Nowadays, promoting a product or service across multiple platforms is important for increasing eCommerce sales. As a rule, two-thirds of customers use multiple channels for purchases.
It makes sense to build your own eCommerce site, from which you can sell your own products (without paying any commission). With WordPress and a few other plugins (like WooCommerce and FooGallery PRO Commerce) this really is quite simple. But if you want to diversify and reach an even wider audience, then you may want to try using a marketplace to sell your items.
However, each platform has unique editing and advertising placement requirements. If you use several communication channels at once, you can sometimes forget about the requirements of one particular platform. In this article, we tell you about photo editing requirements for marketplaces that you should meet to sell your products online.
1. Amazon
Unlike other marketplaces, Amazon has quite strict photo requirements. If you choose it as the main platform for selling your products, make sure to edit your photos so that they meet its requirements. Besides, you can edit pictures for other platforms if needed. Amazon displays photos on the product page and shows them as thumbnails on the page with Amazon and Google search results.
This global marketplace supports a variety of file formats, including TIFF, JPEG, GIF, and PNG, with a minimum picture size of 1000 pixels on each side. Amazon supports only sRGB or CMYK color models. Whether you sell a few products or have a large store, make sure to upload photos with a white background.
A photo’s name should contain the product’s UPC, or ASIN, period, and resolution. Keep in mind, if you accidentally use a space or any other symbol, the site will not display photos on your product page.
Instead of using a lot of time post-processing your photos, try using image background removal services to get the desired results that meet Amazon standards.
This platform has basic requirements for the main product image:
- Use cover art or professional product photos, avoiding illustrations.
- Create a picture without third-party objects and unnecessary elements.
- Take the process of taking photos seriously. Set up lighting, reproduce realistic product colors and avoid blur. Customers must see your product clearly.
- If you sell books, music, or videos/DVDs, use the front cover to showcase the product. It should fill the entire frame of the image. Don’t use promotional stickers, cellophane, or jewelry cases to draw attention to an item.
- Products must occupy at least 85% of the image frame.
- A product should be fully visible in the frame.
- Don’t add text or graphics to photos.
- Amazon does not tolerate pornographic or offensive material.
For additional product images:
- Use only relevant photos.
- Set up lighting correctly to take clear photos with realistic colors. Customers need to see a product clearly from different angles.
- You can add additional elements if they demonstrate the use of the product.
- The product and props should occupy at least 85% of the image frame.
- Use close-ups or cropped photos.
- Add text and graphics.
- Do not use pornographic or offensive materials.
2. eBay
When using this platform, pay attention to the main photo requirements for the marketplace, like image size. You should also focus on the data feed quality requirements. Check out the e-commerce image optimization tips to take photos that load quickly. Each listing can include up to 12 photos. The first photo is the gallery cover that users see in search results. You can upload photos up to 7MB.
eBay allows you to upload photos from your PC or other sites using a URL. If you upload a photo from another site, it should be no larger than 12 MB.
When importing photos from the Internet, make sure they are HTTPS compatible. If you use high-resolution pictures (from 800 pixels on the longest side, with a recommended resolution of 1600+ pixels), the platform automatically scales them. eBay supports various file formats, including TIFF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP.
You can use JPEG with a quality of 90 on the 0-99 standard quality scale. The platform does not allow photos with text, frames, logos, and other elements. You can use stock photos for brand-new products.
3. Google Shopping
This platform has basic photo editing requirements if you compare it to Amazon or eBay, so you can be sure that your photos will be approved. The platform supports multiple formats including TIFF, GIF, JPEG, BMP, and PNG. Use medium-sized photos so that users can see them properly on the product page.
If you’re selling clothes, use 250×250 or larger photos. However, you can post a 100×100 pixel photo for all other categories. You might need to learn more about ghost mannequin photography to take eye-catching photos.
The platform allows files with a maximum resolution of 64 megapixels and a main image size of 16 MB.
Google Shopping does not allow text, watermarks, or frames on photos. However, you can use staged photos, if you do not use them as the main cover. The product should occupy 75–90% of the image frame. Users can upload up to 11 photos for each listing.
4. Etsy
The Etsy platform supports JPG, GIF, and PNG files. It does not allow using animated GIF and transparent PNG files. You can upload up to 10 images to a product listing, and it’s better to upload at least 5 files to show the product from various angles.
Etsy recommends using at least 1000×1000 photos. This way, users will get access to the zoom option. The main photo should be 3000-pixel wide and 2250-pixel tall in landscape orientation.
You should upload the main image in landscape formatting since search results show it as a thumbnail. The platform recommends using the same image size and allows you to crop photos directly on the website. Make sure to convert your photos to sRGB.
5. Shopify
While Shopify automatically creates photos of different sizes for different scenarios, the platform recommends using the same width-to-height ratio for all files. This way, all your files will look similar.
Shopify allows uploading photos with a resolution of up to 4472×4472 pixels and a file size of up to 20 MB. The ideal size is 2048×2048 pixels for square product photos.
To allow users to enlarge images, upload files with a resolution of at least 800×800. You can upload up to 250 images to the site.
6. Magento
If you want to achieve maximum resolution on the Magento platform, use standardized image sizes. You can add one thumbnail and up to 15 additional product photos. Use 50px square photos for thumbnails.
The platform uses these small-sized photos to showcase products in listings on category and search result pages. Magento recommends using 470×470 images.
If you want to apply the scaling option, you need to upload a photo larger than the image container. You can upload a photo that is twice or three times bigger than the container. It will allow users to enlarge a regular 470×470 pixel photo to a 1100×1100-pixel one.
Magento allows using images that are up to 1920 pixels high and 1200 pixels wide. If you use a larger photo, the platform may display it incorrectly. If you’re struggling to get the platform to meet your requirements, you may want to hire a Magento developer to help you complete the work.
7. WooCommerce
WooCommerce has various photo editing requirements depending on the theme, store UI, and the image scaling plugin availability. If you sell standard products, the recommended image size is 800×1000 pixels.
In other cases, use an enlarged image with a size of 2000+ pixels to let users check out every detail. WooCommerce automatically creates thumbnails from uploaded photos. Just like on Amazon, you should use images with a white background as your main product photos.
8. Facebook
On Facebook, you should also use product photos with a white background. Don’t add text, offensive content, advertisements, or watermarks to product images. On top of this, sellers aren’t allowed to use illustrations instead of real photos of a product.
For U.S. Facebook Pages, Facebook displays up to 1,000 products per collection. Each featured collection can include ten products. Each item should have at least one photo.
General requirements:
- Use real product photos.
- All photos must match the description and product name on the page.
- Facebook prohibits using offensive content.
Facebook recommendations:
- Use images on a white background.
- Use photos that fully demonstrate the product.
- Take product photos in real-life situations.
- Add multiple product photos from different angles.
- Avoid using text or promo codes in the product photo.
- Do not use images with watermarks.
9. Instagram
Since Facebook owns Instagram, it has similar photo editing requirements for marketplaces, however, there are some differences between them.
When using Instagram Shopping and Carousel Ads, you have to use 1:1 square photos. Instagram allows using photos with a minimum size of 500×500 pixels. The platform recommends uploading 1024×1024 photos.
For single image ads, you should use images with an aspect ratio of 1.91:1. The minimum image size is 500×500 pixels. To achieve high quality, you should use 1200×628 images.
Instagram supports a maximum file size of 8MB.
10. Sears
The platform allows users to upload photos from a computer or URLs. Sears supports JPG and GIF file formats. The minimum resolution is 1600×1600 pixels, while the optimal one is 2000×2000.
You should use square photos that are larger than 800×800 pixels to enable zoom. If you upload photos of clothes, they don’t have to be square. They should be vertically centered so that you can crop photos later on the site.
The platform prohibits using watermarked images. You must add at least one product. The platform allows you to upload up to 7 photos to the listing, including the main image and product videos.