Why Product Photography Has a Bigger Impact Than Price

In online retail, price is often assumed to be the primary driver of sales. While competitive pricing is important, it is rarely the deciding factor on its own — particularly in categories like curtains, where customers are making both a visual and functional purchase.

In reality, product photography has a greater impact on customer confidence, conversion rates, and return levels than small differences in price. For retailers selling curtains online, strong imagery is one of the most effective tools available for improving performance without eroding margin.

Curtains Are a Visual Purchase First

Curtains are large, room-defining products. Customers buying online cannot:

• Touch the fabric

• Feel the weight

• See how the curtain hangs in their own light

Instead, they rely almost entirely on images to decide whether a product is right for them. If the photography doesn’t clearly show texture, drape, and colour, uncertainty sets in — and uncertainty is one of the biggest barriers to conversion.

A slightly lower price rarely compensates for unclear or unconvincing imagery.

Why Customers Often Choose Confidence Over Cost

When customers compare similar curtain products online, they don’t always choose the cheapest option. More often, they choose the listing that:

• Looks clearer and more professional

• Shows the product honestly

• Feels more trustworthy

This is why a well-presented curtain can outperform a cheaper alternative with weaker imagery. Customers are willing to pay more when they feel confident that the product will look right in their home.

For retailers, this means that improving photography can increase conversion without discounting.

What Good Curtain Photography Needs to Communicate

Effective curtain photography does more than look attractive — it answers questions visually.

High-performing images typically show:

• The curtain hanging in a real room setting

• How the fabric drapes and falls

• Texture and weave detail up close

• How light interacts with the fabric

• The heading style (eyelet or tape top)

At Tyrone Textiles, significant time, investment, and effort goes into producing high-quality photography that reflects real-life appearance as closely as possible. This imagery is designed to give retailers a strong, reliable foundation for online listings.

Honest Photography Reduces Returns

Over-edited or heavily filtered images may look striking, but they often lead to disappointment when the product arrives. Colours that appear brighter or warmer than reality are a common cause of “not as expected” returns.

Accurate, honest photography:

• Sets realistic expectations

• Builds trust

• Reduces return rates

• Improves long-term customer satisfaction

  
  

This is particularly important for curtains, where colour and texture play such a large role in purchasing decisions.

Room-Set Images vs Close-Ups: Why Both Matter

Different types of images serve different purposes.

Room-Set Images

These help customers visualise the curtain in a real space. They show scale, proportion, and how the curtain interacts with furniture and décor. Room-set images are especially important for living rooms and bedrooms.

Close-Up Images

Close-ups highlight fabric texture, weave, and finish. They reassure customers about quality and help manage expectations around weight and feel.

The strongest listings use a combination of both.

Supplier Photography Is the Starting Point — Not the Finish Line

While Tyrone Textiles invests heavily in professional product photography, retailers are strongly encouraged to add their own images and infographics to complement this content.

Every retailer’s website, audience, and brand positioning is different. Adding retailer-specific visuals helps bridge the gap between supplier imagery and the customer’s real-world environment.

Retailers can add value by:

• Including lifestyle images that match their customer demographic

• Creating infographics explaining sizing, light control, or fabric construction

• Showing curtains in familiar room styles or real homes

• Visually highlighting key features rather than relying on text alone

This layered approach — combining supplier photography with retailer-led visuals — consistently leads to higher engagement, improved conversion rates, and fewer customer queries.

Why Photography Often Matters More Than Reviews or Price

Reviews are valuable, but images usually determine whether a customer engages with a product in the first place. Poor imagery can stop customers before they read descriptions or reviews at all.

Similarly, price comparison often happens after customers believe the product will meet their needs. If photography fails to build trust, price becomes irrelevant because the customer simply moves on.

Using Photography to Protect Margin

Discounting is often used to compensate for weak presentation. Strong photography reduces the need for this by:

• Increasing conversion at full price

• Reducing return-related costs

• Improving repeat purchase behaviour

In many cases, improving imagery delivers a better return than reducing price.

Final Thoughts

In online curtain retail, customers don’t buy on price alone — they buy on confidence. Product photography plays a critical role in building that confidence, often having a greater impact than small price differences.

By combining high-quality supplier imagery from Tyrone Textiles with retailer-specific images and infographics, sellers can improve performance across conversion, returns, and customer satisfaction — without sacrificing margin.