Product photography is one of the most important elements of an e-commerce website. This is true even if you are selling largely functional products such as pharmacy supplies, because customers still want to know what the shape, size, branding and packaging look like.
Good photography builds up trust in the authenticity of your website, as customers can see exactly what they are buying. Here are some tips for stand out product photography.
Have a consistent style
There are two main types of product photography; minimalist photos and contextual photos. For a pharmaceutical website, the majority of the product photos will probably be minimalist. This means that the product will be photographed singly against a solid background, with a close-up of the details.
If the product has outer and inner packaging, such as a bottle of moisturiser that is packaged inside a cardboard box, then the two components can be displayed alongside each other, so that the customer can see exactly what they are getting.
In some cases, a contextual photograph showing how the product is used may be helpful. For example, if the website sells mobility aids such as ergonomically designed kitchen tools, a photograph showing a person using the tool might be helpful for the customer.
Use lighting effectively
Lighting is key to taking a good quality photo. For products that require detail and definition, artificial lighting is best, which means any light source other than daylight. Experiment with the angle of your light source to avoid harsh shadows obscuring some of the detail. If necessary, diffuse some of the light through a filter to soften the light.
If any of your photographs feature people, softer natural daylight is best, as it is more flattering and produces fewer strong shadows.
Have consistent sizing
Taking all your product photographs from the same height and distance using a tripod will ensure that they appear as a consistent size throughout the website. This will give it a more professional look and the category pages will look pleasing and well presented.
It is important to ensure that there is a margin between the product and the border of the photo, to ensure that the eye can focus clearly on the main subject.
More creative approaches
If you are marketing pharmacy products, more creative approaches to product photography may not always be appropriate. However, with some categories such as makeup there may be scope for some experimentation.
For example, lipstick colours could be shown off with a smear on an inner arm to demonstrate the texture and consistency of the lipstick as well as the colour. Foundations could be demonstrated with dabs on the face of a model to show how well they match particular skin tones.
The same techniques could be applied to moisturisers, hand creams, and hair care and hair styling products. This gives the customer much more insight into the results they can expect from the product, making it more likely that they will commit to a purchase.
If you would like some help with pharmacy ecommerce website design, please contact us today.