Take GREAT Marketplace Product Photos for your small business in 5 easy steps

So you're ready to take your side hustle to the next level and start selling on Takealot, Amazon or Makro marketplaces?

Great!

Please read this article assuming the following:

• You hold inventory - i.e. you already have physical products in stock to sell, have already finalised packaging and shipping logistics 
• You have already been approved as a Seller on Takealot, Makro or another marketplace
• You've researched the image requirements for above-mentioned marketplace, and need your products on a WHITE background in order for them to be approved
• You can't afford a professional photographer just yet for your products and will be taking the photos yourself using your smartphone or DSLR.

Step 1: Organise your products and variants to understand how many photos you will be needing. 

It's best to be organised before starting.

Most marketplaces require the main product image to be on a white background. They do accept lifestyle images of the product in use too. A whopping 75% of online shoppers rely on product imagery to make purchasing decisions!

It goes without saying that the more photos showcasing your products the better.

Step 2: Invest in white photography backgrounds/ backdrops

Flatlay Studio sells plain white backgrounds specifically suited to comply with marketplace image requirements.

They have curated a discounted bundle for Takealot sellers that is value-for-money, providing you with two portable backdrops as well as the bracket needed to create a mini studio in your home/ home office.

Step 3: Set up your photo shoot for optimal results

Set up your mini studio with your Flatlay Studio boards.

As an amateur without pro lighting, ensure you set up in an area in your house or office that has plenty of natural light. Indoors, next to a large window or door is ideal. Avoid direct sunlight and take test photos to understand if there are too many shadows interfering.

Prioritise eye-level photographs of your product and try showcase them as much as possible. If your product is in packaging, take a photo with the packaging complete, and then follow up with the packaging removed so that you show your future customers exactly what your product looks like on the inside. 

If you have various colours available, be sure to take photos of each colour too.

In our experience, it's best to take tons more photos of different angles and so forth because you just never know how many you might need.

Step 4: Edit your images to meet the exact requirements

Consider using Lightroom Mobile app on your phone (it's free) to maximise your efforts. The Lightroom app is intuitive and has basic functions that allows you to brighten your image and make the background even whiter (especially if you had a cloudy day or too many shadows). 

It also lets you remove shadows or "heal" ugly spots in the photo. If you want to get fancy, you can do the hard work for the first photo, save the editing to your own unique preset, and then batch edit the rest by applying your unique preset to all your pictures at once.

Make sure you crop the photograph according to the Marketplace image requirements and save/ export it in the correct image format (jpeg/ png). Be sure to name your image correctly when exporting fro Lightroom as it saves time later.

Step 5: Upload your photos for approval on the marketplace

Hey presto, upload your images for approval and wait to see if they meet the requirements. 

You might not get it right the first time, but you will certainly be in a better position to improve if you stick to these five simple steps. 

In conclusion, investing in reusable white photography backgrounds will help you be better prepared to add new product SKUS or variants as you continue in your marketplace seller journey. The Lightroom app is also intuitive and very mobile-friendly, allowing you to take and edit photos from your smartphone.

Helpful Resources

• Takealot Image Requirements 
• Lightroom Mobile App Download for Apple
• Lightroom Mobile App Download on Google Play
• Flatlay Studio Takealot Seller bundles - plain white photography backgrounds
• Flatlay Studio Bundles - great for lifestyle content and social media images with your products