Saturday, July 11, 2009

Sprucing Up Your Online Shop - Part 3

284554603_bba2084a93_m.jpgIn today's edition of Sprucing up your Online Shop, we're going to take a look at the all-important topic of photography. While I'm by no means an expert on this, I have learned a lot about the necessity of having clear, crisp, and well lit pictures in my online shops, so I hope these elementary tips will help!

Good pictures are the greatest asset in a successful shop, so make sure your photos are clear and focused. Use a photo program such as Picasa to get rid of the greyness in your backgrounds. Use a macro lens to get sharp closeup pictures (especially when your work is a piece of jewelry or other small items).

Use most, if not all, of the photo options available to you. Show your item from different angles, different backgrounds, and in different lighting. Think outside the box and take photos from items that aren't only flat surfaces. If you look in my Etsy shop, you'll see pictures I have taken on slate, rocks, grass, seashells, against a clear blue sky, on a glass bottle and more. Challenge yourself and take a few items you have listed whose pictures you're not thrilled with. Once during a team challenge, we asked each other why particular items we thought would sell quickly didn't. With a few simple changes, we saw the difference some new photos made. The world is your canvas, so use it in unique pictorial ways!

The last installment of this 4 part series will be posted mid-week, so I hope you'll look for that! Teams and guilds are all about learning, sharing, and helping each other become the best we can while marketing in a highly competitive marketplace. If you have comments or suggestions on more ways to improve your photos, I'd love to hear them!

Photo courtesy of aussiegall

No comments: