When creating your website, you need to pay attention to the images you use because choosing the right ones can have a positive impact on everything from your engagement to your conversion rate.
So, in this article, we’re going to provide you with five expert tips to help you use effective imagery that will improve your website’s customer experience.
Help Customers Imagine Themselves Using Your Products Or Services
If you have an online store and want to make sure it stands out to visitors, one thing you can do is use images that help your prospects imagine themselves using your products or services. It will help attract their attention and increase the chances that they’ll buy from you. One way to do this is by using images of people who represent your target audience, as this will make it easier for prospects to see themselves using your products.
This means if you’re going to use models, try to ensure that you’re hiring people who look like they are in your target audience. It could also help to use user-generated images from your customers that show how they’re using and enjoying your products or services, as this could motivate prospective clients to buy from you.
Now let’s take a look at some examples of websites that are already using this technique well.
American International University uses this tactic very well on its website. For instance, on their homepage, you’ll see a sliding carousel that shows different images of students who are currently enrolled at the university. These images show students in different settings, like laboratories, hallways, or classrooms.
This is really great for helping prospective students imagine what it would be like to attend the school and it could encourage them to enroll. Do you have any images of people using your products or services? If so, make sure you include them on your website so potential customers can imagine themselves doing the same.
Memma, an online clothing store for women, also implements this technique by using images of women who look like their target audience. Throughout their website, you’ll see pictures of women wearing the clothing items being sold by the store and this allows prospective buyers to imagine how these clothes would look on them. And, if people like what they see, it will encourage them to make a purchase.
If you have a product-based business, you can also replicate this by making sure your models look like your target audience so it’s easier for prospective customers to picture themselves using or wearing your items.
Use Imagery To Evoke An Emotional Response From Visitors
If you’re able to inspire a strong emotion in your target audience, it will make them more likely to shop with you. For instance, you could use imagery that shows people joyfully using your products, or you could display pictures of people who are sad and distressed because they have a problem you could solve.
Let’s study an example of a site that is already using imagery to evoke an emotional response from its visitors.
GroomsShop is an eCommerce site that sells unique groomsmen gifts. And, on their homepage, you can see an image of happy groomsmen who are sporting items that can be bought from the store. This tells prospective customers that there are people who are very satisfied with their purchases and it could evoke an emotional response that will cause prospects to take action and buy from the store.
For instance, this image could inspire a soon-to-be groom by helping him to imagine himself on his own wedding day, alongside his groomsmen, and how happy the day will be. It’s also a reminder to truly appreciate his groomsmen, which will encourage him to buy them impressive gifts from this website. Images can be very powerful, so you should try to replicate this by displaying pictures of happy customers on your site, as it could elicit an emotional response that leads them to buy your products.
Choose Imagery That Shows Your Products In The Best Light
Even if you’re doing everything else right, using low-quality product or service photos can break a sale for you. This means you need to focus on taking or creating great images, especially if you sell products, as quality images are known to help increase eCommerce sales.
To take photos that will show your products or services well, ensure that you use natural-looking light, either from the sun or studio lighting, as this can help you get vibrant and more dynamic images. You can also try to show your products or services in action and demonstrate your customers using them. Finally, ensure that you’re taking photos that show different angles of your products as this will give a sense of the different features.
To give you some inspiration, let’s look at some examples of websites that are using imagery that shows their products in the best light.
Kasala is an online store that sells home furniture and other accessories. Taking a look at the webpage for their bedroom furniture, you’ll see that they have a lot of quality images showing the different kinds of products they sell. From beds to mattresses or nightstands, you can see high-quality images of their items, which can help attract the attention of prospective customers.
These photos have been taken with very good lighting, and they show the different angles of their products. Their products also appear to be placed in their natural settings, which is great for helping people imagine what the products would look like in their homes. Using quality imagery like this is a great way to sell your products and improve the chances that prospects will want to buy, so try to ensure that you take good product images for your website.
Similarly, Baby Riddle is a company that sells baby clothing and accessories for children. Take a look at the page where they display their Kickee Pants collection and you’ll see that they’ve made sure to use professional and high-quality images that show the different types of babywear that they sell.
These images also have a front and back view, which makes it easier for parents or guardians to see different angles of how the clothes look. It’s a good idea to use tactics like showing the different sides of your products, as it can help your customers make well-informed decisions, which will lead to fewer returns and complaints.
Humanize Your Business To Build Stronger Connections
Humanizing your business is a great way to build stronger connections with prospective customers. And one of the ways you can humanize your business is by using the right imagery that introduces your team and puts a face to your company.
As you implement this technique, try to make sure that you use happy and smiling images of your employees, as this can go a long way towards helping people to feel welcome. These types of photos can be displayed either on your homepage or on the “about us” page of your website where you will typically also introduce your brand.
Here’s an example of a business that does a great job of humanizing its brand with images.
Zendesk, a company that provides CRM software for businesses, gets it right with the images of their brand’s employees on their “about us” page.
On the page, you’ll see a slideshow that displays different smiling photos of people who work for the company. This is a great way to help website visitors feel more comfortable with their business and, if people feel safe with their brand, they’ll find it easier to contact the company about their services. On your website, try to include friendly pictures of your employees, as this could help prospective customers feel a connection with your business.
Use Imagery That Injects Personality Into Your Website
Consumers are drawn to brands that aren’t afraid to show a little personality, so choose website imagery that’s going to help with this.
First, make sure you consider important factors like your brand’s goals and the kind of target audience you have. Even though you want to inject personality into your website, you still need to ensure you’re choosing images that will appeal to the people you’re trying to reach. So, for instance, a kids’ toy manufacturer might use a lot of colorful images on their site, while a law firm will want to use more polished and professional imagery.
To give you an idea of how you can choose the best imagery to add some personality to your site, let’s take a look at a company that gets it right.
The Lego Group is a toy production company and, on their site, you’ll see colorful images of the different toy sets they create for children.
Kids love color so, considering their target market, you can see that The Lego Group has done a great job of injecting that whimsical and fun personality into their website, which can make it more engaging. You can also try to replicate something like this on your site by using images and colors that will show off your brand’s personality to ideal customers. Keep in mind, though, that this will only work if your business is in a similar niche.
On the other hand, The Law Firm of Tamara N. Holder, LLC uses its website imagery to show they’re serious and professional. Right from the background colors to the typography and the fierce image of the lead attorney, website visitors can tell that this is a firm they can rely on.
As a firm that specializes in sexual abuse and labor cases, their prospects will want to know that their case is in the hands of a capable and professional attorney — and the imagery used on this site is great for showing that. If you operate in a more professional setting, take some cues from this example and try to use imagery that shows prospects how reliable you are.
Summary
In this article, we’ve provided some expert tips that can help you use images more effectively on your website. From using images to build stronger connections to displaying pictures that will evoke an emotional response, these are all useful tactics that will get results. So, start implementing them today.
Want more tips and tactics that can help you scale your business? Check out Technoroll’s internet archives for additional guides.
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Author bio:
Adam Steele is COO and co-founder of Loganix, which is an SEO fulfillment partner for digital marketing agencies and professionals. The company provides the SEO services that businesses need to grow and achieve their goals. If you enjoyed this article, you can find more SEO guides and templates on the Loganix blog.
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