Brandscape

In today’s digital era, where online shopping has become increasingly prevalent, the significance of optimised images for food retailer websites cannot be overstated. Supermarkets and retailers leverage these meticulously crafted visuals to assist consumers in making informed purchasing decisions. By providing essential information and tantalising imagery, optimised images serve as indispensable tools in the virtual aisles, guiding shoppers towards satisfying culinary choices and enhancing their overall shopping experience.

At the core of every successful food retailer website is the ability to effectively communicate with consumers, especially when purchasing food products. Optimised images are pivotal in this communication process as they offer visually appealing representations of various food items. Unlike traditional brick-and-mortar stores, where shoppers can physically examine products, online consumers rely heavily on images to assess the quality, freshness, and suitability of the items they intend to purchase.

What are Optimised Images?
In the world of online food retailing, Optimised Images fall into two distinct categories.
The first are those images whose sole purpose is to paint a picture, provide recipe inspiration and spark an interest. Let’s refer to these as Lifestyle Optimised Images. Typically, these are used to have a good effect on retailers’ websites and on-line magazines in an editorial context or on-pack as a serving suggestion, as is the case with Frozen Ready Meals. The other kind of Optimised Image is seen on the retailers’ online shopping portal. These differ as their purpose is to assist an online shopper in making the best shopping decisions. Let’s call these Online Shopping Optimised Images.

Whatever type of image it is, the primary function of optimised images on food retailer websites is to provide consumers with comprehensive and accurate information about the products available. From crisp images of fresh produce to tantalising shots of prepared meals, these visuals offer insights into the items’ appearance, ingredients, and packaging. By showcasing detailed close-ups and providing descriptions, retailers empower consumers to make educated decisions based on their preferences, dietary requirements, and culinary aspirations.

Lifestyle Optimised Images
These optimised images are powerful tools for inspiring and stimulating consumer appetites. Eye-catching visuals of beautifully plated dishes, mouth-watering recipe suggestions, and appetising meal combinations capture the imagination and ignite cravings. By showcasing food items in their most enticing form, retailers create a sensory experience that transcends the limitations of the digital realm, fostering emotional connections with consumers and encouraging exploration of new flavours and cuisines.

Online Shopping Optimised Images
In the competitive landscape of online food retailing, where consumers are faced with many choices, the consumer must be presented with only the most essential and relevant information. This helps them to make the most educated purchasing decisions possible. These images enhance the overall user experience and streamline the purchasing process on food retailer websites. The most successful Online Shopping Optimised Images are simpler, stripped-back versions of the retail packaging. Non-essential information is removed from the front-of-pack image, often with descriptors increasing in size, pack weight and/or quantity count being more prominent, flavour and any offer mechanic being dialled up. Removed information such as Traffic Light Nutritional Labels can be created as a standalone image, as many retailers actively encourage using multiple supporting images. The back-of-pack image may be more faithful to the retail packaging; again, in a similar way to the Traffic Light Nutritional information, the Barcode detail can have its own image.

In an era where convenience and accessibility are paramount, the importance of online shopping optimised images for mobile shopping cannot be overstated. With growing consumers using smartphones and tablets for online shopping, retailers must ensure that their images are optimised for mobile viewing. By optimising image sizes for faster loading times and implementing responsive design principles, food retailers can provide seamless browsing experiences across devices, catering to the preferences and lifestyles of modern consumers.

Next time you shop online, look at what is deemed acceptable. Many brands could make their online shopping optimised imagery work harder for them. Retailers are highly receptive and welcoming to better-executed imagery. Stand back and look at your own images. Could they be better, and could they work harder for you? Clear, optimised images that give clarity to online shoppers and drive sales by standing out in a cluttered and unclear digital environment are essential.

In conclusion, optimised images are indispensable assets for food retailers and brands, serving as powerful tools for assisting consumers in making informed purchasing choices. From providing essential information and inspiring culinary exploration to enhancing user experience and fostering brand loyalty, these visuals play a multifaceted role in the online food shopping experience.
By prioritising image optimisation, brands can effectively engage consumers and drive conversions. After all, updating your online shopping optimised imagery is a relatively simple and low-cost project to undertake, and the benefits are there to be had.

Wow Me Design is the Cheltenham-based packaging design agency that creates brands people want, helps to drive demand and supports innovation for our clients. We are experts in supporting brands and retailers creating their Optimised Images, we would love to talk to you about how they could help. Get in touch at hello@wowmedesign.com