A Bottle Shot Is Worth A Thousand Words

This is a guest blog post by Laurie Millotte, founder of Outshinery.com and an avid wine enthusiast. Laurie is a designer & art director who believes in the power of well-crafted brands and ideas, focusing on innovative and narrative branding and packaging for the wine industry.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and might as well be worth a thousand dollars in revenue. Let's ponder some data:

• People remember 10% of what they hear, 20% of what they read and 80% of what they see. (Source: National Retail Federation)
• 67% of ecommerce shoppers say the product image is “very important” in their purchase decision, even more so than product description (54%) and ratings and reviews (53%).  (Source: Syntactic Theory of Visual Communication)

If those numbers aren’t compelling enough, take a stroll on Etsy (a peer-to-peer ecommerce website focused on handmade items), where all of the hand picked featured products are polished and professional. Airbnb (a website for people to list, find and rent lodging) offers a free professional photo service to Airbnb hosts around the world, because places with professional photos get booked 2.5 times more frequently than those without. Adding photos to a restaurant menu increases sales of an item by as much as 30%.

A great photo can tell a story, inspire, and persuade. A great photo can sell. Online, it is usually the initial touch point your product has with customers. In this blog post, a designer shared 6 things that made a good bottle shot.  Here are 3 additional tips for you to bring your bottle shots from good to great, in order to nail that first impression.

1. Consistency is key

We can’t stress enough the importance of having the same camera angle, same lighting, same scale/ratio, same drop shadow, etc. Consistency brings your whole portfolio together and is the very first thing that screams “professional” and “trustworthy”.

2. The beauty is in the details

People can’t touch or taste your product online. Always strive to give them the most complete brand experience possible. Because it’s the embossing, varnish, metallic foil, paper texture, or unique die-cut that makes your bottle feel like a million bucks.

So what else can you show?

Your high-gloss varnish detailing and gold foil for starters.

Maybe you can reveal your stunning backside illustration next:

Or you can be original and focus on the varietal name with a creative angle:

3. Let the inner beauty shine through

While packaging is crucial, the fact is, the real gold is hidden inside the bottle, and very often, behind a thick layer of tinted glass. Show off that liquid jewel you’re so proud of by simply adding a wine glass. Presenting your collection this way enhances the consumers senses and makes the visual experience evocative.

You can now get these results with just a few clicks from the comfort of your office. Here's some additional inspiration to get you excited!

A Few Things to Remember

Beware of sizing. In the age of retina screens, there’s no excuse for pixelated photos. Print or digital, do not settle for anything that is less than flawless. The key word here is resolution.

There are two solutions to this:

First, if you’re using traditional photography, a high-performance DSLR and professional lighting are essential for getting the sharpest image possible. Secondly - you can ditch the camera altogether! Did you know that all the examples mentioned above were done entirely digitally? No real bottles, no shipping and no waiting. You are no longer bounded by the camera’s technology: your images look great however big and small your heart desires!  

 

Bring it to the next level

A successful online business depends so much on the quality of your presentation. Great visuals can answer questions and trigger emotional responses much faster than words. It not only boosts sales, but also enhances your overall brand image. You’ve been working so hard all year on perfecting your wine. Make sure you're presenting it right!