How to Design Product Category Pictures That Your Customers Can’t Resist to Click

7 min read

Whether you are a newbie who just opened a first online store or an e-commerce shark, your product categories need particular attention as they are the key to successful store navigation.

A strong concept for category images is a must if you want to make this page appealing. It also makes it easy to add new categories when you create a new type of product to your store.

The difference between a product image and a category image is that the latter is more abstract and requires some logic to make its meaning crystal clear.

Keep in mind the following nuances to create the best-navigated categories that your customers would love to click on.

First, let’s talk about some image suggestions that make a category page look professional.

Use Large Images

Try to use large images: they let your customers quickly understand what you sell and see your products in detail, and they look perfect on retina screens.

It’s recommended to use large images with a width of at least 650 px (1000 px is the best).

You can even use pictures taken with your smartphone: the resolution will be fine, just make sure the photo represents your products in the best way.

Learn more on how to take quality pictures: Simple Product Photography Tips to Beautifully Showcase on Your Store

The Yarose store uses large quality images for their product categories.

Keep Proportions

Your category pictures should be either vertical or horizontal — never both. Category pictures of the same proportions improve the navigation and make the storefront look professional.

Choose which is right for your product type. If it’s hard to say what is better for your store, use a win-win square format.

Check out Taylor Family Farm if you’d like to have a closer look.

Taylor Family Farm

Unify Style

Thoughtful stylization is a crucial element of a professional web page. Category pictures unified by one and the same perspective, background, and light will never confuse your customers — it will lead them directly where they want, with no second thoughts.

Mislistudio

Create Meaningful Pictures

The category picture serves certain goals: helping your customers navigate in your store and attracting attention to your products.

The pictures you use should have a direct meaning so that it only takes seconds for the visitor to decide where to click next.

Your 4 Walls uses pictures of their own products that explain directly what the category is about.

If you refer to photo stocks and clipart websites for your product category images, keep in mind that they normally offer very generic and abstract pictures that you shouldn’t use because they can confuse your visitors. For example, check out what Getty images offers for “family”:

Do not use abstract and generic images from photo stocks.

Imagine you still found the picture that perfectly suits your storefront.

Unfortunately, you should be ready for another headache: Some customers won’t be happy when they realize that the boots on the category image that they loved are not for sale in your store. They might want to leave the store at that point.

Stock pictures may look fine but don’t represent what’s really in stock in your online store.

Strive for Distinguishable Images

Don’t go to extremes in an attempt to stylize your product category images. Using either your logo or just a picture that fits the page design for all the categories might be a bad idea.

Remember the 7-second rule: this is how long it should take your customer to understand what exactly your website or online store is about.

The DH9 store has distinguishable categories.

The example below shows that the use of similar pictures makes it hard to distinguish the difference between the categories at first sight.

bad design example

Simple Practices to Shoot Beautiful Category Pictures

Even if you are short of time and other resources, you don’t have to use stock images or look for other shortcuts. There are simple ways to design your product categories and make them look stunning — all you need is your products and your smartphone camera.

Take a look at the two ways to shoot your category pictures below.