Text Overlay and Product Photography: How to Drive Sales | soona

Text Overlay and Product Photography: How to Drive Sales

Elevate your Amazon product listings with impactful text overlays. Enhance visibility, drive engagement, and increase sales with expert strategies. Start optimizing today!

Claire Oswald
product marketing manager

July 31, 2024

It’s important to always look for ways to optimize ecommerce product photos. One way to do that is by incorporating text overlays, a technique that involves placing text directly onto an image to provide additional context, information, or calls to action.

Text overlay has become increasingly popular—it can result in higher click-through rates (CTRs), better engagement, and improved sales.

However, it’s essential to carefully consider your approach when adding text overlays to your Amazon product images. There are certain guidelines and best practices to ensure your efforts are both effective and compliant with Amazon-specific requirements. In this post, let’s chat about how to use text overlay in your listings.

What is text overlay?

Text overlay is a design technique that involves placing text, or copy, on top of an image to create a compelling visual for various purposes, such as designing Amazon product listings or enhancing the user interface (UI).

Text overlay is a powerful tool for enhancing Amazon product listings. It involves placing copy (words) directly on the product images to provide key information and emphasize specific features.

Check this out: How to create Amazon infographics

Why use text overlay for product photos

Make your content accessible to all shoppers

Text overlay can improve accessibility for your product content, especially for people with visual impairments, conditions, or disabilities. This not only makes product listings more accessible but also provides a better shopping experience for all users, regardless of their visual ability.

Boost Amazon sales by 56% by updating your content.

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To ensure your text overlay is supporting accessibility, use legible fonts in a color that’s easy to see and read over the background. We’ll get more into these design considerations in a bit!

Overlay by itself isn’t enough, though. Also make sure you properly tag overlays for screen reader compatibility. This means providing accurate and descriptive image alt text to describe the content of the image, as well as any embedded text. Screen readers rely on alt text to convey information to visually impaired users, so don’t overlook this step when creating your overlays.

Accessibility in motion: Creating accessible videos: best practices for video accessibility

Drive clicks and conversions

One of the major benefits of using text overlay is the ability to communicate essential product information at a glance. Text can catch customer attention, making them curious about the product.

Overlays also bring improved visual hierarchy to product images making it easier for shoppers to quickly get the most important information. Properly placing the text on the image ensures that isn’t intrusive, but rather complements the overall visual composition.

By adding a concise and visually appealing tagline or call-to-action (CTA), you can motivate potential customers to explore the product further and even make a purchase—especially helpful when selling products with a unique selling proposition or a limited-time offer.

Offset returns and negative reviews

Providing clear and accurate information about the product and its features allows customers to have a better understanding of their purchase, which can lead to higher satisfaction and fewer returns.

The return process isn’t only costly, but it also means you’ve missed out on a sale. Excessive negative reviews and returns can impact your visibility in the algorithm and Amazon performance metrics, potentially affecting account standings and access to specific selling features, such as the Buy Box.

Promote brand awareness

Text overlay helps you effectively communicate your brand message and express your visual brand identity. An image with a well-placed overlay can emphasize your product’s unique selling points, highlight special features, or offer promotional information.

You can use text overlay to reinforce your brand message, reinforcing a slogan or core values. Overlaying creative and informative text can uplift product images, making them more engaging and appealing to potential customers.

Bookmark this: Create stunning Amazon infographics: a step-by-step guide

How to overlay text on image: 5 steps

Follow these five steps to add text to your photos:

Step 1: Choose an appropriate image

Select an image that represents your product well and has enough space to accommodate the overlay text. Make sure the background isn’t too busy and doesn’t visually clash with the copy, ensuring it remains legible.

Step 2: Write your text

Always prioritize keeping the listing informative and visually appealing, with a focus on the product and its features. Start by identifying the essential information that needs to be communicated to the viewer. Then you can start writing! ✍️

Highlight product features or benefits that differentiate your product from the competition. You can also highlight promotions and discounts—it’s an excellent way to call attention to time-sensitive promotions, product launches, or limited-time offers.

Step 3: Format your text overlay

Consider the following characteristics when formatting your text:

Step 4: Arrange the text element on the image

Position the text strategically, considering image context. Place the text in an area of the photo where it isn’t competing with critical visual elements. Avoid covering essential features, faces, or objects.

Step 5: Review and adjust

Examine the final product and make any necessary adjustments. Double-check for spelling and grammatical errors, and ensure the text is clear and visible.

Using text overlay in Amazon product listings: tips and best practices

Keep the following best practices and tips in mind when adding text to your Amazon photos:

Eligibility and requirements

If you want to add text overlays to Amazon product listing images in Seller Central, for example, you need to meet certain eligibility criteria. First and foremost, you’ll need to enroll in the Amazon Brand Registry program, ensuring your products are legitimately associated with a specific brand.

The product listing must also have a valid ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number). Each ASIN uniquely identifies the products within the Amazon marketplace and is required for any text overlay modifications.

Image options available with Amazon

There are various image options available for Amazon product listings to create a visually appealing and informative presentation:

Features of Amazon A+ and Premium A+ Content

Amazon has A+ content and Premium A+ content options for qualified sellers. These features help sellers showcase their products in a more engaging and informative way, using rich visuals and detailed information.

Both A+ and Premium A+ content can benefit from the use of text overlay on images. You can add key details such as product features, specifications, and benefits directly onto images.

Move forward with soona

Incorporating text overlays is a strategic and visually impactful approach to optimize your listings and online store. It not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of your images but also serves as a powerful tool to convey critical information, drive engagement, and ultimately boost sales.

By ensuring accessibility, catching shoppers’ attention, and minimizing returns, text overlays contribute to a positive shopping experience. They also play a vital role in building brand awareness and loyalty.

Text overlay FAQs

How can I add text to a product image?

Text can be added to product images using image editing software such as Adobe Photoshop and GIMP, or online tools like Canva or Fotor. Make sure to maintain readability and clear contrast between the text and background, following Amazon's image guidelines.

Is it allowed to have text on images for Amazon product listings?

While Amazon generally discourages including text on product images, there might be exceptions in specific categories or cases where text conveys essential information. it’s essential to comply with Amazon’s guidelines for text overlay, ensuring the text is clear, concise, and doesn’t obstruct the product's visibility.

What tools can be used to overlay text on images online?

You can use the soona Media Editor’s add text to photo feature to overlay text on images online. With it, you can customize your images by adding text to fit whatever you sell, wherever you sell.

How do I ensure my text overlay complies with Amazon's formatting policies?

To ensure compliance with Amazon’s formatting policies, double-check the guidelines provided within the specific product category. Ensure the text overlay is clear, easy to read, and doesn’t interfere with the product’s visibility. Avoid using promotional language, inappropriate spacing, or excessive text that may detract from the product's presentation.