12 Different Types of Product Images For eCommerce Websites: A Comprehensive Guide

ECommerce business means presenting your products in the right way. You can already guess why. Since buyers can’t see or hold the products in person, they have only two options to learn about a product: the image and the description.

Now, let me tell you why attractive, eye-catching images can be the primary reason for making sales. Imagine you see two ads on social media. One is only text and description, and the other includes a description with a nice image. Which one will catch your interest first? Obviously, the one with the image. This is because our brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text.

This proves that any eCommerce business should invest hard work into their brand and product presentation. It is the fastest way to gain customersattention, build trust, and generate sales.

So, without a second thought, you need to create great visuals for your brand. But did you know that in eCommerce, there are many types of images that help showcase your product in the best way? Different types of images highlight different qualities of the products.

In this article, I will talk about the 12 different types of product images for eCommerce websites. By learning about these different types of product images, you can create eye-catching visuals that will attract potential customers and boost sales. Read continuously!

12 Different Types of Product Images For eCommerce Websites that Sell

Customers like to see different angles and details of a product. It helps them build trust in the website before buying. To gain this trust, any ecommerce business owner, whether it’s you or me, should give special dedicated importance to ecommerce product photography. This is where the 12 types of product images come in, which I’m about to write down briefly in a second. Each one serves a unique purpose to help express the product's value and use.

These 12 different types of product images are a proven method to gain customer's trust and increase sales. All the established brands have been using these images to generate thousands of sales. Now, let’s see what these types are and how they help ecommerce businesses get more sales.

Type #1: Studio Shot Product Images

Studio shot product images are the core of ecommerce photography. These types of images are usually featured on a white and clean background, totally focusing on the product. This method allows a product to stand out without any distractions. These images are normally the primary presentation of a product in an eCommerce business.

Uses and Importance:

• What It Is: Clean images of the product against a white background. Plain and factual images taken on a white or neutral background.
• Why It’s Needed: This type of image sets clear expectations of what the customer is purchasing without any distracting elements.

Best Practices:

• Use even, diffused lighting to avoid harsh shadows while studio shooting products.
• Shoot from multiple angles to cover key points of view.
• Use high-resolution images to ensure sharpness and clarity.

Type #2: Product Detail Shots

Detailed shots mean a close zoom-in shot of a particular part of a product. This highlights the texture, patterns, and materials of a product so that the buyer can get a clear idea about the craftsmanship, quality, and uniqueness of an item.

Uses and Importance:

• Highlighting Key Features: Close-up shots focus on features like stitches, buttons, materials, finishes, and clothing labels.
• Importance: Detailed shots help customers get a feel for the material or craftsmanship without physical contact, increasing their confidence in the product's quality.

Best Use Cases:

• Detail shots are mostly used for products like jewelry, ceramics, or anything with unique textures.
• They help represent the materials for fabric products.
• They highlight fine jewelry settings or delicate designs.

Type # 3: Lifestyle Product Images

Lifestyle ecommerce photography shows how the product would look in a real-life scenario. They give an idea of how the product fits into the buyer's life, making it easier for potential customersto imagine themselves using it. This psychological trick helps to get more engagement from customers.

Uses and Importance:

• Lifestyle photos showcase the products used by models or in relatable settings, helping customersenvision the product in their own context.
• Create emotional engagement because customers can imagine the product in their own situation.
• Mostly used for clothing or furniture e-commerce shops.
• Builds and enhances the buyer's imagination, increasing the chances of purchasing a product.

Type #4: 360-Degree Product Views

A 360-degree product view is an interactive system that shows the product from all angles. This format of the photo needs to be manually added by website developers. It allows customers to rotate the product and see it from all perspectives, replicating the experience of picking up an item and examining it physically.

Uses and Tools:

• Helps replicate an in-person experience.
• Requires specialized software and a series of images stitched together to provide a full rotation.
• Addresses the need for customers to see every side of the product, which is crucial for online shopping.

Best Practices:

• Always use consistent lighting for all angles.
• Primarily used for products with a lot of details and for luxury items.

Type #5: Scale and Size Reference

These images provide information about the product's size. They showcase the product next to common items or in use by a model so that customers can understand the actual dimensions of the product. This helps eliminate misconceptions about the size of the product.

Uses and Importance:

• Helps customers accurately understand the product's size, avoiding disappointment or returns.
• Use objects that provide context, such as showing a piece of jewelry on a hand or a model holding the item.

Effective Techniques:

• Showcase the product alongside everyday items to provide a clear size reference.
• Use models for clothing products or accessories.

Type #6: Scale Reference Product Images

These images are similar to size comparison shots. Focuses on accurately representing the product’s scale. The purpose of the images is to show the product in a relatable environment, highlighting proportional relationships.

Uses and Importance:

• Helps represent the true size of a product.
• Shows how large or small an item is in its natural environment.

Best Practices:

• Ideal for categories like fashion or furniture where accurate sizing is essential.

Type #7: Group/Bundle Shots

Group or bundle shots show multiple products together in one frame. These can include different colors of the same product or complementary products that can be purchased as a set.

Uses and Importance:

• Group photos represent related products presented together.
• They help showcase product variety and motivate customers to purchase more items.
• Provide a wide range of options for customers, useful for bundling or showcasing sets.

Best Practice:

• Make sure the grouping of the images is well-organized to avoid visual clutter.
• Highlight bundles or product variations.

Type #8: Product Packaging Images

Packaging images might seem simple, but they play a vital role in engaging with customers. These images show how the product will arrive and how the customers will receive the product. They are especially necessary for gift items. Everyone loves to receive their packages with extra care.

Uses and Importance:

• Packaging can impact buying decisions. Unique packaging adds priceless value and enhances the perceived value of the product.
• Shows customers if the packaging is suitable for gifting.

Best Practices:

• Special packaging normally features any eco-friendly materials or "ready-to-give" gifts.
• Ensure the packaging design looks attractive and reflects the brand's values.

Type #9: Animated Product Video

Animations or "before-and-after" animated videos show the result of the product over time. This makes it easier for customers to see what the product can do. These animated videos are normally shown in a step-by-step format to present a visually compelling story, so customers understand the benefits and impact of the product.

Uses and Importance:

• These animated videos often show "before and after" examples, helping explain how a product works and its results.
• They tell a story about the product by showing how it can solve customer's problems over time.
• This approach works well for beauty, fitness, and home improvement products, as people want to see visible changes in skin, body, or home.
• These animated videos are important because they provide real proof. Customers can see how well the product works, which builds trust and boosts sales.

Type #10: Infographic Style Product Images

Infographic images combine text with visuals. These images present important information about a product, like its features, benefits, or size. This helps customers quickly learn about the product without reading long descriptions.

Uses and Importance:

• Infographic images simplify complicated product details into easy visuals, making it easier for customers to understand what the product is about.
• People don’t always want to spend time reading long paragraphs. Infographics give them key details in a way that's fast and simple to understand.

Best Practices:

• Keep the information clear and to the point. Avoid adding too much text or too many details.
• Use small pictures or symbols that easily explain the most important parts of the product.
• Use short labels or small bits of text next to the graphics to explain the product's features.
• Make sure the infographic is clean and simple. Don’t add too much information or too many visuals, as it can be confusing for customers.

Type #11: Product with Accessories

This type of image shows how the product and accessories can be used together to be more beneficial. This helps buyers better understand the value of the product and see how the accessories can make the main product more useful. This method encourages buyers to also purchase the complementary accessories.

Uses and Importance:

• These images show a product along with accessories that go with it.
• This encourages customers to buy more by giving them ideas about what items work well together or how the extra items add value to the product.
• The images show how accessories can improve the main product.

Effective Use:

• Show examples like cameras with lenses or clothes with matching accessories like bags or jewelry. This makes it easy for shoppers to see what they need to complete their purchase.

Type #12: Color Variations Product Images

Color variation product images display the different colors and patterns available for a product. Instead of just listing these options, showing them visually helps buyers make better choices.

Uses and Importance:

• These images allow buyers to see all the available variations, like colors, patterns, and sizes.
• This approach makes it easier for buyers to decide, reducing confusion and frustration in the buying process.

Tools for Customization:

• Use color swatches to show available options. Photoshop tools can make the editing process smooth and enjoyable for buyers.
• Integrating custom visualizers into your eCommerce platform can make these images more engaging and user-friendly.

Each type of product image that I mentioned above is important because it clearly shows the value, use, and uniqueness of a product. This image type helps connect the online shopping experience to the real-life store experience. When buyers can see products clearly online, it makes them feel more confident about their choices.

This confidence can be the key to getting sales. When buyers trust what they see, they are more likely to buy. Overall, good product images are crucial for improving the shopping experience and encouraging purchases.

What's more, those are the 12 types of product images. One thing you may know is that the photography process doesn’t end here. After the photoshoots, the photos need to be edited to get the final look. And after that, the images are ready to be published.

In this editing process, one thing you can’t overlook is the clipping path. You must have a clipping path of a photo before editing it. If you have a small team or a lot of photos to edit, you can get help from a clipping path service. Every photo editing agency does this job, and you can get them at a low cost.

Why variety in product images matters for online stores

By now, you must know that pictures are the best way to grab someone’s attention. That's why having different types of product images is super important for your e-commerce store. One picture can’t represent a product fully. People want to see a product from all angles—front, back, side, maybe even underneath. So, the more you show your buyers, the more likely they are to buy. Showing your product means presenting the polished, professional look of your products. And to show your products fully, you must have a variety of product images. Surely, the same type of image can’t describe a product better than a product with multiple types of images.

For example, close-up images show the texture, color, or special details of the product, helping people trust the quality. Also, when a buyer sees products in a real setting—like a sofa placed in a beautiful, cozy living room—it helps them imagine how it might look in their own home.

Lifestyle photos, different versions and options, and size comparisons all help a product reveal itself properly and help customers know about a product deeply. This builds trust and confidence, and you already know that trust and confidence generate sales.

Why Do Product Images Impact Sales?

Images are the first thing a buyer notices. Multiple and edited images create a strong first impression and make people want to learn more about the product. Along with that, high-quality product images make a product seem trustworthy and reliable. People tend to buy from someone they trust.

You can’t touch an online product, so the only thing you can rely on is an image. More pictures mean the more confident you would feel about a product, increasing the chance of getting more sales. Clear, accurate pictures help people know exactly what they’re buying. This reduces product returns and increases sales.

EndNote

There you have it—the 12 different types of product images for eCommerce websites. Since different buyers prefer different types of images of a product, it is important to focus on the types of product images to get the attention of all types of buyers.

Not only that, as I mentioned earlier, by providing multiple different images of a product, you can build trust in your brand among your buyers, making them more likely to purchase. Psychologically, we prefer to buy from someone we trust.

That’s it for today! It’s been a long session, but if you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Our team or I are always ready to respond quickly and hear your thoughts. We look forward to helping you reach your business goals. Take care!