Graphic Design for Ecommerce: Outsourcing Options That Actually Scale

An ecommerce business might have the best product lineup. You can have fast shipping, competitive pricing, and genuinely great customer service. But for people to notice your business and know what you offer, your business needs to be presented clearly and consistently. Well-designed marketing visuals have a strong role to play in that. 

Because, for people to know and shop from your business, you need to introduce your business to them. You need to show how your business stands out in a crowded segment. And design helps with that communication.

That’s why graphic design for ecommerce is more than just about aesthetics. It is about establishing trust and differentiating a business. Good design tells customers who you are and why they should trust your business and shop from you. 

Wondering how to tackle your ecommerce business’s ever-growing design needs? You’re in the right place. Today, we’re talking about design for ecommerce and the strategies to get designs right. 

The Importance of Graphic Design for Ecommerce Brands 

Why are visuals important in ecommerce marketing? To begin with, research shows that 93% of consumers say visual appearance is a key factor in online purchasing decisions. In fact, according to Etsy, 90% of shoppers on the platform consider the quality of the images “extremely important” when making purchase decisions. 

But it’s not just that. Customers appreciate multiple images per product or listing. Nearly 60% of the digital shoppers in the U.S. prefer to see three to four product images when they shop online. So variety and consistency come into the picture as well. 

Taking all these into account, here’s why graphic design is a crucial element in ecommerce marketing: 

• Design is the way customers compare and evaluate products and ecommerce brands. 
• Visuals directly influence conversion rates and buyer decisions. 
• Besides, well-designed ecommerce images help reduce friction and eventually help reduce cart abandonment. 

On the whole, graphic design impacts the entire ecommerce funnel, including ads, product pages, emails, and social media. So, let’s now talk about the types of graphic design an ecommerce brand needs to invest in. 

The Essential Types of Graphic Design for Ecommerce Brands 

Branding assets 

To begin with, ecommerce brands need visual elements that represent the brand clearly and consistently. This starts with the basics – a logo that acts as the first virtual handshake, packaging that customers physically interact with, and a visual system that carries across every channel.

The core branding assets for an ecommerce brand include: 

• Logo and logo variations
• Color palette and typography
• Brand guidelines and usage rules
• Packaging design and inserts
• Visual elements like icons, patterns, and badges

If you can instantly recognize an Amazon delivery box just by looking at the logo printed on it, it’s a demonstration of the power of an ecommerce logo. 

Unlike brick-and-mortar stores, ecommerce businesses rely heavily on visual consistency to build trust. Customers may encounter the brand for the first time through an ad, then see it again on a product page, and later in an email or package. So the brand needs to look and feel the same across these touchpoints. 

Product listing images 

Product listing images are the most critical type of graphic design for ecommerce businesses. They do the work of a sales associate, giving a sneak peek into the product and its features. 

Given that customers cannot pick up and feel the product before paying for it, as they would when shopping at a physical store, the listing images should bridge the gap. They should show the product from diverse angles, demonstrate where and how it is used and what makes it special. 

This clarity eliminates doubts and boosts confidence in shoppers, helping them make informed decisions. 

KIMP Tips: 

So, how do you create impactful listing images? 

• Create hero images with clean backgrounds in neutral colors 
• Listing images are where clarity matters than creativity
• Show the product from various angles 
• Avoid exaggerating features 
• Do not over-process images – the colors, size, and other aspects of the product in the image should be close to the original 

Here’s an example: 

Ad creatives for paid media 

Data shows that nearly 59% of ecommerce businesses set aside about 30% of their revenue for advertising. And there has been a steady increase in the paid ad spending from ecommerce brands. After all, in a crowded market, paid ads are powerful ways to boost reach and reach the right audience. 

These facts further underscore the importance of graphic design for ecommerce businesses as good design is indispensable in paid advertising. 

Design for ecommerce advertising includes static images for ads on social media, Story Ads, web banner ads, and more. 

Each ad format comes in handy for different objectives. From displaying social proof to driving sales during limited-time deals, teasing an upcoming sale to promoting a product launch, paid ads can be used for a variety of goals. 

KIMP Tip: When designing paid ads, prioritize mobile optimization. Reportedly, mobile optimization boosts the conversion rates of ads by about 56%.  

Landing pages

If every ad from an ecommerce business takes visitors to the homepage, most of the traffic gets wasted. You need landing pages that are relevant to the campaign and visually cohesive with the ad for a smooth experience. This is another reason why you need to prioritize a strategy to tackle graphic design for ecommerce.  

These landing pages should be designed around a single clear message and they should work seamlessly with the ad to help visitors become customers without friction. 

So, what does an effective landing page for an ecommerce business look like? 

• Clear visual alignment with the ad that drove the click
• A strong above-the-fold message supported by relevant product visuals
• Scannable sections that highlight benefits, not just features
• Visual cues that guide attention toward calls to action
• Design consistency with product pages and brand assets

Marketing emails 

From sending personalized offers to customers to tackling abandoned carts, upselling and cross-selling, marketing emails come in handy for various purposes for an ecommerce business. 

Reportedly, the ROI for email marketing is around 4400%, making it a key channel for brands to focus on. So, when planning graphic design for ecommerce, marketing email is a category you cannot ignore. 

Those periodic product-focused emails and cart abandonment reminders from Amazon as well as exclusive discount codes from players like Walmart, are all examples of the effective use of email in ecommerce marketing. 

When designing emails for ecommerce brands, here are a few things to remember: 

• Keep the layout clean and clutter-free. 
• Focus on one product, a single next step that is relevant to the receiver.
• Personalize the email beyond using the user’s first name. 
• Add irresistible subject lines where the tone matches the visual tone of the email. 
• Tie the email to a visually cohesive landing page. 

Social media graphics 

Social commerce is on the rise, and hence social media is a valuable space for ecommerce businesses. But even for businesses that do not sell directly through social media, this is a great space to stay visible between purchases. 

Social media can also be a space where a brand establishes its personality and nurtures meaningful rapport with its audience. 

An ecommerce brand investing in social media design can benefit from: 

• Static feed posts highlighting various products and collections.
• Short videos showing the product in action.
• Carousels showing customer testimonials.
• Carousels with each slide highlight a different feature.
• Promotional graphics for product launches.
• Holiday marketing designs, including images in seasonal themes. 

KIMP Tip: Unlike standalone graphics created for different campaigns, social media posts stay on the same page, on the same grid, for a really long time. Therefore, they should be planned and designed strategically so that each post builds on the one shared before it. Both visual and thematic consistency amplify the impact of social media design for ecommerce brands. 

This is one area where a dedicated design team assigned by an unlimited design service like KIMP can make a big difference. 

Practical Ways for Ecommerce Teams to Handle Design Work

All these design categories we’ve discussed so far become must-have assets for an ecommerce brand at some point. Eventually, the list grows as the brand grows. So, what are some ways for ecommerce businesses to create a design workflow that scales easily? 

In-house design team

Onboarding a design team to handle internal design requirements is a straightforward move, no doubt. If you have the budget for the additional resources and tools, having a team of designers can simplify the process.

With faster communication and full control over your designs and your design team, staying consistent becomes easier as well. But internal design teams handling graphic design for ecommerce become a challenge when the design workload increases. 

Freelance designers 

If you are looking to hire designers for specific tasks or for specific visual styles, finding suitable freelancers feels like a fuss-free option. There are numerous freelance marketplaces that let you easily sift through and hire a designer who meets your requirements. 

However, this strategy works when you have to tackle one or two design requests popping up occasionally. But for ongoing design support and for ensuring consistency in your designs, freelancers might not be the most productive long-term option. 

Design agencies 

Design agencies eliminate the time it takes to vet and hire freelance designers. Besides, they have a wider scope and an experienced pool of resources that can help tackle almost all kinds of design requests you submit. 

Design agencies are a much more practical solution for handling graphic design for ecommerce when there is enough budget. Some even allow collaboration with retainers for long-term design solutions. But remember, it can get expensive when you need more designs and the total expense each month can get unpredictable. Not to forget the binding contracts that come with some of these design collaborations. 

Unlimited design services 

If you are looking for a way to balance the benefits offered by a design agency and an in-house design team without the hassle of contracts and unpredictable costs or even the onboarding costs and hassles, unlimited design services like KIMP fall in the sweet spot. 

With a flat monthly fee, you know exactly what you should pay every month, making budgeting for your ecommerce designs more convenient. With a dedicated design team handling your designs, your designs are consistent. And there is the flexibility to add subscriptions, pause them or stop based on your needs. 

Remember, not all unlimited design services offer all these flexibilities. Compare what each service offers to be sure that you choose the best fit for your brand. 

Want to explore deeper into what unlimited design services have to offer? Check out our previous blog. 

A Design Workflow That Scales With Your Ecommerce Business 

To conclude, graphic design for ecommerce businesses is not one of those details you can postpone until later. It is a deciding factor that drives the business’s growth and its rapport with its audience. From introducing the brand when it’s first launched to shaping the brand’s image and finally making sales happen, design plays a pivotal role throughout the funnel. So, an ecommerce business that is ready to embrace growth and scale without delay is one that has a strong and reliable design workflow in place. 

This consists of a dependable long-term solution, like an unlimited design service, for instance. Ready to experience the unlimited design difference? Sign up for a KIMP subscription. 

Register now and start your 7-day free trial.