Merchandising with Pictures and Videos Jeff Sexton , Jeff Sexton Writes - Dec 14, 2010

If you run an e-commerce site, the rubber really meets the road on the product pages. Other aspects of your site help build credibility and confidence, but the product page is where visitors decide to buy or not.

And while there are lots of usability tweaks you can do to a product page, the heart and soul of any product page lies in its ability to merchandise the product for sale through the use of four basic tools:

1. Product Copy
2. User Reviews
3. Product Pictures
4. Product Videos.

So let's talk about the final two, visual merchandising tools in this article, and focus on the text-based tools next month.

Product Pictures

What is the most imporant thing to understand about product pictures? Hi-res, multiple angle pictures answer questions and concerns that otherwise might kill the sale.

The more great, high-resolution photos you provide, the more questions you allow your visitor to answer, and the more sales you'll make. Here are some common photo angles that most e-commerce sites fail to provide, along with the common answers and concerns those angles can help to address:

When you show me the back of the product, I can:

• See the connections for electronics,
• See if the jewelry is hollow or solid,
• See if the sweater pattern is continued on the back, or if the jacket is gusseted to allow movement,
• See what kind of grip pattern is on the handle,
• and so on.

When you show me the product relative to a known item, I can:

• See relative size, as compared to a hand or a quarter or deck of cards,
• See how “pocketable” the item is, or how well it will fit into my messenger bag,
• See just how much added screen space I get,
• and so on.

When you show me a side view, I can:

• Gauge the product's hefty or svelte build.
• See how rounded or chamfered or comfortable the sides are. For example, showing me the top of the kitchen knife let's me not only judge the thickness of the blade stock, but lets me see any texturing or rounding placed on the back of the blade for better grip or more comfortable handling.
• See how comfortable the item will wear, or how well it will slip under clothing. Showing me a side view of a watch, not only gives me an idea of how thick it is, but on how well it'll sit on my wrist, fit under my shirt cuff, etc.
• See how padded that messenger bag's or backpack's shoulder strap is.
• See if the ring will fit comfortably on my (or her) finger.
• Get an intuitive sense of how long or meaty the book is.
• And so on.

When you show me a bottom or interior view, I can:

• See the treads of the shoes.
• See if the electronic box has rubber feet or not.
• See what kind of access panels are provided for the electronic gizmo you're selling.
• See the lining of a coat.
• See how organized the luggage or backpack is.

When you show me an action view, I can:

• Get a sense of the “story” behind the item, such as I do when I see a picture of chocolate being drizzled over toffee, or a juicy pear being spooned up for serving.
• Intuit the functional beauty of an item. For instance, showing me a dog-toy mid-throw let's me see how the throwing apparatus works or how it prevents the need to bend down and pick up a drool-soaked tennis ball.
• Get a glimpse of the item interacting with other objects. For example, showing me a laptop bag mid-pack, let's me see how the items go in and out of the bag.

Product Videos

Are videos more than just action shots in motion? No. Ostensibly, videos take the idea of action photos several steps farther. You can show the entire action and process, not just a snapshot.

But if this is all you are doing with the product -- if you are essentially just doing a show and tell with the item -- then you're probably missing out on video's full potential.

The real benefit of videos comes with:

• Using scenarios to contextualize features and dramatize benefits.
• Conveying emotion and passion in a way that only sound and motion can achieve.
• Building credibility through over-the-top product demos.

When it comes to contextualizing features, few companies do this better than Apple, with the original iPhone commercials serving as sort of a gold standard. Check out how this commercial makes the original iPhone's ground-breaking integration of full-featured Internet browser, apps, and phone into an indispensable life tool, rather than a just fancy whiz-bang gadget.

If you want to see emotion and passion, check-out Gary Vernerchuck's Wine videos. Or take a gander at The Girl Effect videos. It's tough to create those effects with text or static images alone, isn't it?

Finally, if you want to see astounding product demos, take a gander at Cold Steel's Proof videos. Or most any successful infomercial, for that matter.

What about you? Do your product pages merchandise through pictures and videos? If not, what are you waiting for? Take your top five sellers or your top five profit producing items and test out some added photo and video merchandising.