Only 7% of brands credit user-generated content (UGC) as a top engagement driver, yet a third still feature it on their e-commerce product pages – this surprising disconnect, revealed in Photoroom‘s recent study of over 1,000 e-commerce clothing businesses, highlights a key challenge for the creator economy.

“When I think of UGC, I think of social media. In the sense that when I’m scrolling through Instagram, for example, and I engage with UGC, it’s often for brand awareness, or brand visibility, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s what’s going to convert on a website,” explains Larissa Morimoto, Senior Growth Manager at Photoroom, the AI photo editing platform helping businesses create professional product images.

Larissa’s insight stands in contrast to popular marketing narratives that emphasize authentic, user-created content as the path forward. While UGC builds awareness, Photoroom’s research suggests it’s polished, professional product photography that actually closes sales.

“Some brands are going to target more Gen Z consumers; other brands are going to target more millennial consumers. And I feel like Gen Z is definitely one of the audiences that would lean more on UGC before committing to a purchase,” Larissa notes, adding that the effectiveness varies widely by audience and brand positioning.

Photoroom has positioned itself at this intersection, offering tools that help creators and brands produce professional-quality images without traditional studio resources. One enterprise client utilized their platform to process over 100,000 images in a single week, illustrating the scale of visual content requirements in the e-commerce environment.

“Our goal is really to democratize access to product photography. So really making sure that anybody who wants to have access to studio-like photos can generate those from the comfort of their own bedroom,” Larissa explains.

The Paris-based company offers mobile apps for iOS and Android, as well as web solutions and API integration. Their client base spans from individual Etsy and Depop sellers working from home to major corporations, including Decathlon and Rappi Food Delivery in Latin America, as well as DoorDash in the U.S.

The company’s survey confirmed what they had observed among their users: high-quality product photography is essential for driving online sales. Specifically, 70% of shoppers rely on product photos to make purchasing decisions, 63% rank images above product descriptions, and 90% of Etsy buyers cite image quality as their top influence.

“The photos have to do the job of what a traditional seller in a store would do. There’s also a layer of trust that you have to build before you commit to the purchase,” Larissa says.

Visual Elements That Drive Conversion

The study identified specific visual elements that consistently drive higher conversion rates for clothing retailers:

High-Quality Detailed Imagery: “Having high-quality visuals for your consumers to actually be able to look at the item in full is essential,” Larissa says. She points out the importance of being able to examine material details, especially given concerns about declining quality in fast fashion.

Clean Backgrounds with Subtle Depth: “Having cleaner, minimalist backgrounds, such as minimizing noise, would definitely help draw attention to the actual item you’re trying to sell,” Larissa recommends. She describes white backgrounds with shadows as adding necessary depth while maintaining focus on the product.

Clothing on Models: The survey found that seeing how clothing fits on a human form is “super important” for building trust. Moreover, Larissa notes that about 42% of the brands in their study were cropping models’ faces out of photos—primarily to avoid paying model royalties rather than for aesthetic reasons.

Multiple Product Angles: “The more photos they have of each item, the better,” Larissa states. She cites Zara as an example of a brand whose artistic shots sometimes lack sufficient product detail, potentially hampering conversion.

The AI Advantage in Production Workflows

The survey found that approximately 47% of brands still rely on natural lighting for product photography, according to the interviewer. However, AI technology is changing this approach by enabling brands to achieve professional results without the need for expensive studio setups.

Larissa shares a story about a Depop seller who initially created a dedicated photography corner in his living room, only to discover that Photoroom’s app could replicate the natural light effect. “He ended up just moving his studio to the basement because he was able to achieve the same results. He was able to enjoy his living room not as an office space, but rather like a living room.”

For larger operations, the benefits compound. The client, which processes 100,000 sneaker images weekly, reported cutting its processing time in half using Photoroom. “They were able to have somebody who was working on it full-time be able to work on something else while doing the process that he was initially tasked to do,” Larissa explains.

When it comes to specific bottlenecks AI helps solve—speed, cost, or creative experimentation—Larissa notes that Photoroom offers “all of the above.”

Turning Insights Into Action: A Playbook for Better Product Photos

Distilling the survey results into practical advice, Larissa outlines several strategies that brands should implement to enhance their product photography.

She emphasizes quality above all else: “High-quality images, for sure. I think that’s regardless of what you’re selling, I think that’s always very important.” This foundation needs to be supported by proper illumination, with Larissa noting that “good lighting” is essential, whether achieved through AI or natural lighting.

The visual environment matters just as much as the product itself. “Having clean backgrounds, so maybe reducing the clutter,” Larissa advises, adding that it allows customers to focus on what they’re considering purchasing rather than being distracted by busy surroundings.

Quantity also plays a role in building shopper confidence. “Including as many images as you can of the actual product that you’re selling, just to build onto that trust,” she recommends, recognizing that online shoppers need multiple perspectives to compensate for not being able to examine items physically.

“I say this all the time and I believe in it: The photo has to do the job of what a seller would do in stores,” Larissa emphasizes, highlighting how crucial visuals are in replacing the traditional retail experience.

Photos vs. Video: Finding the Right Balance

While shoppable video has received notable industry attention, Photoroom’s research confirms that still photography remains important to the purchasing process. Rather than viewing them as competing approaches, Larissa sees potential in their combination.

“I would definitely say that the combination of two could be really powerful,” she explains, citing a client with a live video commerce platform that displays product photos alongside video demonstrations. “I see videos as really being able to sell a lifestyle, but I feel like in conjunction with the photo, it could be just a very powerful combination.”

AI-Generated Models and Beyond

Photoroom continues to develop new tools for product photography. Larissa shares that the company is integrating OpenAI’s latest API to introduce AI-generated models—addressing the survey finding about brands cropping models’ faces to avoid royalty costs.

“Now you can generate your item directly onto an AI and an AI-human, and you have full commercial use of those images, which I think is going to be a huge game changer for brands in the future,” she explains.

The company is also expanding its research to other product categories, with a forthcoming report on jewelry. “We’re invested in trying to get as much knowledge as possible about not only our users, but the industries that we serve,” says Larissa.