Darin Archer

About Darin Archer

Dear Brand Manufacturer, give me product images. Signed, Retailer

Have you ever purchased a product without actually seeing it? Most online retailers have some form of imagery to provide visibility into what you’re purchasing, but how many have brilliant product photos?

In fact, research has shown that 77% of online shoppers are ‘very to somewhat’ influenced by the quality of content (descriptions, copy, images, and tools) when making purchase decisions.

Unfortunately, manufacturers today often provide poor or limited photography and video assets if any at all, meaning that every online retailer has to reshoot the product images they want for their website.

Online video for ecommerce: what type of content should you create?

For retailers, video is the new JPEG. Companies have demonstrated that videos drive more conversion and higher AOV, and with the costs of video production dropping, there’s no reason why all retailers shouldn’t be embracing video – and hundreds of reasons why they should.

You probably already know how important video is for your ecommerce site, but do you know the best ways to effectively harness it?  

To start, videos should be produced using a scalable process and address content in which visitors are interested.

The secret to amazing packaging experiences

How many box openings does it take to create a box that is a consummate joy to open?

While this sounds like a daunting brain teaser, Apple answers it concretely through usability testing.

Only a select few of Apple’s packaging designers have the mundane privilege of opening hundreds of prototype boxes in a secretive packaging room at their headquarters. 

This probably doesn’t surprise you, if you bought an Apple product in the past decade.

Opening the box to your first iPad or MacBook Air might have been an indelible, memorable experience, one in which you couldn’t contain your excitement and surprise as you unraveled the packaging, piece-by-piece. 

If your experience was similar to mine, opening the Apple package was probably so delightful that you may have ironically struggled with the idea of parting ways with the box!