Management system allows you to efficiently manage and distribute high-quality images and videos across various platforms.

This ensures that your product presentations are not only engaging but also consistent and accurate across all channels.

Example

Check out how this Delta seller on Amazon provides a 360° view of their faucet.

It allows consumers to see each angle of the product, and envision it in their own use. Something like this is guaranteed to increase conversion rate for your store.

Source: Amazon

8. Optimize your Thumbnails

Thumbnails play a pivotal role in e-commerce, often serving as the first point of interaction for customers. These small images can significantly influence buying decisions, making their optimization crucial for both user experience and upselling.

• Balancing Size and Quality: It's essential to strike a balance between file size and image clarity. Thumbnails should be small enough to ensure quick page loading, which is vital for SEO and user experience, yet clear enough to capture customer attention. Aim for file sizes under 70 KB without compromising on the visual appeal.
• SEO Optimization: Properly named thumbnails with relevant alt attributes are key for SEO. They help search engines understand the image content, contributing to better visibility in search results. Use descriptive filenames and alt text that reflect the product accurately.
• Effective Tools for Optimization: Utilize tools like Adobe Photoshop or online image compressors for resizing and optimizing thumbnails. These tools help maintain image quality while reducing file size, ensuring your thumbnails are both attractive and efficient.

Technical Aspects of E-commerce Product Images

Now that we’ve discussed the creative aspect of ecommerce product images, let’s dive into the technicalities of product images for your e-commerce stores.

1. Dimensions And Resolution

The dimensions of your product image should be a perfect square. All e-commerce platforms follow this format:

• Less than 100 kb
• Square images

Square images are important as they work with each platform, and ensure that images look the same no matter what device they’re displayed on.

Moreover, the resolution of your product images should ideally be 1500 x 1500. This will ensure that the resolution is consistent across all of your retailers’ platforms.

So no matter which eCommerce platform they are using, your products show up the same way on all of them.

• The ideal size would be 1500 x 1500.
• The minimum size should be 1080 x 1080

2. Image Background

Having your brand’s product images with a simple, bright white background helps you stay consistent on all your retailer's platforms. The background color helps the product stand out.

If the background is a loud color or has a pattern, it becomes distracting to your customers and pushes them to look at products other than yours.

3. File Size

There’s a huge difference between “image size” and “file size”. Usually, people tend to mix them up. When talking about “image size”, we’re referring to the dimensions of an image, for example, 1080 x 1080.

But when we talk about file size, we are referring to the amount of space that the image will require on your server. File size can have a direct impact on your page load speed.

It can make or break the performance of your site because every single image must be downloaded each time your site is visited.

Your goal is to keep your images at 1 to 2 MB in size. An image can have large dimensions and still be 2MB or less.

The smaller your image size, the faster your load speeds, meaning a lower bounce rate and happier customers.

4. Image Filename

We know it suits most of us to just type in a random name to save our images. But this can be detrimental to your SEO.

You have to make sure that your keywords, or at least a variation on them, are included in your image filename, which should be descriptive.

Don’t stuff keywords into the image filename. Only one variation on a keyword should be included, and filenames shouldn’t get cumbersome in length.

Make sure the filename is legible. Meaning; that you should use hyphens or underscores in between words in your filename in order to ensure that the search engines see the individual words.

Don’t leave spaces in your filename, because these will show up as “%20” instead, which may make the filename illegible.

5. Image URL

The advice for image URLs is quite similar to that for image filenames. You might think about using a variation of your keyword in the URL, but overall, the advice remains consistent.

Make sure you have a good structure for your image URLs.

A common folder like /images/ is okay, but if you really want to boost search engine performance, create subfolders for different image types. For instance, you could use something like /images/pants/men’s/.

Using a well-organized hierarchy in your image URLs can help search engines understand your images better. This can result in more relevant search results.

5. Image Alt Attribute

The alt attribute of an image should contain your keyword, but in most situations, it should offer more than just that.

Remember, the alt product attribute isn't the same as a meta keywords tag, despite how some SEO experts treat it.

The alt attribute is designed for screen readers to help people with visual impairments understand the image. It also acts as a stand-in for your image on browsers that can't display images.

If you wouldn't want the alt text to appear as a substitute for your image, visible to your readers, then you might be using it incorrectly.

Use the alt attribute to provide a descriptive substitute for your product image that includes your keywords. Don't just cram it with keywords as if it's a dumping ground.

6. Compress Images

Ensure your images are compressed to maintain quick loading times. Slow-loading images can drag down your website's speed, potentially impacting your SEO.

Google keeps small images handy, but larger ones load from your site. If your image takes too long to load on Google Images, users might not click to see more.

Google usually doesn't show duplicate images in search results, although it indexes them. Having unique ecommerce product images on your product pages helps with this issue.

While it's not always possible for every product, consider adding unique images to high-performing pages. It's even better if your image stands out in search results.

7. Use CDN to increase the Speed of Image Delivery

A CDN (Content Delivery Network) is a network of servers that allows you to increase the speed of image delivery time.

These servers are located around the world to deliver multimedia, such as videos/images to other networks.

Since, CDN reduces the number of network points between the server and the user therefore, it becomes possible to quickly deliver the content that is crucial if you want to load the images or different types of multimedia content.

Conclusion

Images hold the potential to make your online stores stand out and leave a lasting impression on your customers.

If you’re able to merge all the points we’ve listed above, you’ll be sure to create one good-looking online store that converts users.

Create an image strategy for your e-commerce site, and deliver the best possible graphics to your users.

What to do next?

• Read more about our Product Information-related Guides here.
• Learn how you can use a PIM tool to Improve your Product Time to Market & SEO. Book a Demo.
• Contact our support if you have any questions or issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why are product images important for e-commerce?

Product images are important because they help customers visually understand products before buying.

2. Are unique product images important for SEO?

Having unique images enhances SEO, as Google avoids showing duplicate images in search results. Unique images improve user experience and search visibility.

3. What's the best image format for e-commerce?

JPEGs are commonly used due to their balance between quality and file size. PNGs are great for images with transparency, while GIFs support animation.

When it comes to e-commerce, visuals are a driving factor in the consumer’s buying decisions. If you get them right, you’ll be rewarded with a new sale, get it wrong and you’ll lose a potential sale and customer. Product images are the first things users notice, out of all your product content even before they read the product’s description. So it’s crucial for you to put out the best quality pictures that don’t compromise the quality and load time of your e-commerce website.

Did you know Product images are just a component of a complete Product Content management strategy?

Check out our guide here about What is Product Content management and how you can do it properly too.

While it’s easy for us to tell you to optimize your product images, we know it’s not as easy to achieve the desired product images. The biggest cause of concern is the format of the image; with so many different formats available, which one should your business choose? The wrong file format could mean a poor web page or a giant download, or even missing graphics on your website or emails. But don’t panic! We’re here to help you.

After this blog, you’ll (hopefully) learn about the most important file formats available, the pros and cons for each format, and which one would be the ideal choice for your e-commerce stores. So let’s dig in!

Types of Images

Lossy Image

Lossy image formats estimate what your original image looks like. For example, a lossy image might reduce the number of colors in your image or analyze the image for any unnecessary data. These clever technical tricks will typically reduce the file size, though they may also reduce the quality of your image.

Lossless Image

Lossless image formats encapsulate all of the data from the original file. Nothing from the original file, photo, or piece of art is lost—hence the term “lossless”. The file may still be compressed, but all lossless formats will be able to reconstruct your image to its original state.

The Different Image Formats

JPEG (JPG)

JPG or Joint Photographic Experts Group is ideal for websites as it supports millions of individual colors. It uses less storage space and can be easily uploaded and downloaded.

JPEG images are the most common format used by digital cameras and online. They offer the most flexibility with raster editing and compression, which makes it easy to download images from the web. They support a wide range of colors, but the JPEG compression settings allow you to strike a balance between image quality and file size. JPEGs work well on websites and across email and social marketing platforms.

However, JPEGs only support 8-bit images. Since most modern digital cameras support 10, 12, 14, and 16-bit images. This means that images saved in the JPEG format that aren’t 8-bit will lose their quality and extra information will be discarded. Another issue with this format is that it doesn’t support layered images. This increases the workload on the graphic designer who has to manipulate and edit the images if they’re layered.

Despite its drawbacks, JPEGs are ideal for web pages as they can be reduced tremendously, and smaller file sizes are optimum for online stores.

Pros

• Smaller File Size
• Allows faster load time for website pages
• Compatible with most applications

Cons

• Reducing file size can lead to a loss in image quality.
• Only supports 8-bit images.

PNG

PNG, an acronym for Portable Network Graphics, is a file format that supports a wide range of colors. It also lets you create transparent backgrounds so if you ever edit your images in software like Photoshop and wish to leave the background transparent, the PNG format will retain this feature online. But it isn’t the most optimum choice for image formats for e-commerce websites. Why? Because it comes with the unfortunate cost of a large file size which doesn’t just take longer to upload, but also increases your website’s load time. And longer load times are a big no-no!

A great thing about PNGs is that they are ‘lossless’ which means you won’t lose any of your data during compression. This also makes it the best option for your images if you wish to edit them multiple times and retain their quality.

PNG-8 supports 256 indexed colors, as well as transparency. PNG-24, like JPGs, can support up to 16 million colors. PNGs are most often used for static images, like a JPG would, however, they can support animation. PNG tends to be the best choice for detailed graphics online.

Pros:

• No loss in quality of image during editing.
• Greater color depths, allowing for more vibrant images.
• Allow for transparent image backgrounds.

Cons:

• Due to PNG being a lossless image format, file sizes can become too large.
• Works best with images that use less than 16 colors.

GIFs

It’s 2020; if GIFs aren’t your primary form of communication with your friends and family, you’re doing communication wrong. They’re literally so much fun, how can you resist using them? We can’t! Anyway, what even are GIFs? Graphics Interchange Format is images that are used for short simple animations.

Much like PNG images, GIFs are lossless and support up to 256 indexed colors. They’re smaller in size compared to JPGs, but they’re also lower in quality. They don’t actually have any audio attached to them, but their animated features make them super fun to use. You can find a GIF to represent any mood. Cool, right?

However, these are only suitable for smaller image sizes like an icon or thumbnail. The bigger your image size gets, the less efficient GIFs become at processing colors. But also remember, GIF is the only format that supports animation.

Pros:

• Allows for transparency: you can place your image on any colored background.
• The compression features for GIF allows files to be shrunk to extremely small sizes.
• The only format that supports animation.

Cons:

• Not suitable for large files
• The format doesn’t work well for complex images

Which Image Format should you use?

Alright, so now that we’ve talked all about the formats, let me suggest ideal formats for some common web images.

E-commerce Websites

If you want to upload product images to your e-commerce stores, JPEG files are your best friend. Their small file size will help you retain your website load time and ensure that customers don’t run into issues relating to product images, that is, your images will always be displayed and without any unsought delay. However, if you run a website where you need to display larger images, then we suggest you switch to PNG. The increased load time will be a beneficial trade-off for higher quality images.

Blog Posts

We know people don’t usually visit blog posts for the images; it’s for the content. But it’s always a good idea to throw in a couple of relevant pictures to make your blog more aesthetically pleasing, and these images should always be in JPEG format. There is no need for you to try different formats as they’ll just make your blog pages lag, decrease your SEO, and increase your website’s bounce rate. So keep it simple, and choose JPEG, always.

Animations and Icons/Logos

Your web site’s landing pages usually feature a lot of animations, icons, and logos. We suggest you use GIF for animations that are smaller and simpler, and SVG files should be your go-to if you want to consistently create interactive web pages and animated videos.

Conclusion

Images are an important part of e-commerce businesses as they bring in conversions. The key to a successful conversion is good quality product images that don’t compromise the load time of your web pages. Follow our guide on the best image formats and you’ll be putting out quality images and bringing in more sales for your online business.

8 Brilliant Ways To Make Sure Your Ecommerce Product Images Stand Out (Quick Guide).