Mastering Amazon Image Optimization: A Comprehensive Guide to Elevate Your Product Images

A picture is worth a thousand words. And when you’re trying to sell something, a thousand words could mean the difference between a successful sale and a lost customer.

Amazon is a very competitive platform. Your potential customers are going to take a quick glance at your product listing and decide if they want to learn more or not. The first thing they’re going to look at is your product images. If those images aren’t optimized, then you’re likely not going to make a lot of sales.

Content is king. Human retention is more important than computer readability. A lot of Amazon gurus write content for computers, but the truth is, most people on their phones are not going to read those bullet points or product descriptions. User intent drives everything else. On Amazon, product images are always going to be front and center. That’s why visual content, like product images, should be prioritized over everything else.

Amazon image optimization isn’t easy. But my team and I have been in the game for over a decade. We’ve helped our clients transform their product images from zero to hero. Here are 7 tips I’ve learned for Amazon image optimization. Stick around for the ultimate checklist that will help you ensure that your product images are ready to go.

1. Take High-Quality Photos

This one’s obvious. We won’t talk about it for too long. You should be hiring a professional product photographer for this, but here are some quick tips if you’re going to be doing it yourself.

• Use a tripod
• Clean the product and your lens before shooting
• Use the rule of thirds
• Show the product in use
• Take photos of the product packaging

2. Make The Most Out of The Main Image

Your main image is the first impression that you leave on potential customers. They’ll see the main image while they’re scrolling for the perfect product. They’re going to see it blown up in their face when they visit your product listing. It’s important to make the most of it.

Amazon requires you to use a photo of your product in front of a white background. Your product should take up at least 85% of the image. That might be a confusing number, so I like to see it this way. Your product should be running along the edges of the image borders. Like this:

Notice how the product itself is touching the image border. That’s a good use of space. This makes the product as large as possible, and makes it more likely that it’ll grab somebody’s attention.

The image should also be set to a 1:1 aspect ratio. The shortest side should be set to at least 1,000 px in order for Amazon to enable the zoom feature that you see in the screenshot above.

If you sell something in bulk, then it might be a good idea to include product packaging in your main photo. This gives customers a sense of scale and lets them know that they’re getting more than just one unit. Here’s an example:

Customers would see the big brown box and assume that there are plenty of little glove boxes in there. This main image shows customers the product, its benefit of being durable, and the fact that it is a case pack.

3. Create Infographics to Show Off Benefits

Infographics are a combination of product images, copy, and graphics. Including them on your product listing could increase conversion rates and traffic. I’d recommend including at least three infographics, each one focusing on a benefit that your product offers.

It’s best to include infographics right after the main image. I typically include them in the 2nd-4th slots.

Here’s an example of a simple infographic. It’s a picture of the product with some text over it. The copy is simple and to the point. Lines point out the benefits that come with this product. I made my own tool for creating infographics that you can access by clicking here.

Let’s look at a more advanced infographic. 

This one combines a high-quality lifestyle photo with copy and graphics. It’s still pretty simple, though. You could find the graphics from royalty-free sites like this one. Think to yourself: “What would a customer want to know about my product? What objections would they have to buying this?”

That same ice maker has this image, too. It doesn’t even include the product in the image but it still says a whole lot. Think outside of the box.

Incorporate Branding

If you have an established brand and you want to go the extra mile, then consider adding some brand elements. Include your brand colors, use your brand font, or feature a spokesperson.

This infographic for Pepsi’s mini cans is a great example. They’re not saying much—just emphasizing that it’s a great drink for all occasions. But they say it with so much power and confidence. They include their colors, their slogan, their font, and their voice. It makes me feel like I’m looking at Pepsi, not just another soda brand.

Create a Template

In order to speed up your infographic creation, you could consider creating a template. Or modifying an existing one out there. Creating a template could help you increase productivity.

Pepsi’s template might include the blue background and some font ready to go. Copy this file whenever you want to create an infographic so that you don’t need to redo all the work.

4. Use Lifestyle Images

Showing your product in use is absolutely essential if you want high conversion rates. It gives people a sense of scale and weight. It helps them envision the product in their space or in their hands.

Lifestyle images could help your audience connect with your product. It’s best to put these images in the 5th-7th spot. Your target audience should learn about the benefits of your product before seeing these images.

Don’t worry if you don’t have the chance to take lifestyle photos. You could always use an image editor to paste your product somewhere.

This blanket was probably never on the beach. You can tell that the blanket was pasted on a photo of the beach. The seller probably found a stock image online and pasted their own photo on it. But it gets the job done. Let’s look at another example.

Take a guess at what this product image is for. It’s for a red picnic blanket. You don’t see that anywhere in the photos, though. That’s completely fine! They probably didn’t have the chance to take lifestyle photos. This still gets the point across and it helps the customer connect with the blanket. It helps customers feel like the blanket is perfect for them because they also do yoga, go to the beach, or have picnics.

Why Use Infographics for Image Optimization?

A lot of Amazon sellers think that bullet points are their only chance at delivering a sales pitch. This is far from the truth. While bullet points are important, unfortunately a lot of people aren’t going to read them. But, most people are going to look at every single product image before making a purchase.

That’s why I have my team work so hard on infographics. This is your chance to deliver your sales pitch to your audience. Tell them why they need your product. Give them all the information they need to give them the confidence to click the buy button.

Amazon Product Image Optimization Checklist

Use this checklist to verify that your images are ready to go.

Conclusion

Amazon image optimization isn’t a one and done deal. You have to constantly be monitoring the performance of your product listings and their sales.

Image optimization plays a huge part in your product’s performance. You should see a boost in conversion rates and sales!