Learn the Category Rules

E-Commerce images that connect immediately with shoppers are much more effective at driving sales. It is critical to have a good foundation and understanding of category rules to develop highly engaging images. There is no “one size fits all” approach that guarantees success, but instead, a test-and-learn mindset is a surer path because it allows brands to understand where those general category truths can and can’t be challenged.

A good place to start are these three general guidelines:

  1. Clarity and decluttering
  2. Prioritizing key brand assets
  3. Boldness through color, contrast, and creative touches (see Reese’s Pillsbury example on right)

Category Conventions

The next area to understand are the category conventions that are fixed in the minds of consumers.  For example, online chocolate shoppers expect to see lots of browns and dynamic graphics (think swirls, drops, splashes, etc.). A brand wouldn’t benefit by veering too far off from consumer expectations.

Category Rules That Are Meant to be Broken

However, some category rules can and should be broken to stand out. The results page of a particular category may have a lot of pack shots as primary images. Using Mobile Ready Hero Images (if the retailer accepts them) can be a way to stand out, but also communicate clearly and establish an intuitive connection with the consumer.

This principle doesn’t only apply to primary images. There are many benefit-driven categories like pet food where product benefits are communicated in images through different approaches. While in some categories, iconography is a very common approach. However, our database learning has shown that other approaches like bulleted lists (with checkmarks) or images of the product’s intended user interacting with the product perform better than the average and break the category conventions.

To learn how you can apply a test-and-learn approach seamlessly within your organization, request a demo of our Flash.PDP™ platform, which instantly identifies your top-performing and deficient e-commerce images so you can optimize for success.

Join us next week on this blog for our next resolution to e-commerce success: Thrive in Flux and Stay Ahead.  

To learn more, visit https://efluence.ai/ or contact us here with your e-commerce questions. 

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