Listing photos and infographics that convert
Shoppers decide on the photos. Meet each marketplace's hard rules with the main image, then use the other slots to answer every question a buyer has before they ask it.
White, 85%
Amazon main image: pure white background (RGB 255, 255, 255), the product fills at least 85% of the frame, no text or props (Amazon).
6+ images
Amazon recommends at least 6 images per listing. Etsy's first photo must show the real item, no text or collage.
One feature
Each infographic explains one feature, readable on a phone. Several features on one image become unreadable small print.
The gallery order that sells
This order is a proven convention, not a marketplace rule. It answers the buyer's questions in the order they ask them.
- 1. Main image: the product alone on white, sharp, filling the frame. It wins the click in search results.
- 2 to 3. Infographics: the 2 or 3 features that make people buy, one per image, big words. Use the headline variant that tests better.
- 4. In use or on a model: the product in real life. For apparel and accessories a model photoshoot is the image that shows fit and style.
- 5. In a room or a scene: the mood, the scale, how it looks at home.
- 6. Size or comparison: what is in the box, dimensions, how it compares with the usual option.
- Video: if the marketplace has a video slot, fill it (see the marketplace video lesson).
Platform rules to get right
- Amazon: main image on pure white, product 85%+ of the frame, 500 to 10,000 px on the longest side; props and text only on secondary images
- Etsy: first photo shows the real item, horizontal or square, at least 635x635 px, no text or collage
- Shopify: 2,048 px square is the sweet spot, at least 800 px for zoom, under 20 MB
- Check every image on a phone before publishing: most buyers see it there
- Text, logos or watermarks on an Amazon main image
- One image reused everywhere without adjusting the ratio and background
- Trusting "lifestyle photos lift conversion by X%" claims: the direction is real, the exact numbers in circulation have no traceable study
Test, then keep the winner
- On Amazon with Brand Registry: test the main image first, then the title, in Manage Your Experiments. It splits traffic 50/50 and runs until it is 95% sure, usually 4 to 10 weeks.
- Without a built-in test: change one image at a time and compare click-through and conversion over two equal periods.
- Use both infographic headlines: CartViral writes two variants for each infographic so you always have a challenger ready.
Questions
Can I use AI photos on marketplaces?
Show the product exactly as it is: CartViral builds every photo from your real product photos and checks each image against them. Images with an AI person carry a synthetic-content tag in their metadata.
Which photo set should I make first?
Product photos for the main image if yours is not on clean white, infographics for slots 2 and 3, a model photoshoot for anything people wear or hold.
Do these photos work in ads and carousels?
Yes. CartViral carousels and static ads use your finished photo sets automatically when a product has them.
Sources
- Amazon: how to take product photos accessed 2026-10-16
- Etsy Seller Handbook: anatomy of a well-crafted listing accessed 2026-10-16
- Shopify Help: product media types accessed 2026-10-16
- Amazon: Manage Your Experiments 2024-03-12
Make it with Photos
Model photoshoot (9 credits), product photos on white and in a room (8), infographics with two headline variants (7). Every set is 4 shots sized for marketplaces.