The Need for Photo Variety in Etsy Shops

A friend asked me today about a problem she was having uploading her photos to her Etsy shop. It turned out to be an easy fix. Her photos were the proper format - Etsy will only allow jpg uploads. However, the files were too large and all she needed to do was compress them.

I visited her shop to see how it was coming along, and I made a few suggestions to her about some additional photos she might want to add.

Etsy shoppers need to know all about whatever we put in our shops. They are not in a store. They cannot pick up, feel, smell, or otherwise get any sensory idea of the quality of our work.

Etsy allows five photos per item. I try to use at least three different views of each item.

For instance, with my bell towel hangers, I have images of the bells clustered together, plus a photo of each of two different towels inside the bell hangers, plus a photo of the inside of the bell, showing the towel holder loop.

With my Home Sweet Home hanging, I show a closeup of the signage, plus a photo of the braided hanging loop, a photo of the lace trimming, and a photo of the whole sign.

One good marketing reason for the variety of angles and views is that the more photos of different views that the visitor has to click on, the longer they are staying and thinking about the item.

Be sure that each photo is a slightly different view, though. Five photos of almost the same angles will just be boring and overkill.

Photos alone will not sell an item, but they can entice the visitor to think about it a little longer, and hopefully to buy.