As an online seller, you understand the importance of having high-quality photos and videos on your Shopify storefront. A picture is worth a thousand words, and this couldnât be more true in the ecommerce world. Itâs necessary for customers to see what theyâre buying before officially adding to cart.
The most successful Shopify stores understand the significance of using clear, zoomable images for their products. But, thatâs just the first step. In order to improve your Shopify store, you also need to incorporate video content, improve your page load speed, and ensure mobile optimization.Â
In this article, weâll explore the best practices for adding photos and videos to your Shopify store. Weâll dive into how to optimize your images and videos, and understand Shopify image size requirements. By the end of this guide, youâll have the knowledge and tools necessary to create a visually stunning Shopify store that captures your brand and converts customers.
What Are the Best Image and Aspect Ratios for Shopify
There are multiple types of images you can upload to Shopify. Keep to the guidelines below in mind when sizing your Shopify images.
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Your Shopify product image size must also be larger than 800 x 800 pixels in order for the zoom feature to function. A 3:1 aspect ratio is recommended for rectangular-shaped media.
Here is an overview of the most used Shopify image sizes for other specific image types:
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Best Image Formats for Shopify
There are a few formats you can choose from when it comes to uploading content to Shopify. Weâve broken down each of these file formats, and their benefits, so that you can choose the best fit for you:
- JPG/ JPEG - This format is one of the most widely used image file formats because of its small size and broad color range. It's easy to compress, which lets you reduce the file size while maintaining a balance between image quality and file size. If you're uploading product photos to Shopify, it's recommended to use JPG.
- PNG - If you're looking to upload logos and graphics, PNG is a great choice because it retains good image quality across various file sizes. It also supports transparency, which gives store owners more flexibility to create custom designs. The only downside of this format is that the file sizes of complex images can be very large because of lossless compression.
- GIF - GIF is the most popular format for adding animated images that can be recognized by all browsers. In Shopify, the format compresses and reduces product images to 256 colors, making initially large GIFs smaller.
Shopify accepts several other image formats, such as TIFF or HEIC, but they're not as widely used. To ensure better page speed, Shopify serves WebP images in browsers that support this format.
Why Video is Important to Include on Shopify
Research shows that 88% of shoppers say video helps them better understand products, while 90% say they're more likely to buy a product if they can see a product video. Talk about persuasive!Â
Video content is visually appealing, easy to digest, and has become the go-to source for learning and services. Itâs able to showcase your product features, benefits, helps your brand create an emotional connection with your customer, and plays a huge role in increasing conversion rates.
Video marketing went from a nice-to-have to a MUST have. Did you know that 79% of consumers make a purchase after watching a branded social media video? Itâs time to optimize your videos to make them stand out to your audience. In this section, weâll be exploring the technical side of Shopify videos.
How to Add a Video Banner on Shopify
There are two ways you can add video to your Shopify homepage:Â
- Embed a YouTube or Vimeo video URL link.
- You can upload a video fileÂ
Embed a YouTube or Vimeo URL
The Shopify video banner section can be found on all Shopify themes, and can be added to any page type. You can find this in the Native Video Section. To embed a custom video on your page, navigate to Themes > Customize.
Select the relevant page in the top drop down bar, then skip to the bottom of the tool bar, and select âAdd Sectionâ. From here, you can select the âvideoâ option.
You can move this video banner section across your tool bar based on where within your page you wish to feature your interactive content. Make sure you also include a custom thumbnail for your video, as the content will not load until the play button is pressed.
Upload Your Video Content on Your Shopify Store
You can also upload your own media directly, if you have the video file.
On the right hand side, click the âselect a videoâ button, and simply upload your media. You can add images and videos in this section to work with any display or carousel that is specified by your site's chosen theme.Â
Things to Consider: While uploading your own media decreases buffering from the offset, it will not support adaptive streaming, such as with a link from a video streaming service.
Getting the Right Fit
When uploading any content to Shopify, you need to keep the platformâs requirements in mind, for the best customer experience. Weâve outlined below everything you need to know before you embed video or images onto your Shopify storefront.
What Size is a Video Banner
Video banners are a great way to professionally display your products in a captivating way. And if youâre looking to draw the eyes of your website visitors to this video, take the steps to ensure itâs of the best quality!
If youâre uploading video banners directly, youâll need to stick to the following guidelines:
- Video length: Up to 10 minutes
- Video size: Up to 1 GB
- Video resolution: Up to 4K
- Video file type: MP4 or MOV
Note: your video will need to follow these requirements if youâre uploading directly. Vimeo and YouTube URLs will not need additional resizing.Â
Upgrade Your Shopify Video With soona
Are you a Shopify merchant looking to improve your online store's visual appeal? Look no further than our Shopify photography packs!
Our Shopify starter pack includes everything you need to get started with high-quality product photography for your Shopify store. Our team of expert photographers and editors will work with you to create stunning visuals that grab your customers' attention and help you stand out from the competition.
For Shopify businesses that need a more comprehensive photography solution, we offer the Shopify plus pack. This package includes everything in our starter pack, plus additional features such as lifestyle photos and 360-degree product videos. Our team will work closely with you to ensure your brand's unique personality shines through in every photo and video. With our Shopify plus pack, you can take your store's visuals to the next level and create an unforgettable shopping experience for your customers.
Don't settle for subpar product photography on your Shopify store. Let soona help you elevate your online presence with our expertly curated Shopify photography packs. Contact us today to learn more and get started!