5 photography tips for making more sales

Looking for an easy way to boost your sales? Let’s talk pics. Sharp photos give shoppers the confidence to buy, and – good news – it doesn’t have to be complicated. We’ve got five super-easy product photography tips that can make a major impact on your likes and sales.

Shoot in batches

Take a little time to plan your product shoot. If you have a variety of different types of items to list on Mercari, start by sorting them. Small electronics, shoes, and clothes all photograph differently and setting up great backgrounds pays off.  Try putting clothes on hangers and shooting them all at once. Then, move onto another setting – like a countertop for kitchen items. It’ll save you time and make your items stand out. Remember, you must take your own pictures in order to list your items. Never use photos from other websites in order to avoid your listing being flagged or removed.

Find your light

Ecommerce product photography is all about lighting, so open up those windows and shoot during the daytime. Soft, natural, diffused light is best to capture the colors and details of your items. Ditch the flash. If you do need a little extra illumination, ring lights work wonders and we can’t recommend them enough. Have the light behind you so it shines directly onto an item. Just be careful–too much light can cause a glare on shiny or reflective surfaces like screens, so experiment a bit with your position relative to your light source. It won’t take much time but will make all the difference in selling your goods.

Less background is more

Your pre-loved item is the real star here, so don’t distract from it with a busy background. A white wall or a strip of butcher’s paper is all you need. Lifestyle shots for clothes and shoes are a nice touch, but always make sure you have at least one or two shots on a basic background… and clear any clutter before snapping a pic.

Angles are everything

Your items are ready for their close-up. Make sure they take up most of the frame. Include different angles and get in close for some detail shots, especially if you’re trying to capture textures or imperfections, like pilling on a t-shirt or a small dent on a toaster. Being clear about your items’ condition helps shoppers make decisions – and can boost your reviews!

Let’s go steady

Wondering how to take good pictures with a phone? Use a tripod for crisp, clear images. Shots that are blurred — even a little — can turn off shoppers. A steady shot can easily take your item from “meh” to “must have.”

Do you have a product photography tip we missed? Share it on Twitter @mercari_app!

Happy listing,
Team Mercari ✌️