Always Have at Least 3–5 Product Images for All Products

Findings

Research from Baymard shows that product images are key in online shopping, with 56% of desktop users looking at them first. During testing across desktop, mobile sites, and app product pages, users spent twice as long on pages with multiple images (60 seconds) compared to pages with a single image (30 seconds). 81% of benchmark sites display at least 4 images per product. Having multiple high-quality images can significantly enhance user engagement, leading to longer time spent on product pages.

Tips for displaying product images effectively

Optimize image quantity

Providing a defined number of product images is essential for giving customers a complete and captivating view before they buy. Here's a breakdown:

• Ensure that every product has at least 3-5 images. This minimum threshold helps users get a basic understanding of the product from different angles and in context.
• Aim for 10-15 images per product. Users generally appreciate having more images to explore, and this range provides a comprehensive view without overwhelming them.

Lines Fy enhances its product presentation by using multiple images, including a model wearing the hoodie, displayed below the main product image via PageFly's product image capabilities.

Use different kinds of product images

To help customers fully understand the product, provide multiple image types that showcase different perspectives and key details. Below are the 3-must have image types.

• Include in-scale images: Show the product next to familiar objects or in a real-life setting to give customers a sense of its size.
• Highlight key features: Use close-up shots to showcase important product details, materials, or special functionalities.
• Provide multiple angles: Show the product from various viewpoints (front, back, side, top-down) to ensure a comprehensive understanding.

Allbirds store showcases their shoes in context by displaying them on a person's foot. They also emphasize product materials with detailed close-up shots. Additionally, they provide complete 360-degree views from various angles—top-down, side, and heel—allowing customers to thoroughly assess the shoe's design and build before making a purchase.

Display product images in a carousel or gallery ayout

Shoppers should be able to browse multiple images easily without distractions. A well-designed layout ensures that all visuals are neatly arranged and accessible. If your product page currently shows only a single static image, consider:

• Show multiple images in a carousel: Showcase numerous images without overwhelming the user with a long, vertically scrolling page
• Display images in a gallery layout: Present multiple product images in a structured grid for easy viewing.

KEKWIN, a Shopify merchant, uses a grid gallery to display product images. By showcasing their items in this manner, KEKWIN not only highlights the product's design and features but also provides customers with a realistic understanding of how the items look when worn, enhancing the overall shopping experience.

Using PageFly, you can easily customize product image displays to effectively highlight your products while keeping the page visually appealing and user-friendly.

• Showcase multiple images in a carousel to prevent clutter
• Use a gallery layout for a clear, organized grid.

Enhance product viewing for a closer look

Let customers see product images up close to help them check details and make better buying decisions. With zoom and magnifier features, they can easily inspect textures, materials, and key product features:

• Enable magnifier for desktop: By hovering over product images, shoppers can see a magnified view, helping them inspect the products and its features with ease. With PageFly, you can easily enable that feature for product media, allowing customers to interact with images seamlessly.

• Use zoom feature for mobile: Ensure customers can easily zoom in for a closer look, especially on small screens.

Ibrand, a PageFly user, leverages the zoom feature to ensure customers can effortlessly examine product details on smaller screens, creating a more engaging and user-friendly mobile shopping experience

Balance image quality and page performance

High-quality images significantly enhance the visual appeal and user experience of your website. However, large image files can slow down page loading times, negatively impacting SEO and user engagement. Here’s how you can ensure your images are both high-quality and optimized for speed:

• Choose the right format: JPEG for photographs and images with many colors; PNG for graphics, logos, and images with transparent backgrounds; WebP for a balance between quality and file size, supported by most modern browsers.
• Use image CDNs: Consider using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to distribute your images across different geographic locations, reducing the distance data needs to travel and thus speeding up load times.
• Lazy loading: Implement lazy loading to defer the loading of images until they come into view. This technique can significantly improve initial page load times.

With PageFly, you can upload a range of image types and qualities, and leverage the lazy loading feature to ensure fast page load times even with high-quality visuals.

Conclusion

Adding more product images isn’t just about quantity—it’s about delivering the right visual information to your customers. Invest in high-quality images, ensure a smooth browsing experience, and optimize for both desktop and mobile. By doing so, you’ll create a more compelling shopping experience that boosts trust, engagement, and sales.