The right question is not which sells better, but which customer question stays open. In Germany a second one comes with it: which lowers the return rate.

What photos deliver

  • Shape, colour and material detail.
  • Read in half a second, with no sound.
  • Serve the catalogue, marketplaces and the storefront.
  • Cheap per item and easy to update.

What video delivers

  • Real size, movement and function.
  • Assembly, use and what is included.
  • A face and a voice, therefore trust.
  • Performance in ads, where stills barely carry any more.

What counts in which category

  • Fashion and footwear: video. Photos alone generate exactly the returns that cost you margin.
  • Tools and technology: video, because the question is always how it works.
  • Jewellery and small parts: photos for detail, a short video for scale.
  • Furniture: both, photos for style, video for dimensions and assembly.
  • Food: video, because sound and texture sell more than a still.
  • Cosmetics: video, for texture and application.

How to split a small budget

Not in half. Photos are done properly once a year and stay valid a long time. Video is bought continuously because it wears out in advertising. For most German stores the ratio is one photo session a year and an ongoing flow of creator video.

The clue in your own data

Look at the return reasons. What is written there is the brief for your next video, word for word.

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Frequently asked questions

What lowers returns?

Video, when it honestly shows size and material.

Are photos still needed?

Yes, for catalogue, marketplaces and detail.

How should the budget be split?

Photos yearly, video continuously.

Where does the brief come from?

From the return reasons.