Quality photos of images are essential to getting your listing on the top page of an Amazon search result. Here are our tips and tricks to getting it done just right!

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How Do You Get Professional Product Photos For Amazon?

There are a variety of options out there for Amazon sellers who need to take care of their listing photography. These range from DIY options, to third-party professional studios, Amazon product photography service, to using Amazon itself for the service. All of these can be done well and be viable options for Amazon sellers. 

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Create an At-Home Studio

If you’re the kind of person who likes to take care of all the details yourself, you may consider creating your own at-home studio. Gather knowledge around product photography guidelines. This will be an investment and require you to take the time to learn some basic photography skills. You will also need to take time to research the various angles and shots necessary for success in your product niche. 

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There are a few essential elements to every at-home photography studio:

• Quality photo gear. This should include a DSLR camera (not a smartphone) and a good set of starter lenses. Anticipate spending at least $300 here to get started - even used cameras are pricey. You’ll also need a SIM card, protective case, and lenses. If you can’t invest in this kind of gear, you should find another option for photography.

• Great lighting. Professional lighting is critical to getting the perfect shot. Grab a good softbox lighting set from Amazon and test out the placement to get the perfect lighting for every shot.

• High-quality backdrops. Most hero images are white backgrounds or high-quality prints, so find a crisp, clean, high def white background for your shots. You may also want a black background, green screen, and maybe some backdrops that are relevant to your  niche.

• Editing & design software. In order to get your images looking amazing, you should consider utilizing professional editing software like Lightroom. You may also need access to Illustrator and Photoshop to create the infographics for your page - another essential aspect of all Amazon listings. Adobe software is not cheap - but inexpensive knock-offs won’t give you the same results.

• Lifestyle props and/or models. Lifestyle photos are another essential component of your listings. To create these, you may need a variety of props (only you can discern what these are based on your product) and/or models to get the right shot. 

• Research. If you’re doing this on your own, research is your friend. Thoroughly examine your competitors’ images to get an idea of what imagery you need. Then, create a list of all the shots you want to get and take them one at a time.

• Training. Not everyone is cut out to be a photographer. Just because you can take nice pics with your phone doesn’t mean taking professional product high-quality images will be easy. You may want to invest in a course to prepare yourself for the task!

Without these elements, you won’t be able to capture and create professional images and graphics that can compete with the existing top-ranking sellers. Competition is tough - and you’ll need to create your studio with that in mind.

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Use a Professional Service

Does the DIY option sound a bit daunting? Well, that’s because it is. You have a lot of work to do running your business - setting up a whole photo studio might not be worth your time. That’s where professional studios come in. They have all the equipment, talent, and software necessary for high-quality photos so you don’t have to worry about the details.

You’ll want to find a service that is capable of handling all of the Amazon image needs - white background, infographics, rendering, and lifestyle shots. Additionally, finding a studio that can help you with other creative aspects (video ads, product inserts, branding) may make your life easier in the future. 

EcomHub does offer all of these services at an affordable price for Amazon Sellers (and of course, we’re a little biased here - our team provides AMAZING SERVICE!). At the end of the day though, you should do your research and choose a company that you believe will work best for you.  

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Test Out Amazon’s New Feature

There is a new feature available directly through your Seller Central Account where Amazon will take a product image for you! How awesome is that!? While this is a limited feature and still in beta mode, this may be a great option for those on a very tight budget who don’t quite have wiggle room for “state of the art” product photography and images.

Things To Know To Optimize Your Listing With Photos

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Stay Up To Date With Amazon’s Requirements

This is especially important if you are going the DIY route. Most Amazon Product Photography services will be up to date with these standards and requirements, but it can’t hurt to be aware of them yourself to make sure you’re working with someone competent.

If you’re handling things all by yourself, here are the current requirements as of February 2022.

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You can also find a list of Amazon’s standards for product images here and general photo guidelines here.

These may change - so be sure to check the direct link and stay up to date before getting your photos taken.

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Use As Many Photos As Possible

Amazon permits you to use 6 photos within your listing. Do not use any less! This is the visual generation - so give the people what they want! 

Be sure to include a good variety of white background images, infographics, and lifestyle images to really fill out your listing well. If possible, add in a professional video, too! 

Your top competitors will all be using every tool available to them - which includes every possible photo slot. 

Just in case it wasn’t clear - use every photo slot available to you. All of them. Every. Single. One!

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Optimize Everything - Not Just Photos

While we’re talking about optimization, it’s important to note that professional product photography alone cannot get your product listing in the top search results. It is a key element necessary for doing so, but there’s a lot of other elements that go into your listing.

You need to optimize every portion of the listing by using SEO research and producing optimized copy that is relevant to your product and consumer base.

This includes your:

• Title. Simple titles are overrated. Fill your title with keywords and relevant terms to maximize your audience.
• Description. Your entire description should be written using SEO to hack the search results and get more organic traffic.
• Keywords. Choose carefully researched terms that are relevant, popular, and accurate.
• Bullet points. Every description needs 3-5 optimized bullet points that help readers easily see the highlights of your image.
• Images. This includes the alt text associated with every image.

While you’re getting your photos produced, be sure to handle each element of your listing with care to maximize organic traffic and conversions.

Need help with SEO? Check out our article on optimization here.

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Amazon Photography Tips For the DIY Crowd

Not sold on seeking help with your photography needs? Here’s a few pro tips to help you tackle your DIY photos with ease.

• Use A Photobox For Smaller Products. If you are dealing with smaller scale products, you may not need an entire studio to get the perfect shot. Invest in a quality photobox (these can be found on Amazon) to get the perfect lighting and clear photos every time. This could be a lifesaver for you if your product is the right size.
• Photoshop for Detail - Canva for Design. Photoshop is pretty hard to replace when it comes to tackling detail in graphic design - but it can be complicated for newbies when it comes to the aesthetics and final touches. While apps like Canva are not very useful with the finer details of editing, they can be great tools for newbies seeking to add some flair to their designs. 
• Use Fiverr. Don’t have the budget for big-name software? Consider using Fiverr to get infographics quickly using your photos. Note: Fiverr is not as reliable as a professional third-party studio, but it is a good budget option. Just be sure to vet someone before you pay them!
• Rent a Camera. If you can’t afford a DSLR camera and just need it for a few hours to get some professional photos with awesome image quality, consider renting one. You can either do this online or talk to your local camera retailer to see what options they have. You may also be able to work out a deal with a local photographer! 
• Use Friends & Family. Do you have friends and family who work in the photography business or are naturally photogenic? Most of our friends and family are eager to help spur on our business endeavors - see if any are willing to help by offering photography tips, equipment, use of their space, or modeling assistance.

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Conclusion

Amazon product photography is critical to getting more organic traffic and higher conversions. How are you going to ensure your images are up to par? Let us know in the comments! 

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