5 Brutal Main Image Mistakes Killing Your Amazon Conversion Rate
Most Amazon sellers are burning cash on ads, praying for a sales spike—when the answer is staring them in the face: your main image is killing your conversion rate.
It’s the most under-optimised, over-hyped, and often ignored CRO lever on your listing.
Let’s cut the fluff. Here are the five main image mistakes I see every week in audits, and how to fix them before another pound gets wasted.
1. Using a Boring 1:1 Square Image
What most brands do
Upload a safe, square 1:1 product image that blends in with every other listing. The thinking is that “compliant” means “optimised,” but it’s just playing it safe and blending into the crowd.
Why it’s killing your CTR
On mobile (where most buyers scroll), a 4:5 aspect ratio image makes your product appear bigger in search—literally taking up more space than the competition. Square images shrink your product and make you invisible.
Fix it
Upload a 4:5 (portrait) main image. Make the product as large and bold as possible within the frame—use every pixel Amazon allows. Don’t just tick the compliance box. Maximise your real estate.
2. Wasting Space: Tiny Product, Loads of White
The lazy default
Most listings have a product floating in the middle, lost in a sea of white background. There’s no visual impact, and nothing draws the eye or the click.
Why it matters
Shoppers click what stands out in a wall of sameness. If your product looks small and unimportant, it gets scrolled past. Bigger product = more attention = more clicks.
Fix it
Fill the frame. The product should dominate, not cower. Crop and position to make it as attention-grabbing as possible, especially for mobile users. Always check your image on actual Amazon search results, not just in Seller Central.
3. No Props = No Context
What most listings get wrong
Too many sellers use a bare product shot, with no sense of scale, use, or context. The customer is left guessing about size, purpose, or even the key selling points.
Why it matters
Props can instantly communicate features, size, or intended use—making your offer obvious and relatable. Good props reduce confusion, increase trust, and drive higher conversion.
Fix it
Use props sparingly but strategically—show scale, usage, or key features. For example, a kitchen tool shown in-hand, or next to food, not floating alone. Never let “compliance” be an excuse for blandness—props are allowed if they’re part of the product story.
4. Ignoring Search Intent: No Keyword on Packaging
The classic amateur move
Too many products have generic packaging, or there’s no visible keyword congruence. The customer searches “organic dog shampoo”—but the main image doesn’t show those words anywhere.
Why it matters
Having the exact search term on the packaging in your main image creates a powerful match between intent and offer. It makes the shopper feel, “This is exactly what I searched for”—driving instant clicks and trust.
Fix it
Where possible, print your top keyword on the front of your packaging (yes, seriously). Show that side in your main image. It’s a small change that can double CTR overnight.
5. Zero Testing—Set It and Forget It
The silent killer
Most brands upload a main image once and never touch it again. There’s no split testing, no polling, no feedback from real buyers.
Why it’s deadly
What you think looks best rarely matches what the market actually clicks. Amazon Experiments (Manage Your Experiments) and off-platform polling can reveal which images genuinely drive more clicks and sales. Most brands never run a real A/B test—so you have no clue what’s working.
Fix it
Always be split testing main images—run tests every month, not once a year. Use PickFu, Amazon Experiments, or even LinkedIn polls to get real feedback, fast. Incremental improvements add up to huge CRO gains.
Final Word
You don’t need an expensive tool or agency to fix these. Just a bit of ruthless self-audit and the will to take action.
If you’re not getting the sales you want, start with your main image. Brutal truth: 90% of listings are dead in the water before anyone even reads a bullet point.
Want more no-nonsense Amazon CRO tactics? Connect with me on LinkedIn or check out BoldAds for a fresh set of eyes on your listings.