Almost a quarter of the top 50 online retailers use only one photo per product on their mobile sites, according to new research from imaging and workflow specialist SpinMe.
The survey analysed the mobile presence of well-known ecommerce brands to assess current trends. It found that 24% offer little visual insight into product detail..
Of those that do use more than one image, 97% use static shots, nearly half (49%) display items on models while 10% showcase products using lifestyle imagery.
Meanwhile, results revealed that a fifth of retailers do not have a consistent imagery strategy and use different backgrounds, vary the number of shots per product and include models and videos intermittently across their mobile sites.
“Product imagery on retailers’ mobile sites lags far behind desktop versions, which is surprising considering one of the main drivers of future online retail is predicted to be smartphone devices,” said David Brint, CEO of SpinMe. “Consumers expect high-quality, consistent imaging as standard so it’s easier to inspect and compare items. It’s remarkable that so many brands feel one product picture suffices. For specific retail sectors such as food and grocery this seems reasonable, but shoppers need to be able to investigate technical features on home electrical appliances or stitching on fashion garments close-up.”
SpinMe’s research also found that 38% of the top 50 online retailers are not yet using zoom, interactive rich media or video functionality of any type to enhance their images.