1. Amazon

It is almost impossible to write about eCommerce and not mention Amazon. It is the largest eCommerce platform with 2.45 billion potential buyers globally.

Amazon takes great pride in its shipping and order fulfillment service.  They thought of every step of the process: inventory, shipping, tracking orders, returns, etc. By helping buyers, Amazon is actually taking a lot of burden off a seller’s chest. This enables sellers to focus more on what they do best-sell. 

You, as a seller, can also get an overview of your store’s performance which provides practical insights.

Another thing that Amazon takes very seriously is product images. You need to follow certain requirements if you want to use Amazon.  

A great advertising system is also no stranger to Amazon. Amazon Demand Side Platform (DSP) allows sellers to create ads quickly. Furthermore, these ads drive traffic to an Amazon listing. You only pay when potential buyers click on the targeted ads.

Speaking of advertising, Amazon doesn’t sit still. It came up with  Virtual Product Placement (VPP). In a  nutshell,  sellers’  products will be inserted and showcased in movies, TV shows, and games across Amazon channels and Twitch.  This is an incredible way to reach a new audience and be more visible.

How Can You Implement It in Your eCommerce business?

You may have noticed one common denominator in Amazon’s approach if you've read between the lines. And that is to really listen to their customers’ needs. Every aspect of Amazon's business is customer-oriented, and every aspect tries to resolve pain points that sellers and buyers have. 

Be present and be there for your customers. Take any negative feedback seriously and deal immediately with any impediments. For example, Amazon offers same-day delivery because their clients asked for faster delivery. 

2. Shopify

Shopify is one of Amazon’s biggest competitors. What Shopify did wasn’t try to steal Amazon’s thunder but focus on what Amazon might not have. 

In other words, Shopify didn’t try to compete with Amazon in terms of online retail, but it provided all the tools a business needs to run an eCommerce store:  website building, a mobile app,  services like marketing, payment processing, financial tracking, and even loans. 

At Shopify, they know that customer support goes a long way. They ensured customers could get support through 24-7 live chat, via phone, and email.  And as if that wasn’t enough, there is Shopify’s knowledge base and forum with answers to FAQs.

Shopify also recognized a rise in shopping over mobile phones.  It is estimated that smartphone retail eCommerce sales will exceed $432 billion this year. Thus, Shopify made their platform mobile -phone friendly and had 71% of online sales via mobile in 2021.

Another thing you can learn from Shopify is to follow the shifts in the market. You need to see which markets are opening up and which might be interesting in the future.  

For example, the APAC region, especially China, is great potential considering its market growth. China’s eCommerce sales reached an estimated $2.1 trillion in 2021. Twice the US market.

Therefore, Shopify partnered with Chinese eCommerce JD.com.  The benefit?  The US businesses with Shopify online stores will be able to list their products on the Chinese marketplace.

How Can You Implement It in Your eCommerce business?

Shopify is an excellent example that you don’t have to beat your competition. Check your competitors’ weaknesses and how you can provide that missing link to new customers.

Always follow what’s going on in the market and connect with other relevant businesses.  

3. Etsy

There are two main reasons why we included Etsy in our list

• To add a dash of creativity

• To show that targeting a very specific niche can work out

Etsy is a synonym for unique handmade, creative, and vintage art.  Due to more than 885 million visitors per month, Etsy ranks 4th in the US eCommerce market.

This platform is straightforward when it comes to selling. Right after signing up and creating a storefront, you can list your products.

Etsy also paid a lot of attention to shipping and tracking services by providing tools like a shipping calculator, shipping labels, and tracking. 

Etsy Ads is another useful tool. Its main aim is to promote listings. When it comes to advertising, there are On-site Ads and Off-site Ads for job advertising. The good thing is that you only need to pay for off-site ads if a person buys a product after clicking.

How Can You Implement It in Your eCommerce business?

Of course, it depends on your type of business, but you can get a great competitive advantage if you sell products that cater to a specific niche. 

The first three names on our list of 10 are huge brands. However, we’d like to dedicate the rest of the list to not-so-big brands, but brands that definitely win points in terms of being innovative.

4. Pipcorn

Pipcorn is a family business. At first, glance, making a business out of heirloom corn might seem impossible. But the family behind Pipcorn beats the odds. 

They manage to achieve what much bigger brands are doing. They create a story behind their products. They speak of how their journey started and the reason behind it.  And with creating the story, they trigger an emotional reaction in their audience. They remind us of long, carefree summers of our childhood filled with laughter and popcorn. 

And to imprint that mental image even more, their landing page has summer colors and green grass.

Coupled with creativity, they give ‘plain’ popcorn a new life. They brought an army of different flavors and lots of natural ingredients.

And again, in the website design, you can see the emphasis on natural and organic. It is also reflected in one of their biggest selling points, natural ingredients.  The focus is on health-minded snacks. Furthermore, the packaging, the website’s undertones, and the color combo help visitors connect even more to their vision, product, and brand.

How Can You Implement It in Your eCommerce business?

Don’t underestimate the power of colors and visuals. They are the greatest assets to your brand. They emphasize your product’s values and tell the story. Think about your USP and all the benefits of your product. Then, choose the visuals and colors that will convey that story. (Which Glorify can help with)

5. Beauty Pie

Beauty Pie operates based on subscription, and to its members, it offers straight-from-the-suppliers cosmetic products without paying dearly for them. 

When Beauty Pie was launched back in 2017, it wasn’t very long before it took the world by storm. What makes this brand so unique is that it actually didn’t follow the standards in the beauty industry. No fancy marketing campaigns or packaging. It’s the quality of the product that matters.

This rather unique approach allowed Beauty Pie to offer great products at reasonable prices. And people loved it. 

And although they don’t care about luxurious packaging, they pay attention to product images. Usually, the product images highlight the key benefits. Once again, it shows that customers are interested in benefits and what a product does for them. 

Yet another thing that sets Beauty Pie apart is its presence across social media channels, especially Instagram and Youtube. With presence, we really mean engaging with their audience and sharing both educational and entertaining content. A significant social media presence is also reflected in design elements: square-shaped product images, product tags, and user-generated content.

Beauty Pie’s Instagram account is a fully interactive space where members openly discuss products and give feedback.

 Moreover, they are prompted to do so by the very founder.  There are also various challenges, gift coupons, vouchers, etc.

How Can You Implement It in Your eCommerce business?

Wherever product you’re selling:

• always highlight its benefits and what customers can expect from the product

• use images and visuals to boost your USP and optimize them for social media channels

• use social media to your advantage and engage with your audience. 

• And last but not least, reward your loyal customers.

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6. Daniel Wellington

The story behind Daniel Wellington shows how a random encounter can result in a thriving business. It is a reminder that inspiration is truly all around us.

This brand specializes in selling watches, jewelry, and sunglasses. They became recognizable due to interchangeable straps, which give one and the same watch a totally different look. Thus, you get multiple watches for every occasion.

What immediately strikes your eye when you visit this site is the attention to detail and harmony of colors.

Another remarkable thing about Daniel Wellington is how this brand “uses” micro-influencers to raise brand awareness.  This is super powerful because the audience can actually see what a product looks like in reality.

Furthermore, this way, it is much easier to imagine yourself wearing one of the watches, for example.

And the same goes for their product images. They have additional lifestyle pictures to help you “feel” the product.

User-Generated Content is what this brand implemented to the max. And they stay consistent with this type of content across social media channels.

Being so user-centered is also displayed in all the valuable tips and advice you can find on Daniel Wellington’s pages. You get tips on combining colors, matching accessories with watches, what things you should pay attention to, etc.

There are also first-time offers and discounts. In short, everything revolves around a customer.

How Can You Implement It in Your eCommerce business?

Once you discover your niche, help it engage more with your brand by making them part of your brand. Micro-influencers are a great way for your brand to become more visible. If you organize #campaigns where people can tag themselves in the pictures while using your product, you create traction and two-way communication with your audience. 

7. Depop

The best description of Depop would be an online flea market in the very best sense of the word. 

Depop started as a social network where readers could buy items featured in PIG magazine. Soon,  the man behind PIG realized that Depop was in dire need of the selling feature, and he tweaked the app, turning it into a global marketplace.

Its main target is the new generation. On Depop, you can see what your friends and influencers are wearing, buying, selling, and the other way around. You can trade new, used vintage, and modern clothing and accessories. This way of connecting people through fashion created not only an eCommerce business but a culture, design, and creative hub for communities worldwide.

How Can You Implement It in Your eCommerce business?

Depop is a great example of how you can repurpose an idea. Depop’s example might inspire you that you don’t always need to start from scratch but to use what already does the job and raise it to a new level by giving it additional purpose. 

8. Gymshark

 The very name of this brand suggests action, movement, and fearlessness.

Great attention is paid to images in general, with great contrasts and the smart use of fonts. Product images also have lifestyle images to place a product into a more realistic frame.

Gymshark’s success lies in using social media and influencer marketing. The people behind this brand realized the importance of engagement with the audience. Gymshark’s imagery is in harmony with its user-generated content. 

For example, their YouTube channel offers inspirational videos starring fitness celebrities and fashion experts.

In addition, engagement with the audience led to creating a powerful community. Gymshark turned influencers they engaged with into its brand ambassadors. Moreover, Gymshark recognized that the best way to spread the news about your brand is to find people who share your passion for fitness and believe in your products.

The community is where Gymshark’s strength lies. This brand nurtures its community and rewards its loyalty in original ways. For example, they surprised their community with a photoshoot so they can try out its new collection.

How Can You Implement It in Your eCommerce business?

Check the influencers that your target audience admires and respects. Think of the ways you can connect with them. What can you offer them in return? Create a lively and bubbly hub by listening to your audience’s needs. By being a keen observer, you’ll be able to understand your audience better and cater to them.

9. Lookiero

Lookerio caters to the female audience. It provides personal shopping services. You are sent five fashion, clothing, or accessories items as their customer. If you like any, you buy it, the rest you return. The additional perk? You get 25% off if you purchase all five items.

Lookiero also recognizes how important it is to work with new brands and provide a helping hand. You probably won’t find the biggest fashion names among brands they work with, but rather new and innovative fashion houses.

How Can You Implement It in Your eCommerce business?

Imagine you were one of Lookier’s clients. How would you feel? Utterly pampered. Try applying that to your business. Pamper your clients and show them they matter.  Who doesn’t like special treatment every now and then? Again, depending on your business and the type of audience, you can show your appreciation through gifts and coupons, special discounts, holiday offers, etc.

And last but not least, we have Our Place.

10. Our Place

Our Place offers stylish and luxury pans and pots.

If you pay attention to the images on their site, you’ll see that each image has perfectly balanced colors and hues. Furthermore, the layout of the pages is neat and clean. The space isn’t clattered. This adds even more to our mental image of a kitchen- a place that is clean and tidy. Yet again, photographs convey a much deeper message.

When it comes to product photos,  they are naturally of high quality. Not only do they show a product in all available colors, but you also get videos where you can actually see the product in action. You can see the way you can use it.

Why is this important? Because it makes your customers more familiar with the product.  They can imagine themselves using those pots. The video is the closest to giving them a “real” feeling.

How Can You Implement It in Your eCommerce business?

It is precisely that “real” feeling that you should seek. Showing your product in a real-life situation will help buyers get a feel of a product that otherwise they can’t see or touch. If possible, show how customers can use your product in various situations. The more people can relate to your product, the higher their chance of buying it.

To Wrap Up

Now that we’ve come to the end of our list, what is the main takeaway? The 10 eCommerce brands we described are all unique and distinctive from each other. Still, there is something that they all share, something they all have in common. 

And those are the visuals. Whether we talk about product images, lifestyle images, videos, or landing page images, you must put visuals to good use.  Apart from top-quality products, visuals are your vital assets.

That is why we’d like to show you yet another platform to help you design stunning images to suit your every business need. And you don’t need any design skills whatsoever. That platform is Glorify.

How Can You Implement Glorify in Your Business?

The shortest answer would be very easy. In a matter of minutes, you can create highly-engaging designs. There is a lot to be said about Glorify, but let’s just share some of its features with you. Features that will come in handy when creating a product image.

1. Shadows and reflections

These filters allow you to add an extra layer of depth, making your product look more “alive” and realistic. The more realistic it looks, the higher the probability your visitors will convert.

2. Brand Your Product

The impact of colors on your brand is immense. With Glorify’s Brand It feature, you can easily add your brand’s colors to any image you’d like to use. Literally, just in a few clicks, you add your brand’s colors and they will automatically transfer to an image whenever you choose this feature.

3. Use your logo

If you incorporate your logo into every product image, video, or other visual, you can raise brand awareness. The moment people see the logo, they will know what it is about and what to expect. Use your logo as a synonym for all the benefits your business brings to customers.

That’s all, folks!

We hope we sparked the creative flame in you and provided you with some inspirational eCommerce brands that will give you some Eureka moments.

Regardless of what kind of great idea you come up with, you can only get so far without high-quality visuals to support that idea. Start your free trial on Glorify and see how effortless the whole process is.

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