Imagine this: You're shopping for a new piece of jewelry online. You've found a beautiful necklace that seems to tick all the boxes. But, there's a nagging doubt in your mind – how will it look on you? Will it match your outfits? Is it really as stunning in person as it looks in the photos?
This is a common dilemma faced by online shoppers, and it highlights a critical challenge in the world of eCommerce: bridging the gap between the digital and physical shopping experiences.
This is where visual commerce comes into play.
We are talking about engaging the shoppers’ sense of sight to create more immersive and interactive shopping experiences.
In this article, we have covered some starter-level, advanced-level and pro-level visual commerce ideas for you to start implementing right away.
Here we go!
12 high-impact visual commerce ideas
1. Next-level product images
2. Add visual cues to your product descriptions
3. Include lifestyle imagery
4. Add user-generated content
5. Make product videos
6. Consider creating lookbooks
7. Make searching more *visual*
8. Dynamically update thumbnails as per the search query
9. Add 360-degree product views
10. Experiment with augmented reality
11. Create virtual showrooms
12. Implement 3D virtual shopping assistants
1. Next-level product images
Optimizing your product images doesn’t stop at quality alone.
Quality is definitely essential but there are a bunch of factors that influence the buying decision.
Some fixes that you can make are:
👉🏼 Upload images taken from multiple angles
👉🏼 It is a good practice to include scale; notice how the pen is placed in a hand for shoppers to visualize it
👉🏼 Upload high-resolution images and let shoppers zoom in to see the finer details of your products closely
👉🏼 Add an image for each color variant that you are offering
Don’t forget: Make sure that your architecture supports your image strategy. Additional or high-size images should not hit your loading times.
2. Add visual cues to your product descriptions
While the whole point of descriptions is to give all the product information to shoppers, not everyone wants “all” of it. Most shoppers are looking for a few specific things.
Visual elements in the product descriptions help shoppers quickly sift through the information and find exactly what they are looking for.
A few changes that you can consider making to your product descriptions are:
👉🏼 Use icons and symbols to highlight key product features and benefits–making it easier for customers to quickly grasp important information
👉🏼 Incorporate color coding to differentiate between product variations, such as sizes, colors, or models
👉🏼 Utilize comparison charts with images to visually compare product specifications
👉🏼 Add infographics to explain complex product details or usage instructions–making information more digestible and engaging
👉🏼 Highlight key information with visual emphasis such as bold text, borders, or background colors–drawing attention to important details
Check how Away has listed the important features of their bags as points along with relevant icons–really taking the readability up a notch.
3. Include lifestyle imagery
“I like the product but I am not sure if it will be useful for me.”
This is a problem that you can solve with lifestyle imagery–giving them multiple use cases of your products and enticing them to make your product a part of their lives.
A few great tips are:
👉🏼 Highlight practical usage by showcasing the product being used in everyday activities– illustrating its functionality and benefits
👉🏼 Use diverse models and settings according to your target audience to reflect various customer demographics–ensuring a broader appeal and inclusivity
👉🏼 Incorporate seasonal and situational images to demonstrate the product’s versatility and relevance throughout the year or in different scenarios
👉🏼 Capture authentic moments with candid, natural shots that convey a genuine feel– enhancing the emotional connection with customers
Castlery does an absolutely brilliant job with lifestyle photos–look how enticing they have made their products with the setting and additional props.
4. Add user-generated-content
When it comes to social proof, both quantity and quality matter.
When you’re looking at buying a book on Amazon, you want to know how many people bought the book and also how many thought it was excellent (as well as why those who rated it poorly did so).
What will make the experience even better–when this social proof comes easy to their eyes.
The easier you make consuming this information, the faster your shoppers will convert.
Few ways to do this are:
👉🏼 Feature customer reviews and photos on product pages to provide authentic insights and build trust, showing potential buyers real-life usage and satisfaction
👉🏼 Incorporate UGC in homepage galleries to showcase community engagement and genuine customer experiences
👉🏼 Highlight customer testimonials in banners and pop-ups to personalize communication and share relatable experiences
👉🏼 Create a dedicated UGC gallery or section on your website where customers can browse photos and videos submitted by other users, enhancing the shopping experience with diverse perspectives
👉🏼 Include UGC in your website's blog or articles by featuring quotes or images from happy customers–adding a personal touch and encouraging new buyers to share their own experiences
5. Make product videos
Treepodia says video is one of the few strategies that seems to work well regardless of the category in which it is deployed.
Creating engaging product videos involves more than just filming the product. It’s about storytelling and showing the product’s value from the customer's perspective.
Highlight real-world use cases, demonstrate the benefits, and address common customer questions and concerns.
For example, showing the smartphone's camera performance in various lighting conditions, its battery life during heavy usage, and its durability can help customers make informed decisions.
Let’s look at some ideas that will help you ace product videos:
👉🏼 Feature product videos on product pages to provide detailed demonstrations, highlighting features and benefits that might be missed in static images
👉🏼 Create tutorial videos to showcase how to use, style, or maintain your products, helping customers make informed decisions and feel confident in their purchases
👉🏼 Share customer testimonial videos to build trust and authenticity, letting potential buyers hear directly from satisfied customers about their positive experiences
👉🏼 Embed product videos in email campaigns to increase engagement and provide a more interactive way for subscribers to learn about new arrivals or special promotions
👉🏼 Highlight behind-the-scenes videos to give customers a glimpse into your brand’s story, processes, and people
6. Consider creating lookbooks
The best way to reinforce your brand's aesthetic and inspire customers to explore and purchase your collections? Lookbooks.
When it comes to the visual branding of your eCommerce store, there is no better way than curating lookbooks.
To get them right:
👉🏼 Create seasonal lookbooks to highlight new collections: Develop interactive lookbooks for each season, showcasing new arrivals and styling ideas to keep your content fresh and relevant
👉🏼 Feature clickable product links: Ensure each product in the lookbook has clickable links that direct customers to the product pages for easy purchasing
👉🏼 Integrate customer-generated content: Include photos or videos from customers within your lookbooks, showcasing real-life usage of your products to build trust and authenticity
👉🏼 Offer styling tips and recommendations: Provide expert advice on how to style or use the products featured in your lookbooks, helping customers envision how items can fit into their own lives
👉🏼 Make lookbooks mobile-friendly: Optimize the design and functionality of your lookbooks for mobile devices to ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience for all users, regardless of how they access your site
7. Make searching more *visual*
Humans recognize images more than text.
So, when your shoppers are searching for something specific–they are more likely to find, click and purchase the product when they see the image of it in the search drop-down versus not.
Hence, here’s what you should do:
👉🏼 Integrate image-based search functionality: Implement a visual search tool that displays image thumbnails in the search bar dropdown, enabling customers to quickly identify and select the product they are looking for
👉🏼 Show image thumbnails in search suggestions: When users start typing in the search bar, display relevant product images alongside text suggestions to provide a visual reference
👉🏼 Provide similar product suggestions with images: Once a product is selected from the search results, show a section of similar products with images on the product page to encourage further exploration
👉🏼 Enhance auto-complete with visuals: Improve the auto-complete feature by including small product images next to the text suggestions, making it easier for customers to find exactly what they need
Check how Sephora gives product suggestions in their search drop-down with the image of the products.
8. Dynamically update thumbnails as per the search query
Did you know that e-commerce sites that sell visually-driven products like apparel, home decoration, and to some extent consumer electronics–up to 12% of all users’ search queries include a color keyword.
And it is obviously frustrating to see something green pop up in results when you have explicitly searched for red.
You don’t want your shoppers to go pogo-sticking–opening each product and looking for their desired color.
Hence, dynamically update thumbnails for them.
👉🏼 Switch the colors, patterns and materials of your products as per the query for your products to look relevant on the search results page
👉🏼 What you can also do is link the color search queries to the site’s color filter. So, in case the search engine detects a direct correlation between a search query including a color keyword and the site’s available color filters, it auto-applies that as a filter to the search results
9. Add 360-degree product views
Having 360-degree views on your website is like giving a retail experience to your shoppers online.
Things that you need for this are:
- The right equipment (including camera, lenses, and the turntable)
- The right lighting
- Products in perfect shape (so that you get perfect results)
- 360 image software or plugin
Let’s go over the process:
👉🏼 The minimum number of pictures you should create is 24 to 36 product photos from various angles. However, keep in mind that the best quality may require more than 60 photos
👉🏼 One crucial step in creating these photos is resizing them; otherwise, the rotating image would be too heavy
👉🏼 The final step would be combining all the images in one spinning image by using the appropriate 360 image plugin
Pro-tip: 360 spin photography requires you to handle and adjust your product and light during the setup stage. There’s the chance that you may need to keep re-adjusting the product so that it is positioned properly to the camera. This may sound easy but it is not – while you’re re-adjusting the item, you should be careful not to obscure any part of it as it is rotating.
Pro-tip 2: Highlight key features: Use hotspots or annotations within the 360-degree view to point out important product features, materials, and details that might not be immediately visible.
10. Experiment with augmented reality
By integrating AR into your eCommerce platform, you allow customers to virtually "try on" your products from the comfort of their homes.
Using their smartphone or laptops, they can see how a necklace drapes around their neck or how a ring looks on their finger, in real time and from various angles.
You can use apps or plugins that enable AR functionalities directly on your website and enable:
👉🏼 Try-ons for products like rings, necklaces, glasses, makeup etc. on product pages
👉🏼 Customization options for styles, colors, and materials on product pages
👉🏼 AR-enabled size and fit visualization
👉🏼 Virtual fitting rooms for trying multiple items together
👉🏼 Interactive tutorials using AR for product usage and care
👉🏼 Personalized recommendations based on previous AR try-ons
Warby Parker has enabled a try-on feature for every pair of glasses that they have.
When it comes to online shopping, why would anyone choose any other website when they have Warby Parker helping them understand the look and feel of the product even before it is purchased?
11. Create virtual showrooms
Let’s say–a customer browsing your online furniture store. They're interested in purchasing a new living room set, but they want to see how the pieces look together in a cohesive space.
Scrolling through static images of individual items doesn't provide the comprehensive view they need. This is where virtual showrooms can revolutionize the shopping experience.
Below are some ideas to use this functionality to the fullest:
👉🏼 Create immersive 3D environments for browsing products
👉🏼 Offer virtual tours guided by avatars or live representatives
👉🏼 Enable product interaction, such as picking up and rotating items
👉🏼 Use hotspots to provide detailed product information and videos
👉🏼 Integrate virtual fitting rooms for trying on products within the showroom
👉🏼 Provide customization options for products within the showroom
👉🏼 Include social sharing options for customers to share their showroom experience
👉🏼 Offer exclusive product previews and launches in the virtual showroom
12. Implement 3D virtual shopping assistants
Finding the right product online can be daunting, especially when it comes to technical or high-investment items like home theater systems.
Let’s say your shopper is browsing through various options–each with different features and specifications, and he is not quite sure which one is the best fit for his needs.
This is where 3D virtual shopping assistants come into play.
Unlike static product descriptions and generic FAQs, 3D virtual shopping assistants offer a dynamic, interactive experience.
These AI-powered avatars can guide you through your customers' shopping journey, providing real-time assistance tailored to their specific queries. They can recommend products based on preferences, explain complex technical details in an easy-to-understand manner, and even suggest complementary items to enhance the purchase.
The possibilities are endless.
Some great ideas for you to implement are:
👉🏼 Integrate AI-driven 3D avatars to guide customers through the shopping process
👉🏼 Offer personalized product recommendations based on browsing history and preferences
👉🏼 Allow customers to interact with the assistant for product details and comparisons
👉🏼 Enable the assistant to provide styling tips and complementary product suggestions
👉🏼 Incorporate real-time language translation for a global customer base
👉🏼 Implement voice recognition for a more interactive and intuitive experience
👉🏼 Utilize motion capture to create realistic and engaging assistant movements
👉🏼 Develop a script or storyline for the assistant to enhance user engagement
👉🏼 Offer a choice of different assistants to match diverse customer preferences
👉🏼 Use the assistant to highlight promotional offers and new arrivals
Recommended articles:
eCommerce Website Design: 17 Conversion-Boosting Principles
22 Ways to Use Visual Cues to Drive More Conversions in eCommerce
How To Drive Impulse Buying In eCommerce - 14 Brilliant Ideas
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Frequently asked questions
1. What is visual commerce, and why is it important for eCommerce?
Visual commerce involves using visual content like images, videos, and augmented reality to enhance the online shopping experience. It helps bridge the gap between digital and physical shopping, allowing customers to visualize products better, which can increase engagement and conversions.
2. What role does color play in visual commerce?
Color is a critical aspect of visual commerce as it can influence emotions and purchasing decisions. Utilizing consistent color schemes across your site, highlighting key elements with contrasting colors, and ensuring accurate color representation of products can enhance user experience and drive conversions.
3. How can visual commerce help reduce return rates in eCommerce?
Visual commerce can reduce return rates by providing customers with a clearer and more accurate representation of products. Features like 360-degree views, augmented reality, and high-quality images from multiple angles allow customers to better understand the product's size, color, and details, leading to more informed purchasing decisions.
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