THE NEW RETAIL REALITY FOR DESIGNER-MAKERS - 2

 -COMMUNICATING YOUR PRODUCTS-

Following my last article about the “new retail reality for designer-makers”, I want to emphasize the importance of your content, that is the way of communicating your products properly to the potential buyer within your marketplace, digital shop or website.

For this, you will have to focus on two main things when presenting a product to your potential customers: images and description.

ABOUT THE IMAGES

Images are the graphic representation of the product and are usually separated between the main image (the one that will be presented first) and secondary images (that will be used to show different aspects of the product).

It is extremely important to have high quality pictures in the presentation of your products at your marketplaces, digital shops or websites because images are the first thing the visitors will see and will make them take a decision straight away: they will attract the customers to explore more about the product, push them away for good or just make them feel unfazed and move on.

The attraction factor in a picture is massively important as a product presentation card. The first impression a person will have is the one that will stay for longer in their mind. If the image is not adequate it will not get noticed. As a result, the customer’s brains will not keep any memory of it or, in a worst case scenario; it will create a negative impact (resulting in a deep feeling of bad quality of the product). If the image is adequate, however, it will attract the customer’s attention and it will stay in their mind even if there is not an instant purchase.

There are aspects to be considered when choosing a main image:

• The main image has to represent the product in its totality and has to cover the whole product, not only a part of it. Partial images only produce partial information about the product.
• The main product has to be centred so it doesn’t get confused with something else.
• It is very important that the image is clear and sharp. It will usually start as a thumbnail so it has to hold the quality if it is expanded to its full size.
• Illumination is key. A well-lighted picture will be way better than a darker one.
• The image doesn’t have to be with a white background but contrast against anything else is very important so it doesn’t mix with whatever lays behind.
• You can add extra objects to the picture if a size reference is vital, but if it is not, other objects are not needed.

You don’t need many secondary images. The secondary images will help create a reference of the product. With these pictures you can be more artistic to show important and original details of the product. If it is a wearable product, is key to show it being used. Angled pictures or pictures with a background are also acceptable and sometimes desirable.

ABOUT THE DESCRIPTION

Product description is the written representation of the product and it covers the information about the product, the materials used in the making of the pieces, the main features of the design and the most relevant benefits when buying the product. Even though the description doesn’t usually attract the customer into the product (that is a task for the images) it is the one that helps the customer make the final purchasing decision.

The description will help the customer understand the idea behind the product and to connect emotionally with it and, in most cases, the information is used to make the product presentable for the search engines (SEO), so it is good to be clear, concise and very creative.

It is important to define what the product is to give a clear understanding to the customer. In case of an unclear product, the customers will keep looking for a product that actually matches their needs.

In the description, it is important to show the benefits to the customers and to explain the benefits that were addressed during the design and creation phases of the product.

Some people recommend describing the advantages over the competition, but I would rather focus on the reasons why the product should be purchased.

The technical features should be presented in a clear and easy to read way, so they will not confuse the reader.

FINAL ADVANTAGE

Once you have your content ready, it is easy to open new opportunities of presenting the products to new customers: Getting posts and adverts on social media, opening new shops in marketplaces or simply using the information for a shootout via email.

The first marketing bit is sorted.

A BIT OF ADVICE

If you don't feel confident with your photography skills or your writing skills, there are a myriad of photographers and content writers out there who will be able to help you with the task. Don't stress, there are people who can help. Get quotes from several sources and choose your favourite.

Let’s grow together in peace during this 2021.

AdeM

CEO@Luxecellence