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  • #172: This educational image increased conversions by 19.5%

#172: This educational image increased conversions by 19.5%

For complex products, trust starts before a word is read.

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No. 172: Hey all,

Good news: you don’t need more copy.

But you do need a product page image that sells before anyone starts reading.

We swapped a plain product photo for one that explained the value.

The result? Conversions jumped nearly 20%.

Here’s how.

In less than 90 seconds, learn:

But first: quick announcement.

Join us for a special LIVE event next week exclusive to TCL subscribers…

📅 LIVE TRAINING:

The Upsell Formula – Q4 Holiday Edition:

How to Increase Your AOV During the Biggest Sales Quarter of the Year

(Without Hurting Your Conversion Rates)

Q4, Holidays and Black Friday + Cyber Monday are around the corner. Learn how to increase AOV and maximize your revenue per site visitor for the most important sales quarter of the year.

​We'll show you the exact upsell, cross-sell and bundling strategies working for other 8 and 9-figure e-commerce brands right now – and the offers they are launching for the Q4 Holiday.

Join us LIVE next week on Wednesday, September 17th at 11am PT (2pm ET) for a FREE training.

​In this live training, we'll show you:

  • The upsell strategies 8- and 9-figure brands are using for Q4 2025

  • Where to place upsells on your site for maximum results

  • Black Friday / Cyber Monday ready examples from CPG, Apparel, Luxury, Health and more.

  • A LIVE teardown of popular brand upsells, cross-sells and bundle offers.

Then, ask all your questions LIVE with Blue Stout experts.

Can’t make it? No worries. We'll share the recording with all who sign up.

Read time: 1.5 minutes

🎯 WEEKLY INSIGHT

If your product isn’t instantly understood, lead with an image that educates.

People decide to stay or bounce before they even scroll.

When a product solves a functional or high-risk problem, that decision happens even faster.

The key is knowing when a clean product shot won’t cut it, and when to show proof and benefits in the image itself.

For products that aren’t easy to understand at a glance, the first photo works harder.

It’s a chance to explain, reassure, and convert: all at once.

We tested this on a wellness brand’s product page:

  • Before: a plain product shot with white background

  • After: a benefit-forward image showing attributes and claims

The result was a 19.5% lift in conversions.

An educational image gives shoppers the context they need to buy quickly. If your product isn’t instantly clear and the first image doesn’t explain it, shoppers may never read your copy.

⭐ Takeaway: For complex or functional products, lead with an image that informs and reassures.

Try it & test!

🕙 WHAT’S BREWING

HigherDOSE added $6M in revenue by changing how they introduced customers to their products.

📣 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

User-generated content lifts product page conversions by 32.4%.

Here’s how to convert NEW customers on the homepage.

Why you should shift attention away from price.

🗞️ NEWS HIGHLIGHT

Holiday spending by Gen Z is expected to drop this year.

👀 FROM LAST WEEK

#171: Here’s when NOT to recommend alternative products.

💡 ALLEN’S QUICK TIP

👊 STOUT SUCCESS

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And if you have any comments/questions, I'd love to hear them.

Until next time.

— Allen