Product pictures clarify user worries
By Kristoffer Bohmann
How much is a quality picture worth on a product page? A lot. Product pictures help music buyers determine if the music-CD in their browser window is worth buying by clarifying a range of worries about the offering, including:
- Does this look like a quality product I want to own?
- Does it look like other products I want or already have?
- Is the product on this page exactly the product I think it is (correct version, manufacturer, etc.).
- Will uncle Mike like this product if I give it to him for Christmas?
Users will not buy if the ecommerce site fails to provide a satisfactory answer to such questions.
Other types of content also help users answer the questions and understand exactly what is offered (and what is not). So, product pictures are not always stricly necessary on a site with a limited budget. In some cases, pictures of other product versions can even be used to give an idea about the product (it should always be clearly stated if the picture doesn't match the product to maintain user credibility). Still, good product pictures usually provide more exact information about the product compared to other content.
Kristoffer Bohmann
