Anatomy of a high-performance ecommerce listing for beauty and personal care products

Product and gallery images are among the most critical factors in a successful ecommerce listing. What is it about them that makes for a high-performing listing that converts store browsers into buyers?

In this blog post we'll talk about how to create compelling listings using the right combinations of photos for beauty and personal care products. As a bonus tip we'll also discuss how to craft item descriptions to enhance your offerings for increased conversion rates!

The images you need to sell Beauty and Personal Care Products

When consumers browse through products online, they're looking for proof of quality and value. Product images shape first impressions, eventually leading to the decision-making process of making a purchase.

This process can be greatly enhanced through communicative and contextual images. To create a  truly comprehensive and convincing product listing we recommend using the following types of images:

Traditional Packshot

Packshots are pictures of products typically used as the main image on ecommerce sites. Usually, they're taken against a white background to make it look clean and easy to navigate.

These kinds of shots show shoppers what the product is like, what it's made of, and what it looks like from every angle.

As marketers, it's good to focus on the features of a product and this what the packshot does; it shows you the "what."

More importantly, the big "why" is even more critical followed by showing the "how," "when," and "where."

Most beauty and personal care items purchased are things people want rather than items needed for basic survival. Consumers buy these items either because they want the pleasure of owning or using them, or because they are solving a problem or pain point. The key is to tap into their emotions to elicit a powerful 'want' response from buyers.

Contextual Styled Product Shot

A styled product shot aims to show the customer what it would be like to own and use an item.

Stylised images are an excellent way for your brand to promote a specific aesthetic relevant to the market you're targeting. By including props and lifestyle items, you can start to weave a visual story around your product and how it fits into a potential customer's lifestyle.

Flatlay photos are great in telling a story with your brand as well. This is a simple way to convey a feeling or experience when using your product!

Images Showing the Product In Use

Situational shots are highly sought-after by brands due to their natural and relatable nature. These shots show your product used in a manner they are designed for.

On a model or being used by a real person

In today's society, consumers need to be assured they are making the right purchase decisions, and having photos of how a product looks on people makes it easier for them.

One of the things that buyers seek when purchasing beauty products is transformation. If you want to sell more, use pictures of people that can show what your product might do for them. Before and after photos can be persuasive and been known to lead to the sale of many products.

You don't need to use flawless models, real people of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds can be more relatable and representative for your target customers.

Another important thing to consider in the beauty and personal care industry is showing your customers your product as it is dispensed or applied to the skin. Sensory images featuring the texture, lather or consistency of your formula help your audience imagine what it feels like to use your product.

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Step by step instructions for use

Customers who are new to your product will need to understand how to use a product and what is involved before they buy it. Creating step-by-step images helps them better visualize how their purchase will function in real life.

Instructional images can help educate your customers on the right quantity of product to use, how or when to apply it, and techniques to get the best results. This helps reduce the chance of your customers feeling overwhelmed at trying to figure out how your brand fits into their routine.

Your best bet is to compile a series of well-crafted product application photos that tell the story of how to use your item in detail for shoppers to see into one simple frame.

Visuals Showing Key Ingredients

Consumers like to know what ingredients go into the cosmetics and personal care products they use every day. Visually depicting ingredients help customers make faster decisions about which items they may like based on key benefits or unique fragrances.

Products can be styled with the corresponding ingredients to create a visually appealing and informative image, or with an infographic or text overlay with additional information.

Key Benefits Graphic

We consistently hear from consumers that they want to be confident in their purchases. Text overlays and infographics are the easiest way to communicate an important aspect or benefit of your product.

Graphics are an effective way to communicate a primary benefit of your brand whether it's a vital statistic or more details around a specific attribute or ingredient.

Collection or Range Shot

In a world where we are constantly bombarded with options, making your product pages as streamlined and easy-to-use for the customer is one of the best ways to upsell or cross-sell other products in your store.

If your product is part of a range or comes in a variety of fragrances or sizes, presenting the item with the rest of the collection can help your customer see what other products may help complete their regime.

Grouping together similar items into cohesive "collections" can help your customer find other products they might be interested in without scrolling through endless lists of things they might not have even realized were available before.

Crafting Beauty Descriptions That Convert

Lifestyle images are not the only things you need to invest in to optimize your listing for conversions, your product descriptions are key contributors too. Combining detailed written descriptions on top of professional pictures is a win-win situation that will set your listing up for success!

It's About Who You Are Talking To

Your beauty and personal care product descriptions should be primarily addressed to who you're talking to and explain why they would want your item. This helps visitors quickly figure out if a particular brand or product will be a good fit for them.

For example, St. Ives is all about 100% natural ingredients, so it talks to an audience that values cruelty-free skin products and celebrates real and untouched beauty.

Show Lots Of "Me" Benefits

It is vital to provide the customer with a complete solution, as opposed to just features.

For example, Dettol communicates clearly that "We protect what we love." This adds an emotional layer to functional product by taking a personal approach to the product benefits of protecting skin from harmful bacteria or viruses.

Use Keywords

The keywords used in your content are what people search for when looking to buy a product, so it is important that you naturally sprinkle them throughout.

That way, there's a chance of a sale because your prospective buyer is reading something they were really looking for in the first place, having a good chance at conversions with genuine buyers.

Creating engaging and informative product pages for your ecommerce listings is essential for increasing conversions with satisfied customers. Whether they're beauty or personal care products, you want to make sure that your customers can easily envision how the product complements their lifestyle and the benefits of using it.

By following these steps you will help consumers feel confident in their  purchase by giving them all the information they need in a simple, easy-to-digest, visual format.