Providing useful information on your website will facilitate customers’ search for what they are looking for. However, context is not the only priority to keep in mind when designing your web. It is important for graphic design Calgary to get creative and utilize good photos that will visually appeal to your audience.
A picture is worth more than a thousand words. This may be an overused statement but it is true all the same. The best way to sell something is to show it doing what it is meant to do. A good image shows the product or the service solving the problem it was meant to solve. This will sell the product or service more than any description will. Ever wondered why e-commerce websites are image heavy?
Pictures have the ability to draw an emotional response and our brains respond to images faster than words.
Images are great to educate. A picturized ‘how to do it’ article will quickly tell you what you need to know more than a written one. Images can sell the features of a product in an instant. Being able to show the USP of a product with an image is key to selling it.
There are several reasons why images are very important and here are some of them.
Visual content such as images, videos, slide-shares, infographics is great for driving engagement on your website. It is not rocket science why this happens. Here are a few reasons why.
– Images are processed quicker than text.
Humans think in pictures. We are highly visual; 90 percent of information transmitted to our brains are visual. Visuals are processed by the brain 60,000 times faster than text. So, your website user will understand and remember faster with images.
– Visuals are emotional and inspirational
Most of your customers’ decisions are based on emotions and visuals are great for storytelling and evoking emotions. Your images should be able to show your customer what is happening without having to read a long article.
Your images when done with the customers and their needs in mind, immediately connect with the customer.
– Visuals are social media friendly
80% of what you see on social media is visual. If you want your content to be shared and go viral so as to drive traffic to your website, images are the way to go. While people on social media may not have the patience to read the long text, images will pass your message nicely.
Apart from making your site attractive and engaging, images enhance your SEO effort. That is, it improves your chances of being found on search engines. There are several factors that determine how much help your images do. Some of them are mentioned below.
– When you name your images in plain and instructive language, it has a better chance of being found on search engines. Don’t keep the random name your camera assigns an image, name it so it can be found. What keywords would users search for? Nobody will search for DCMI4853. The may search for ‘red ford mustang 2012’ though.
– When your alt attributes are optimized. They are text alternatives to images and they are used for web accessibility. The alt attributes also affect your SEO. Describe your images in your alt attributes without stuffing with too many keywords. If you are showing different angles of a product, describe these in the alt attributes.
– When your images are not too large. When a person visits your website and it takes ages for your images to load, they will click away. This does not help your SEO. Reduce your file size as much as you can without losing too much image quality.
– When you choose the right file type for your images. The most commonly used types are JPEG, PNG and GIF. JPEG images are the best for small sizes as they retain quality. Don’t use GIF for large product images.
Images not only engage your users and drive traffic to your website, they can also convert leads to customers. This happens if you do the following;
– Tie your images to your product.
Don’t post images just because they are beautiful. They should point users to your product and the USP of your products. Your images should be an invitation to purchase.
– Use images that your audience will get.
Your target audience should determine the images you use. Different images attract different demographics, know your customers. Feature your customers in your images. Show them using the product and enjoying it.
– Humanize your webpage with human faces.
It is not enough to have infographics and slideshares or beautifully designed statements, add faces to your website. Adding a picture of a customer rep next to a ‘call support’ button will lead to more people calling.
– Show detailed images
Let your images show details of your product. Show details of that weave, or the extra effort you put into making your spa a place to relax. Don’t just take wide pictures, zoom in and let the users see the specifics.
As we have stated earlier, the human brain highly responds to visuals. Information about your brand will stick faster and last longer in the minds of your customers when they see them in pictures.
Images tell your brand story. Think how Coca-Cola sells their products with images. The image may have a caption like ‘taste the feeling’ or ‘open happiness’ but you can already see ‘happiness’ in the images. You can almost tell a Coca-Cola image without seeing the logo because of the emotion it exudes.
Most brands that have emotional and loyal following always do this. Their images don’t just show their products, they show all the emotions that they the products to get from their customers.
Staying true to your brand identity, with the type of images you use, your colours and fonts, will all go a long way to establish your brand in the minds of your customers.
