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Square launches robotic Photo Studio service for online sellers

For $9.95, any online merchant -- not just those that use Square's suite of products -- can send in a product and have it robotically photographed.
Written by Natalie Gagliordi, Contributor
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Square is rolling out a new service for online sellers that aims to address the common e-commerce affliction of crappy product photography. Using a combination of robotic arms and high-end camera equipment, the Square Photo Studio offers sellers professional-level product photography for a fraction of what it costs to hire a photographer. 

For $9.95, any online merchant -- not just those that use Square's suite of products -- can send in a product and have it robotically photographed, and Square will send back a pack of three high-res, multi-angle digital images in under 14 days. Sellers can also purchase a spinning, interactive animation for $29.95.

Citing a 2018 Weebly survey of online shoppers, Square noted the importance of quality product photography when it comes to online sales. Roughly 75% of survey respondents say photos are "very influential" when pondering a purchase. Nearly eight out of ten shoppers expect to find pictures on product pages, and 79% want to see products from multiple angles.

"Without being able to physically touch a product, photography is an essential component to selling online, whether on your online store or on other channels like Amazon, Etsy, and Instagram," said David Rusenko, GM of e-commerce at Square. "We built Square Photo Studio because we don't want anyone to be priced out of professional product photography. We're always working on new and exciting ways to give online sellers access to the tools they need to make a sale - regardless of what channel they're selling on."

For Square, the photo service is a logical progression into a niche market, but also a move that opens its ecosystem to potential new customers. Online sellers drawn to the photo service are most certainly targets for upsellING, and Square will no doubt have its burgeoning product portfolio only a few clicks away.  

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