How do I optimize product photos for mobile conversions?

Shopify Discussion
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I’m building my first Shopify store and wondering how others optimize product photos for mobile conversions. Any tips or apps you’d recommend?

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Check out Shopify’s blog here and watch this video

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Hi @RebeccaFox ,
Optimizing product photos for mobile is a very smart move, especially since mobile traffic often dominates Shopify stores. Here are practical tips:-

  • Ensure product images scale well for smaller screens. Use multiple image sizes / srcset so mobile devices don’t load huge desktop-sized files.
  • Use a good aspect ratio / consistent cropping so your product is visible without awkward cuts on mobile.
  • Big image files = slow load time = higher bounce rate, especially on mobile. Shopify recommends aiming for under ~200 KB (depending on dimensions) as a general guideline.
  • Use modern formats like WebP / AVIF (if supported) for better compression without quality loss.
  • Use lazy loading so images below-the-fold only load when scrolled into view. This helps mobile performance.
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Hi,

Hope this will help

  • Shape & size: Use square/4:5 images at ~2048 px.

  • Speed: Convert to WebP/AVIF, compress, don’t lazy-load first image; do lazy-load rest. Watch LCP.

  • Confidence: Add angles, close-ups, a short video, zoom & swipe.

  • Basics: Fill alt text, keep the product centered, consistent background.

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Hi @RebeccaFox! For mobile conversions, focus on clarity, speed, and usability. Use square or vertical photos (they take up more screen space), show multiple angles, and include at least one lifestyle/real-use photo — mobile shoppers decide fast based on visuals. Compress images so pages load quickly (slow load = abandoned cart), and make sure the gallery is easy to swipe and zoom. Hope it helps :blush: !

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Hii,
Product photos play a huge role in mobile conversions, especially because most traffic today is mobile. You can do few things like:

Use vertical or taller images for mobile
Square product photos look fine on desktop, but on mobile they take less space. Taller images like 3:4 make the product feel bigger and more premium.

Compress images before uploading
Try to keep each product image under 200 to 250 KB if possible.
This keeps your pages fast but still clean visually.

Use WebP format
WebP loads faster than JPG/PNG and keeps good quality.(Image Optimizer Pro also helps with this).

Make sure your first image really ‘sells it’
The first photo is usually the LCP largest element, and that’s the image Google judges for performance and users judge for interest.
Make the first image the strongest one.

If you want a tool that does a lot of this automatically and also improves loading speed overall, you can take a look into the Website Speedy App it compresses images instantly and helps with mobile performance too.

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