Attention to detail and advanced use of digital photo technology is paying dividends for DueMaternity.com, an online retailer of items for pregnant women and new mothers.
The retailer does its own photography for the 2,000 SKUs of maternity clothes, bags, accessories and related merchandise it carries online. Four times a year, under the direction of founder Albert DiPadova, a photographer and an internal production team shoot about 250 photos using up to five models at a time and dozens of combinations of clothing and accessories.
In the past DueMaternity.com would then take the new product photos and update the images each season on its various product pages. The uploaded photos showed only a conventional two-dimensional image, such as the front and back of a model wearing a maternity dress.
But now, using dynamic imaging technology from Ortery Technologies Inc., a photography automation company, DueMaternity.com, is adding 360-degree spin to the images it takes during photo shoots and later uploads to its web site.
With images that rotate automatically when shoppers visit a particular merchandising page, the conversion rate on products sold on those pages is about 27% higher than for standard two-dimensional images.
“Our shoppers want to see every detail and look at a particular item from every angle before making a purchase,” says DiPadova. “A rotating image provides that detail and this feature really improved the conversion rate on many of our merchandising pages.”
Technicians tried manually rotating models during photo shoots and then uploading multiple frames to a product page to achieve a rotating view of the merchandise. But the process was cumbersome and time-consuming.
Now using PhotoCapture 360, a software and equipment system developed by Ortery, DueMaternity.com is automating its photo shoots with instant rotating images.
The system includes a turntable on which it places a product, as well as software that automatically synchronizes the rotation of the turntable with the action of the camera. The software controls the camera settings and the timing of shots taken by any compatible camera, which eliminates variables like lens aperture and light placement that could impair photo quality if the camera were under user control.
The system also lets DueMaternity.com technicians quickly format the new images, embed the photos with an analytics code for better tracking and upload the images to product pages on the site. Currently about 1,000 SKUs on DueMaternity.com feature a rotating view and the retailer is working on updating the rest of its image inventory, says DiPadova.
“We’re seeing a lot better conversion rates with this technology,” he says. “Rotating images differentiate us from our competition and present a better user experience.”
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