Put a hand in your product images
Showing a hand holding or touching a product - even a digital hand - makes people 16% more likely to buy. In VR settings, the effect is even stronger, with people willing to pay 32.5% more.
Quick Summary
Research across 15 experiments found that showing a hand touching or holding a product increased reported likelihood to buy by 16%. When viewers see a hand interacting with a product, particularly from a first-person perspective, the brain partially interprets it as their own hand, creating a subtle sense of ownership that increases perceived value.
Add at least one hand-in-frame image to product galleries for any product where holding or using it is part of the appeal: skincare, bags, food and drink, tech accessories. A first-person perspective shot, where the hand faces toward the camera as if it were the viewer's own, is more effective than a third-person lifestyle shot.
Key Finding
16%
Increase in reported purchase likelihood when a product image includes a hand holding or touching the item.
Luangrath et al., 2022
One of the biggest disadvantages of ecommerce versus physical retail is that buyers can't pick things up. They can't feel the weight of a bag, the texture of a fabric, or the grip of a handle. But there's a way to trigger some of that ownership feeling through product photography.
Research across 15 experiments found that showing a hand touching or holding a product increased people's reported likelihood to buy by 16%. In VR environments, the effect jumped to a 32.5% increase in willingness to pay.
Why it works
When viewers see a hand interacting with a product - particularly from a first-person perspective - their brain partially interprets it as their own hand. This creates a subtle sense of already owning the product. And the research is clear: the feeling of ownership increases how much we value something.
What "from a first-person perspective" means
A product photo where a hand is outstretched toward the camera, holding or using the item - as if you're looking down at your own hand. This is more effective than a third-person shot of someone else's hand.
A model's hand works too - just make sure the shot composition feels like it could be yours.
Where to apply this
- Bottles, containers, skincare products
- Bags, purses, wallets
- Food and drink products
- Devices, chargers, tech accessories
- Any product where the act of holding or using it is part of the appeal
If your product can't physically be held (wall art, software, a rug), include another object that can be grabbed nearby in the frame. The effect spills over to the main product.
Research: Luangrath, A.W., Peck, J., Hedgcock, W. & Xu, Y. (2022). Journal of Marketing Research, 59(1). University of Iowa, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Minnesota & UC Berkeley.
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