About a week ago, I bought a piece of clothing online that I’m really happy with. So, I decided to check which other colors it comes in. The item I have is a dark gray, and the product line appears to include a light gray and a black option. However, there’s no way to tell if these alternate colors are actually different enough to be worth buying.

I ended up going to a local store to compare the various colors and buy the additional sets. However, this experience made me realize how easy it would be for an online retailer to solve the problem. If a product comes in more than one color, then each of the product detail pages should include a family photo of sorts. In other words, show all of the color options side-by-side in the same picture, with captions to help identify each color, and make sure the comparison photo is available on all of the corresponding product pages.

By giving shoppers this additional context, you’ll help them choose the right color for their initial purchase. At the same time, you’ll make it easier for them to buy additional colors that are very similar to — or quite different from — what they already have.