Why a Plain White Background is Best for E-Commerce

Photos are the first line of contact between sellers and customers when shopping online. As a customer, they tend to make assumptions about the company based on what they see on the product photos. Trustiness is built and product value is therefore determined according to the styling and visualization of images.

You might wonder why on most eCommerce sites, white background is used for most items. According to statistics, 76% of seven million product images have a plain white background. There are also 16% made background transparent and the rest had the original backgrounds.

The reason why entrepreneurs love white backgrounds is mainly because a plain white background is considered to be timeless, uncluttered, clean, and sophisticated. It gives the company an air of elegance by making the products look neat and professional. On the technical side, a plain white background makes the photos in a product page look consistent. The true colors of the product are also highlighted and the file size is minimized according to the upload standards.

Obviously, the product images are the most important content in an online shop. As visual beings, humans process information faster by looking at pictures and remember 80% of a visual content compared to just a mere 20% from reading text information.

With this fact on product images, experts believe that great product images can really increase sales. It is essential that you know how having a plain white background on your product images can help you achieve the goals of the business.

Read: How to Sell on Amazon FBA

Here are 8 of the best reasons why you need to consider a white background for your product photos.

1. Promotes Consistency

Just like how professional photographers do it with every shoot, you must plan in detail how each set of photos should look like. A plain white background promotes a consistent flow of photos in a product page. This would make you look professional and increase the customers’ trust when shopping.

By having the same background, the photos look organized and the customers can easily browse through them. It would also be easier for them to remember which products to pick out because they are not distracted.

2. Emphasizes the Product

When selling online, it is a must that you minimize visual elements in a product photos other than the product itself. If you delete the background and opt for a white or transparent one, all the attention is placed towards the product. The details look more prominent thereby making it more realistic to look at.

By not having a background, you can present accurate photos with the least distractions. The customers feel more connected to the product since they see it as the focal point of the picture.

3. Shows True Colors of the Products

It can be tricky to photograph products as some of the colors get washed out or appear different. It would help to have a white background so that colors appear crisper. Remember that you need to win the customers’ trust in order to make them give value to your brand.

By being able to give them a realistic image with the true colors of the product, you can build a trusting relationship that would generally be helpful to the success of your business.

4. Marketplaces Recommend Image in White Background

The leading online marketplaces require a white background for images before they can be uploaded. This is one of the ways to ensure real product quality. The photos are regulated this way so that the products are naturally showcased without enhancements. It is important to have a professional background eraser for this purpose since these websites will never allow uploading of photos that do not follow the rules.

5. It is Cost Effective

Editing photos can be labor-intensive and may cost high. It would cost you a lot if you are to edit hundreds or thousands of product photos for your site. While you can hire an in-house photo editor for this job, it can be impractical since product photos are usually edited only once and require no further enhancements once uploaded.

There are many photo editing companies that offer a cheaper alternative by bulk editing of product photos to have a white background. If you are going for a DIY route, you can also remove background from image free. You can also look for a free image editor to make the background transparent and add a white background on it.

6. Product in Plain White Background Looks Clean

Having a white background removes unwanted distractions. White is very subtle and gives a low impact on the whole image. This makes it easier to add emphasis on the product details. It will also give it a minimalistic vibe that is sophisticated and professional at the same time.

7. Minimalism & Simplicity is Beauty

Most customers are not blown away with complex product photos. They are even dissuaded from buying when they get too distracted from a product image. A white background makes the product look simple yet authentic. This simplicity makes the product shine thereby encouraging the customer to choose and buy it.

8. File Size is Optimized and Minimized

A white background makes it easier to save image files in minimum size. Aside from trying to meet the upload standards, a smaller image file size on the product photos can increase the loading speed of your website. Longer load times disappoint customers. It can also decrease search ranking which eventually results in lost sales.

Even if you have compelling product photos, it is not enough assurance that they will help your business grow. Bear in mind that customers do not have any means to inspect your products other than what they can see on the website. Having a white background connects this gap by breathing life into your product photos. With a plain white background, it will be easier for you to present the products as is. The details will be more prominent, the website looks neater, and the website also loads faster.

While there are plenty of benefits in using a white background for product photos, there are also instances where it is discouraged to be used in some products.

When Not to Use Plain White Background

Amazon and plenty other online marketplaces require a white background for product photos. This gives the photos a more uniformed look and maintains a genuine appeal. There are, however, reasons why there are sellers that do not like white background photography.

First is that it makes the item look boring. Some products look more interesting with having colored or a thematic background. Jewelry, for example, looks plain and unattractive when presented on a white background. It needs at least some special effects like a shadow, a backdrop, or other props to make it eye-catching.

Another reason is that with a plain white background, the photos can look lifeless. Dresses, furniture, and even gadgets can look better when worn or shot on location. A lookbook image gives the picture motion and makes it look interactive when styled and propped. It tells a story when presented to the audience.

White background is effective in online marketplaces but if you are to post product photos on social media, lifestyle product shoots are much encouraged. Social media users are more likely to like and share styled photos because they look interesting. So if you are focusing on increasing followers and expanding reach for your marketing efforts, then take lifestyle shots for your products. Reserve the ones with white backgrounds for your online shop.

Plain White Background vs. Photographing Products in Context

It is common to see product photos with a plain white background. This is because it is the go-to approach when selling almost any kind of products. A white background promotes consistency and it emphasizes the product since there is nothing to distract the customers. It is also cost-effective to hire someone to change the background into white and it is faster to edit too.

This image of modern ceiling lights should not be presented on white background. Contextually, it is better to be displayed on a darker background to highlight its illuminating effect and to look realistic.

Shooting in context, on the other hand, also has its advantages. It can convey a realistic story when products are actually used by models. Subtle styling also allows the seller to directly speak with the target demographic. It heightens the desirability of the product when presented in an inspirational setting. Aside from selling the product itself, photographing in context maximizes the promotional effort as it also helps to promote complementary products.

The decision to whether to have a white background or shoot in context would also depend on your brand and the product type. You have to determine how the customers will perceive the photos in order to reap the benefits of either approach in product photography.

How to Shoot Products on a White Background

There are certain methods to follow for white background photography to be effective. First, you need to prepare all the materials that you may need. Aside from the camera, you must be armed with a tripod, white backdrop and bounce cards, table or a studio, and flash accessories, if needed.

More than the equipment, you also have to mind the quality of your shots. The reaction of the audience is directly impacted by the presentation. The photos must look professional even if you do it yourself. It is essential that you learn basic product photography in order to know at least how to set up the camera. Research about how different camera modes and elements work so that you can use them to your advantage.

Here’s a Complete Guide on DIY Shoot for Beautiful Product Photography.

After taking pictures, evaluate your shots. See where you can improve by inspecting the angles, lighting, and the colors. It would be great to have the photos edited by a professional photo editing service.

It can be tough at first to shoot in white background but you can actually learn and master it. You just need to be patient and try to research different techniques and camera settings that you can apply for your project.

How to Create a Plain White Background

Shooting product photos is already a challenge in itself, much more if you are going to be very technical and try to achieve advanced styles such as white background photography. Instead of stressing about how you can have a flawless plain white background on your photos, here are foolproof methods that will make the job faster and easier:

Using Photoshop

Expert photo editors are using Photoshop to improve product photos, like change the background into white. This is an effective method but it would take a lot of time, even years, to master. The process is very meticulous and requires advanced photo editing skills in order to produce quality results.

Here’s a Complete Tutorial on How to Make a Pure White Background in Photoshop

Using Removal.AI

A far better alternative to complicated photo editing applications, Removal.AI is a quick and easy method that gives you professional-quality results. It is free to delete background and it also comes with a free online image editor to further enhance images. Everything works in a few mouse clicks so it is great for those who have zero knowledge about complex photo editing.

Upload Your Image at https://removal.ai/upload/. Background Remover AI will make transparent background 100% automatically within a few seconds and you can download the results instantly for FREE – upto 1500px high-resolution.

Wrapping Things Up…

If you are looking forward to having effective photos that sell, you need to consider having your images either in a white or transparent background. This is most especially true if you are planning to post on established marketplaces, like Amazon, where it is required to have a white background.

It would also bring you the benefits of having a white background on your photos should you choose to create a uniform look to your product photos.