Using Images On Etsy Listings To Drive Sales

It is well documented that having large, high-quality, and creative images will boost your e-commerce traffic and conversion rate.

People love looking at images of products and will sift through your listing catalog until they are convinced to look further. Most shoppers look at a listing photo before the price, name, or ranking so it’s important to get this step in the process right.

Let’s talk about how many images you should actually include for each Etsy listing.

The truth is, there is no set rule as long as you have one image but, Etsy does give you the option to add up to 10 images; so why wouldn’t you!?

The more images you have of your product from different angles and in different settings will undoubtedly garner more attention and interest leading to high conversion rates.

If you already have a store with a high bounce rate, then you may need to add or edit your product images.

Even Etsy recommends that for optimal results you should use all 10 allowed photos.

According to Etsy: “The more photos you add, the more information your buyers have to make their purchase decision”.

We also recommend that you use all 10 images for your listings! Read on to find out how to size and optimize product photos for best results.

Size, Ratio, and Resolution Guide for Etsy Photos

In general, you should upload small file sizes onto Etsy because larger files tend to buffer and not upload properly. Etsy recommends uploading images no larger than 1MB in file size so if you have to compress your images into smaller JPEG’s then take the time to do so!

For your listings, you should have a ratio of 4:3 with the shortest side being at least 2000px. A really high converting listing image size is 2700px by 2025px. Etsy also recommends uploading listing images with a resolution of 72PPI.

Below is a list of other images sizes you may need to set up your Etsy shop:

• Profile Image: 500 x 500px
• Shop Icon: 500 x 500px
• Mini Shop Banner: 1600 x 213px
• Big Shop Banner: 1600 x 400px
• Carousel Banner: 1200 x 300px
• Order Receipt Banner: 760 x 100px
• Collage Banner:
  • 2 images: 600 x 300px
  • 3 images: 400 x 300px
  • 4 images: 300 x 300px

Following these size guides will not only save you time, but will massively increase your bottom line.

Etsy Image Orientation

In general, your listing photos should be horizontal or at the most square. This way, your product will be centered when the images are cropped in thumbnail view.

We recommend uploading all listing images with the same orientation to create a cohesive brand look and a seamless experience for your customer.

For some products it may be best to have a square or vertical look so you will have to experiment with your store but just as a heads up, the data seems to support the advice above.

Image Rotation

Sometimes Etsy will flip or rotate your uploaded images. In general, this will happen because Etsy goes off of the orientation that you used to take photos.

So, if you are taking product images with your phone and have it vertical, that’s what Etsy will upload.

However, some Sellers have run into problems before and it seems this bug hasn’t been fully addressed by Etsy so you can use a free editing app or tool on your phone or computer to rotate images and try uploading again until you get your desired effect.

Image File Names

Unfortunately, Etsy will rename your file uploads so apart from an organizational point of view, there is no real benefit to having keywords when saving image files.

However, if you’ve done your homework, you know that a great way to increase your Etsy SEO is to have text alternative or “alt-text” on your images.

Alt-text descriptions are a great way to positively boost your listing SEO.

To add alt-text on Etsy simply:

1. Go to your “Shop Manager” and select “Listings”
2. Choose the listing your want to edit and hover over the photo
3. Select the pencil icon and type your alt-text in the box below your image
4. Click “Save” and voila!

Using a Smartphone to Take and Edit Photos

The good news is you don’t need a fancy setup or an expensive DSLR camera to take high-quality and converting product photos.

Most of the smartphones from the past two to three years should be just fine as long as they can take high-resolution shots.

Here are some tips for taking Etsy product photos with your phone:

• Use a tripod, preferably one that works with a remote so you can take photos without touching your phone.
• Make a list of shots you want to take beforehand.
• Remember, lighting is everything so get good lighting!
• Buy some props to use for your background and setting, you can even use your lights to create shadows on your products and background.

You really don’t have to be a professional photographer to take great shots of your Etsy listings. Just watch a few tutorials online and you’re all set! Keep in mind that you should take photos from different angles to highlight all aspects of your products.

Editing your images shouldn’t be too hard either! Apps like Lightroom, VSCO, and ProCamera are great starting points and fairly easy to use. Most smartphones come equipped with basic editing tools that can take you far as well.

Having high-quality images is a must for a successful Etsy shop. Using all 10 allocated image spaces will noticeably raise your conversion rate and properly sized images can definitely increase your Etsy traffic. If you are looking to take your shop to the next level contact us today for data-driven keywords that your competitors don’t know about!