Tip number seven – It’s all in the photograph.  As all successful catalog and online fashion business owners know the photo can make or break the sale.  You can have a great item but a bad photograph and it will kill the sale.  Likewise a great photograph and a mediocre style and the sales take off.  I have done a ton of business with catalogues such as Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, and Zappos and we can always tell from the photo if the item will sell well.
Unfortunately this is an area where most start ups spend the least amount on.  I get it. Photography is expensive. However this is important to building your audience. Your photographs are the first thing people see of your product.  And you know you don’t get a second chance to make a great first impression.  Considering all the effort that you put into developing a great product.  Does is it make sense to skimp on photography?
The following are the things that go into good photography:

• Good equipment – You will sacrifice the quality of your photography if your tools are subpar,
• Experienced and creative photographer – There is a reason why good photographers cost money.  When you consider that they make or break the sale by the quality of their work it is a cost that is well worth it.
• Proper lighting is key to a good photograph
• Don’t get me started on using a good fashion model.  There is such a big difference in the photographs between someone who knows how to move and one who doesn’t.  You really can’t teach it as it is more about the instincts of the model and how their knowledge on how best to show off a product.
• Stylists, hair, and makeup – You should hire professional hair and makeup because they understand how it things look behind the lens. If you can style the shoot in conjunction with the photographer you probably will save money the money on a stylist

While you can spend thousands and thousands of dollars on good photography no one has deep pockets.  You will need to stay with in what you can afford.  Just remember this is a place where it makes sense to devote a decent amount of your budget because this is an important part of building your business.