Photography for online stores – sell more by showcasing better.

Let’s start with the basics: are your photos helping you sell or scaring your customers away?  

We live in a fast-paced world. When someone visits your online store, they have just a few seconds to decide whether they’re interested in what you’re selling. And do you know what that decision is based on most of the time? The images  

It’s no exaggeration: a Shopify study showed that 75% of online shoppers say the product photo is the key factor in deciding whether to buy it or not.  

So a good photo can sell by itself. And a bad one… can cost you customers, returns, or even negative reviews.

I’m Marina Mamonova, a product photographer and founder of a studio where we help brands — big and small — showcase the best of what they sell. Today, I want to tell you why your online store photos matter (more than you think) and how you can use them to boost your sales.  

1. Your photos are your storefront. And yes, they directly influence your sales.  

Imagine a physical store with a poorly lit display window, products badly arranged, and dust accumulated. Would you enter? Most likely, no. The same happens in the digital world.  

Images are the first point of contact with your customer. And if they don’t convey trust, quality, and professionalism, they will just pass by. No matter how good your product is.  

Moreover, it is well proven: images are processed in the brain 60,000 times faster than text. An image can convey feelings, quality, and desire in just a second.  

Helpful tip: Make sure to have at least 3 to 5 photos per product. Show angles, details, texture, and, if applicable, usage in context. This helps the customer imagine what it would be like to have it in their hands. 

If you’re looking for a professional and effective solution, I invite you to explore my professional photography services for e-commerce, where every image is designed to maximize your sales.  

2. Aesthetics Sell Too: Make Your Photos Speak Your Brand’s Language

It’s not just about showing the product. It’s about presenting it the way you want your brand to be perceived.  

Is your store elegant? Minimalist? Natural? Fun? All of that should be reflected in your images. Because if your branding says one thing but your photos say another, you’re creating visual noise that confuses the customer.  

I see it often: stores with mixed images, different styles, some taken with a phone, others with a white background, and some edited without any clear criteria. And that conveys a lack of professionalism, even if your product is amazing.  

My recommendation: Create a visual guide (colors, lighting style, framing, editing style) and maintain consistency across all images. If you don’t know where to start, an experienced ecommerce photographer can help you strategically define that visual style.  

3. It’s not just about the product: show how it’s experienced, how it’s used, how it feels.

White background photos are necessary—especially for marketplaces like Amazon or Etsy—but if you sell from your own store, you can go much further.  

Lifestyle images, showing the product in use, in context, or with real people, evoke emotions, create connections, and sell better. Why? Because they help the customer imagine the product in their own life.  

Real example: For a natural cosmetics brand we worked with, we combined clean product photos with lifestyle shots showing the product being used on skin, in warm and natural bath settings. The result: more engagement on social media, longer time spent on the website, and yes, more sales.  

  If you’re interested in this approach, you can explore my cosmetic photography services and fashion photography, where we capture the essence of your products in real and appealing contexts.

4. Can I take the photos myself? (Spoiler: it depends)

But — and this is an important but — a good product photo doesn’t depend only on the camera. It depends on lighting, framing, composition, editing, visual consistency, and web optimization.  

A professional photographer doesn’t just click: they think like a customer, a marketer, and a visual storyteller. They know how to make your product look irresistible and be understood in seconds.  

My honest advice: If your store is already up and running or you want to project a stronger image, invest in professional photography. It’s a cost that pays off quickly if the images are well done. In my studio, for example, we offer affordable packages that include everything from white background photos to creative lifestyle sessions.  

  For more details about the packages and prices, you can visit the product photography pricing section.

5. Images also affect SEO (and loading speed). Don’t neglect the technical side.

Another point that many stores overlook: image size, format, and SEO.  

Did you know that if your website takes more than 2 seconds to load, you can lose up to 32% of users? (Google Developers) Speed matters. A lot.  

But this is not about lowering quality; it’s about optimizing.  

In my studio, we always deliver two versions of each image: one in high resolution and another optimized for the web, so you don’t have to worry about this.