5 Reasons You Need a Promotional Video

5 Reasons You Need a Promotional Video

In addition to product videos, promotional videos can also be a great way to add value to your business and draw in new customers. They give you a chance to market your company as a whole – not just one particular product or service – and they enhance your brand image in the eyes of your customer.

Does your business have a promotional video yet? If not, here are 5 reasons you should consider getting one – and fast:

1. To let customers get to know you. Customers like to know who they’re working with and buying from. It helps them feel more confident in their purchase, and it gets them more excited about the process. A promotional video is a great way to give customers a glimpse into your company – what you do, who you are and how you do it. Show your team hard at work behind the scenes, conduct on-screen employee interviews, or even show a product being made and manufactured – anything that will give them insight into your brand.
2. To show off your products. In a promotional video, you can show off your products in a broader way. Instead of focusing on just one, you can focus on the whole line, and you can even show them in use! Incorporate an actual customer, and have them demonstrate the products live, on-screen. You can also show them using the product in their real life, and let other potential customers see just how powerful your products can be.
3. To show off your services. If your company is more service-oriented, a promotional video is great for that, too. Catch your team in action delivering your services and taking care of your customers in the office, on the field or even at home. Potential customers will love seeing your team in action and getting a glimpse at just how exactly your services work.
4. To give customer testimony. Promotional videos are also perfect for showing off happy, satisfied customers. Gather a group of past customers – ones who were extremely satisfied with their products of services – and see if they’d be up for a video shoot. Prepare questions, and interview them about their experience with your brand right on camera. In the end, it could result in some pretty persuasive testimony.
5. To look professional and connected. We’re in a digital age, and if you want to look professional, current and at the top of the game, you need go digital, too. That means you need a great website, you need 360 product photos that translate to mobile phones, and you need a customized promotional video just about your brand. Ultimately, it will make you seem more professional, and it will help you connect and engage better with your customers.

Are you ready to invest in a promotional video for your brand? Then contact Image Alive Studios today and schedule a free consultation. We can even incorporate product videos, 360 images and product images into the shoot!

Why Clothing Retailers Need 360 Product Photography

Why Clothing Retailers Need 360 Product Photography

We’ve said it before: 360 product photography can be a boom to sales no matter what industry you’re in. It can improve your conversions, it can reduce your return rates, and it can increase your revenues across the board. But although you can enjoy these benefits regardless of what type of product you sell, there’s one sector in particular that can see exceptional gains, and that’s the clothing industry.

CLOTHING RETAILERS AND 360 PHOTOGRAPHY

Selling clothing and wearable accessories online can be difficult. In the real world, shoppers will touch, feel and even try on the items before they purchase them, so they can be absolutely sure the product meets their needs, fits them and is worth the cash. When selling clothing online, this type of tactile interaction just isn’t possible. But, with 360 product photography on your side, you can at least come pretty close.

With 360 product photography, you can give shoppers a way to virtually interact with the clothing and accessories they’re considering. While they obviously can’t try it on or model it in front of a mirror, they can view it at every angle, zoom in on details and accents, and get familiar with the colors, fabrics and other more intricate parts of the product. Ultimately, this allows them to better evaluate the piece in relation to their needs, and it helps them feel more comfortable putting down their cold hard cash for something they’ve yet to try on or even touch.

In the online world, selling clothingcan be difficult There are a lot of hurdles to overcome, and return/exchange rates are often high, increasing your costs and lowering your customer satisfaction. Though 360 product photography isn’t the end-all be-all solution; it can certainly help improve your customers’ shopping experience and your sales on the whole.

TRY 360 PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY

Are you an online clothing retailer? Then consider implementing 360 product photography on your site today. Contact Image Alive Studios now and get a free spin of one of your products!

How to Amp Up Your Product Pages

How to Amp Up Your Product Pages

As an e-commerce retailer, your product pages are your bread and butter. They power your website, they fuel your sales and, ultimately, they put money in your pockets. With all this important stuff riding on their shoulders, shouldn’t you be doing all you can to ramp up those product pages, and make them the best they possibly can be?

Fortunately, we can help. Over our years in the industry, we’ve seen some sure-fire tactics that can improve your product pages and make a marked difference on your sales, revenue and bottom line. Here are a few of the most effective:

1. Add interactive elements – Get the user involved. Let them swap out colors on the product, allow them to zoom in and enlarge the photos, and give them the ability to share their favorite items on Twitter, Facebook and other social media. You can even let real-life customers share their reviews of products after a purchase.
2. Offer 360 degree views – When it comes to product photos, nothing is as powerful as the 360-degree image. It gives online shoppers a unique, 3D view of a product, making it look and feel like a real-life, in-store shopping experience. With 360 product photos, customers are able to get more details and information on the products they’re considering, in turn, increasing your conversions, improving your customer satisfaction and reducing your return rates in the long run.
3. Have videos – In addition to your 360-degree product photos, you’ll also want to have videos of your products wherever possible. Give live demos of your products in action, show them being used by real-life people, or even post video reviews of products if you have them. These will show up great on virtually any device your customer is using, and they’ll give a professional look to your product pages on the whole.
4. Show stock levels – Nothing spurs action like scarcity. If customers know there’s only one or two of a product left, and they’re even somewhat considering purchasing it, that’s usually enough to spark a buy.  You’ll be clearing out that inventory in no time!
5. Display price comparisons – Let customers know just how affordable your prices are. Show them in relation to prices on other e-commerce sites, or even against their “manufacturer price.” For utmost visibility, display the price somewhere near the product photos, where you know viewers will be looking.
6. Offer live chat – Be there to answer your customers’ questions when and where they have them. If they’re on your site, looking at your product photos, and they can’t tell if a shirt is green or blue, then let them live chat you and ask for help. Most of the time, great customer service is a enough to turn a prospective buyer into a real, tangible sale.

Want to improve your sites’ product pages? Then call Image Alive Studios. We can create sales-inspiring 360-degree product photos, videos, and more that will help sell your products and improve your revenues. Contact us today for a free consultation.

The 5 Keys to Great Product Photography Across the Board

The 5 Keys to Great Product Photography Across the Board

If you sell your products online, then a lot rides on your photography. For online shoppers, there’s not much else to go on! Sure there are customer reviews and a short description – but really, how much can they tell about your products through those? The only true way to impress them and inspire them to buy is to have great, top-quality product photography that catches their eye.

Is your current product photography doing enough to bring in big sales? If not, you might be missing out on one of these five key ingredients:

1. Consistency – You want all your product photos to have a consistent look, feel and vibe. Regardless of where a product is located, what season’s line it’s from or how old it is, in order to have a truly professional look, they all need to be consistent. They should use the same framing, lighting, angles and, of course, image size, and the transition from one product to the next should be seamless.
2. Brand voice – One of the biggest keys to successful product photography lies in a photographer’s ability to capture the brand’s voice. What is a “brand voice,” you ask? Basically, it’s a company’s essence – its culture, its people and its message to the world. A great product photo will deliver this voice clearly and concisely. When people see those photos, they’ll know precisely what brand they came from and what kind of service they’ll get if they make a purchase.
3. Clarity – Always remember, the focus of your photos is the actual product – not anything going on around it. Sure it’s OK to take a few actions shows here and there, for but for the most part, you want clean, clear and uncluttered photos that put all the emphasis on your products. Pure white and black backgrounds are usually best for maximum effect.
4. The right lighting – Lighting plays a crucial role in product photography. With the right lighting, a product can look even better than it does in person!  With the wrong lighting, you can turn customers off a product forever. Always be sure you choose a photographer that’s not only great with shooting products, but one who’s familiar with various lighting techniques and strategies. You’d be amazed at the difference it makes.
5. Good editing – No matter how hard you try, sometime, mistakes just happen. Fortunately, when it comes to product photography, it can usually be fixed in editing. Blown outimages, poor framing and incorrect angles can all be manipulated in the editing room, as long as your photographer knows how.

Want to ensure your product photography is as good as it can be? Then contact the pros at Image Alive Studios today and schedule a free consultation. We’d be glad to help!

3 Types of Product Videos You Should Be Using

3 Types of Product Videos You Should Be Using

In addition to great product photos and 360 spin images, videos are also a great way to make sure your products stand out from the pack. Product videos allow you to give online visitors an in-depth, real-life look at your products, including how they work, what they do, and just how great they are. Ultimately, they can help lead to more sales, they can lower your return rate and they can increase your conversions – all of which means more money in your pocket.

Thinking about using product videos to up your online store’s ante? If so, be sure to incorporate these three types:

• Demonstrations – One of the biggest problems with online shopping is that customers can’t see, touch, try on or really interact with the product at all. This makes it hard for them to feel comfortable with the purchase, and it often leads to more returns than you’d like. Fortunately, product videos allow you a way to combat this. Use your product videos to show real-life individuals using, interacting with and demonstrating your products. These will give customers a detailed look at exactly what your product is and how it can be used in their own life.
• Details – Product videos are great for showing detail and getting up close and personal. They allow you to zoom in on small parts and accents and show how the color, print and fabric looks in real life. Often, this can be just want a customer needs to feel comfortable putting down their cash and making a purchase.
• Reviews/Testimonials – Another great use of product videos is the review/testimonial. If you have customers who are extremely satisfied with their recent purchase from you or some that are just in love with a product or service you carry, then see if they’d be willing to go on tape about it. Have them talk about their experience with your company, how great the product is, and how it’s changed their life. In the end, it could be that honesty and personalized touch that pushes a customer to click that “buy” button, and head to checkout.

Want to start adding product videos like these to your online store? Then contact Image Alive Studios today for a free consultation. Our team can help you take your brand to the next level.

Vitafive

Recently, we worked with Vitafive on some packaging and advertisement imagery. Here are a few of our favorite images from our recent shoot. 

Metro PCS Product Photography

We recently teamed up with Rockfish, in Dallas, to shoot commercial, e-Commerce and 360 Spin photography for Metro PCS phones.

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Spin Photography and Product Videos Go Hand in Hand

SPIN PHOTOGRAPHY AND PRODUCT VIDEOS GO HAND IN HAND

Spin photography can do wonders for improving your online store and increasing your overall sales and revenues. It can give customers a great way to get intimately familiar with your products (even on tiny smartphone screens!), so they feel comfortable purchasing products – even without ever seeing them in person! But spin photos aren’t the only way to do that. Now, you can complement those same interactive images with product videos, and give your customers even more to get excited about.

360 PHOTOGRAPHY & PRODUCT VIDEOS

360 spin images and product videos go hand and hand. While a spin photo can give customers a way to zoom in, pan and spin around a product, taking in all its minute details, product videos can take that even further, rotating products for them, flying over and under the products, and much, much more. In a nutshell, product videos can add even more dimension and detail to your product page.

The best part is, if you choose a studio that has automated spin photography equipment, they can use that equipment to create both 360 images AND product videos for your stores – all at the same time. This saves you significantly on production costs, and it helps ensure you get your final images and videos in no time at all, so you can start making money.

GET 360 IMAGES AND PRODUCT VIDEOS FOR YOUR BRAND NOW

Take a look at what spin photography equipment can do for product videos in this example, and think about how much videos like this could change your brand and online presence. Want to learn more? Ready to get started? Contact the Image Alive team today for a free consultation or product spin.

Show, Don’t Tell with 360 Product Photography

Show, Don’t Tell with 360 Product Photography

You’ve heard that old saying “actions speak louder than words,” right? Well, it’s true – not just in life, but in the online business world, too. You can tell customers about how great your products are, write the most intriguing descriptions possible, or market them through social media or blogs until you’re blue in the face, but none of those will be as effective as actually showing them just how great the product really is.

But how do you do that, when all you have is a website and a screen to connect you and your customers? You could Skype with each potential customer and give them a live demo of your product. But do you really have the time and resources for that? In truth, there’s only one real way to do it: implement 360 product photography.

HOW 360 PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY CAN HELP

360 product photography lets you show customers, not just tell them, how great your products are. It gives you a way to deliver a lifelike “in-store” experience, without requiring them to ever set foot outside their house! They can interact with the product, spin in, zoom in on details and get as familiar with it as they need to in order to feel comfortable making the purchase.

In the end 360 product photography can deliver not only a better shopping experience for your customers, but also higher conversions for your site, a lower return rate, and more sales for your business in the long run. It’s a win-win for both parties.

GIVE 360 PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY A TRY

Want to improve your customer’s experience, and show – not tell – them just how much they need your products? Then consider implementing 360 product photography. Contact the Image Alive team today to get a glimpse of your products in action, or to schedule a free consultation!

Signs 360 Product Photography is Taking Off

Signs 360 Product Photography is Taking Off

We told you before how great 360 product photography is: how it can improve your sales, how it can lower your return rates and how it can make online shopping easier all-around. Now, you don’t have to just take our word for it. We have bona fide proof that 360 product images are taking off – and fast.

Don’t believe us? Here it is:

• Google is on board – Google doesn’t do anything lightly. Every change and alteration to its schema is made after thorough research, surveying and testing to ensure it will be successful, functional and, most of all, profitable. Well, last year, Google started integrating 360 product photography into its “Shopping” listings. While only a few products had the technology at first, today there are millions. It just goes to show that we’re not the only ones who have seen success with 360 imagery!
• Tons of huge retailers are using it – Big-name retailers across the world are hopping on the 360 product photography bandwagon, investing millions of dollars and putting their sales on the line. They wouldn’t do that without some inkling that the move would be a success (or improve their revenues.) Some big retailers with 360 images include: Staples, RadioShack, Fry’s Electronics, Sam’s Club and more.
• Equipment is making it easier – As demand for 360 imagery grows, so does the demand for equipment – equipment that makes 360 photography easier, more seamless and more affordable. Photography equipment companies are starting to respond to that demand, creating unique turntables, cameras and other tools that make 360 product photography a cinch.
• Studies show it’s working – The proof is in the pudding. Studies and research have shown – without a doubt – that 360 product photography is effective. Golfsmith.com saw a 10 to 40 percent increase in conversions once implementing the technology, and a study by The Simply Group found a 20 percent conversion increase across seven different web stores. Additionally, Land’s End reported a 26-percent jump in sales after implementing 360 photos.

Are you ready to get on board with 360 product photography, too? Then contact us today. We offer free consultations, and we can even show you how your products would look in action with a free spin!

HAHN

We visited Austin, Texas recently to photograph a few stainless steel sinks for our friends over at HAHN. 

TRAULSEN

Recently, we worked with Traulsen commercial refrigerators on some new catalog and advertisement imagery. Here are a few of our favorite images from our recent shoot. 

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Post Processing a Daniel Defense Upper

WESTERN SPORT

Western Sport reached out to us in need of new product and lifestyle imagery for their website. We photographed in-studio for the stylized product shots and on location to show the products in use. 

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SPRING CREEK BBQ

We recently had the opportunity to work with Spring Creek BBQ, capturing food and lifestyle imagery for their new website. Here are some of the highlights. 

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Saddleback Leather

We have been photographing Saddleback Leather's products for nearly five years now. We handle both their lifestyle and catalog imagery. Below are some examples from recent photoshoot projects in-studio and on location. 

360 Product Photos How to be Successful on the Web

360 Product Photos How to be Successful on the Web

We’ve talked about how important 360 product photos are to your company’s performance. They can increase your sales, improve your conversions and draw in more customer leads than ever before. But what we haven’t yet discussed is how to make those 360 photos successful – how to make them as impactful, powerful and effective as possible.

In our experience, there are three major things 360 product photos must achieve in order to be effective. These are:

1. It needs to load quickly. Users don’t want to wait more than few seconds for an image to load. They’re shopping online because it’s easier, more convenient and, most importantly, faster than shopping in a brick-and-mortar store, and by having slow-to-load photos on your site, you’re negating the whole purpose. If you really want to impress your customers and keep them interested in your products, make sure your 360 product photos pop up quickly, easily and seamlessly.
2. It needs to have a smooth appearance.  There’s nothing worse than a blurry, jumpy or glitchy image. It confuses the user and makes it harder for them to learn about the product and all its details. It can also make your brand look low-quality and unprofessional. This is especially true when using 360 product photos, which inherently offer more information and detail than static shots. If you want your visitors to see a product, be interested in it, and feel confident buying it, you absolutely have to give them a clear, seamless and smooth 360 shot that they can utilize.
3. It needs to be easy to interact with. The whole point of 360 product photos is to give an “in-store” experience on the web, allowing users to virtually interact with products on their screens. If zooming in, spinning or rotating your images causes problems (like jumps, blurriness, slow loading times or anything else), then your photos aren’t doing their job.

Typically, to achieve all three of these, you’ll want no more than 36 images per product. Any more than that, and your images will take a lot of bandwidth to load, making them sluggish, slow-to-respond, and a drag on your visitor’s internet speed. Ultimately, these can aggravate a user and turn them off from your site – and their purchase – entirely.

Want to ensure your 360 product photos are the best they can be? Then let Image Alive help. Contact us today for a free spin and see your products in action!

Product Photos & Videos Can Improve Your SEO

Product Photos & Videos Can Improve Your SEO

Did you know that having product photos, videos and other media on your website can improve your brand’s overall SEO performance? It may sound crazy, but it’s true: imagery provides you yet another way to appear in search engine results and grab the attention of potential customers around the world.

Here’s how it works:

• Product photos are indexed by search engines, and when a user searches related terms and phrases, relevant photos are then displayed in the search engine’s “images” section. While this area is separate from the main search results page (where your web and blog pages appear), it still gives you yet another way to gain exposure with potential clients.
• Typically, search engines will look at a number of areas when determining relevancy to the user’s query: the alt tag, the title and the file name of the photo. For best results, always include a keyword or phrase in each of these areas when uploading a photo or video to your website. It will increase your SEO power exponentially.
• Search engines give great weight to videos – especially those posted on sites like YouTube and Vimeo. In fact, they’re often the first or second result displayed! To really ensure your videos deliver as much impact as possible, instead of uploading them on your site directly, use YouTube, Vimeo or another free video platform and post them there. Then, you can imbed them on your site, and still take advantage of the extra SEO bump! Just be sure to use your best keywords and phrases in your video title, URL and description, and you’ll be golden.

So there you have it. Product photos and videos aren’t just for impressing your customers and increasing your sales anymore, they can actually help market your company and allow you to reach an even wider audience! Do you want to reap all the SEO benefits product photos and videos have to offer? Then contact The Image Alive team today and schedule a free consultation.

New Survey Reveals Power in Product Videos

New Survey Reveals Power in Product Videos

We all know that great images, 360 photos and product videos can influence sales in your online store – but exactly how much?  What sort of impact does it really make in the grand scheme of things? Well, thanks to a new survey from Animoto, a DIY-slideshow technology, now we know.

Animoto’s survey talked to more than 1,100 adults in the U.S. Each one had watched an online product video on their computers, tablets or cell phones at least one time during the previous 6 months.  The result? Nearly 75 percent of those surveyed said they were more likely to make a purchase after viewing the video.

The survey also found that product videos impact how a customer views a brand. Specifically:

• 77 percent of those surveyed said brands that use product videos on their sites are seen as more engaged and in touch with their customers.
• 71percent said that product videos leave an overall positive impression of the brand.
• 58 percent said that product videos show a brand as more trustworthy.
• 42 percent said they want to see more product videos online – especially when it comes to electronics.

But Animoto’s survey isn’t the only one proving the efficacy of product videos on web sales. In fact, a study by Walker Sands recently showed that a whopping 50 percent of consumers has been influenced by a YouTube video in making a purchase. Additionally, Invodo found that 57 percent of web shoppers feel more confident in making an online purchase after viewing a video and are thus less likely to return the product later on.

Well there you have it: solid proof that product videos really do have a positive effect on your online sales. Are you ready to hop on the bandwagon yet and create some awe-inspiring videos for your products and services? Then contact The Image Alive team today for a free consultation!

Integrating Video Production into Photography Shoots

Integrating Video Production into Photography Shoots

Many business owners are hesitant to hop on board with product videos, simply because they think video production and all the costs that come with it are just too expensive. The truth is, as long as you choose the right photographer, product videos shouldn’t cost you all that much more than static product shots. The key is simply finding the right photographer.

THE RIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER CAN DO BOTH

A truly great photographer can integrate video production seamlessly into an existing product photo shoot. They’ll have the proper video equipment on hand, and they’ll be able to alternate static shots with video clips, all at the same, singular shoot.

This not only saves you an immense amount of money (you’re paying for one shoot instead of two), it also ensures your product photos and videos get shot and produced quickly, so you can start utilizing them to increase sales. Additionally, it also make the video production and photoshoot process easier on everyone; instead of scheduling and coordinating two separate shoots, you only need to manage one, all-encompassing shoot that meets all your needs at once.

As a bonus, you also get an additional marketing tool for your products. While static images can go a long way in selling your products, videos can go the extra mile. They can give more detail, they can help with mobile sales, and they can simply make your products more tempting to the customer.

INTEGRATE VIDEO PRODUCTION INTO YOUR NEXT SHOOT

Do you need to schedule a product photoshoot in the near future? If so, you may want to consider integrating video production into it, and killing two birds with one stone. Then, you’ll have powerful, professional product images, as well as interactive, impressive video clips to complement them.

Contact The Image Alive team today to learn more about our product photography and video production skills, or two book your all-in-one shoot now.