We have our fingers on the pulse of global retail

In order to help boost brand awareness on marketplaces such as Amazon, it is important to get the basics right. Selecting the right images is fundamental to helping you rank in online search and stand out from your competitors on the platform.

To help you accelerate your online success, check out our Amazon seller step-by-step guide to selecting the right images for Amazon.

1. Standardise your brand images by following Amazon best practices

Getting the basics right when it comes to images on Amazon is crucial to future success. Make sure you apply the following standards before investing in expensive advertising campaigns:

• The product should be the focal point of the image, taking up at least 85% of the frame.
• Ideally, all images should be 1000 pixels or larger across either the height or width. To enable zoom functionality, the smallest frame length should be 500 pixels – this is important because the zoom feature has proven to enhance sales.
• Amazon accepts JPEG (.jpg), TIFF (.tif), or GIF (.gif) file formats, however, JPEG is the preferred image format.
• Do not use a graphic or illustration of your product, images must show the actual product.
• All images must be in sharp focus, well-lit, use realistic colours and include smooth edges.
• Main or listing images should only show the specific item for sale, so remove any additional objects such as accessories which may confuse the customer.
• Use a pure white background to enable the image frame to blend with the Amazon interface and keep the focus on the product – the RGB values for pure white are: 255 | 255 | 255.
• Remove all text or logos that are not part of the product, as well as watermarks or artificially inserted images.

[Amazon Seller: Images standards for Amazon]

2. Choose the right images to reflect your brand

Product images are one of your most powerful marketing tools and can help shape your reputation as an Amazon seller. Listings with low-quality or few images will affect your conversion rates, resulting in your products appearing less frequently in Amazon’s search rankings.

Every Amazon product needs at least one product image. However, if you want to give your products and brand an extra boost, include multiple high-quality images which showcase different angles of the selected item. Up to eight additional images can be used to illustrate the product’s features.

If possible, use a studio to capture your product images, or if you don’t have access to a studio use a plain, light coloured (ideally white) background and quality lighting, positioned to highlight the product, but avoid casting a shadow.

It is also worth including a few images of the item being used, to help customers visualise how the product looks in reality – this is particularly important for clothing or accessories. Although make sure your main images is on a clean, white background to ensure there is no confusion as to what the customer is buying.

[Uploading several product images on the Amazon Seller Central will help you to boost your brand awareness]

3.     Product selection is key for Amazon Sellers

As well as selecting the right images, choosing the right products for your selected Amazon channel is equally important to generate online success. Below are a few tips to consider:

What are the strengths and features of your product?

Be honest; some products are more suited to a particular market and less ideal for others. Evaluate your desired destination’s shopping habits and match products accordingly.

What “tone of voice” are you using?

Always remember that you are communicating with people and talk to customers as you would if they were in a physical shop. Utilise all elements of your marketplace page to present your brand messaging, considering the tone and feel of your image selection, how your product descriptions entice buyers and how the store layout and colour selection builds up a consistent brand identity.

How much information should you include?

Be sure to prepare all product images in a way that quickly shows the key selling points of your items, ensuring the most important information is shown first. Use bullet points to clearly list product information, and tag items correctly to help your products show up in search.

Don’t overcomplicate your sell with long, arduous product descriptions, focus on the core facts to help buyers make a quick decision that your product is right for them.

4.     Continually evaluate your performance

Never stop evaluating your performance to improve your product and brand awareness. Draw insights from Amazon’s statistical data to see which products are performing better than others, and use A/B testing on specific promotional devices, such as image size or colour selection, to determine the best options for your brand.

You can also talk to a member of our team today to find out how we can increase your global online sales! Email hello@wearepentagon.com, call +44 (0)20 8940 5392 or get in touch wearepentagon.com/contact/