Getting a new website developed comes with so many decisions that it’s easy to overlook the importance of your website images. Many people don’t realise the significance of website imagery and how choosing the right or wrong images can have such a positive or negative impact.
We’ll be explaining why it’s important to stand out through your images, and the best ways to get it right. For more information on anything discussed below or to get a free quote on creative services, don’t hesitate to reach out to WEBPRO soon.
How important are website images?
Website images cannot be underestimated. Getting someone to stay on your website for longer than a few seconds requires you to capture their attention immediately. As a highly visual species, much of your ability to engage the website visitor will come down to your website visuals. Not only do the images need to be engaging, but they need to resonate with the website visitor to make them want to carry on.
Choosing the wrong images will have the opposite effect. It will make website visitors want to leave your site quickly. When a website visitor leaves your site in a few seconds or after not taking any further action, it increases your website bounce rate. Research has found a correlation between a higher bounce rate and not getting ranked as high on Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs).
Next, we will look at some alternative image options than using purchased images from image banks. If you really want to stand out from the crowd with your visuals, you’ll need to go further than buying a couple of images online.
Bespoke images
To stand out you’ll have to add 100% bespoke images to your website. This means taking photos yourself if you have the right equipment and skillset to capture high-quality images. Or it might mean hiring a professional photographer to take the images for you.
Certain website pages should always have bespoke images to maintain professionalism and consumer trust, including your staff profile pages or product pages if relevant to your business. The end result will be website images that you own and only you will have, ensuring your site does stand out from others. The added benefit is that Google loves bespoke images, so your website can be ranked higher as a result and potentially receive more visitors.
Bespoke illustrations
An alternative option to bespoke photographs is to use bespoke illustrations. These have surged in popularity and are also highly regarded by search engines. They require a graphic designer to create an illustrated image, possibly with text included. Unlike photographs that are limited to what can be created in the real world, an illustration allows more creativity without needing a bigger budget.
Our graphic designers work closely with our clients to create stunning illustrations. We can even create website illustrations with micro animations included to maximise engagement.
Infographics
An infographic is a mash-up of text and visual aids to relay information, such as graphs, icons and diagrams. They look somewhat like a poster or a leaflet but are used on websites to convey complex information to the reader easily and quickly.
They’re mostly used to explain how a product or service works, or to explain why a product or service is beneficial. If an infographic wasn’t used, getting the information across to the reader could be difficult and inefficient. Many readers would be put off if they otherwise had to read a block of text.
Infographics are another fantastic way to make your website stand out and they offer genuine value to readers. They are often a cost-effective method compared to having an explainer video created.
Recap…
Your website images determine opinions early, causing visitors to leave your site quickly or stick around. The best way to stand out with your images is to swap paid-for stock images for bespoke photographs or illustrations or personalised infographics. You might have the tools and skills to make some of these yourself, or you could employ the services of a photographer or graphic designer.
WEBPRO Knows
Site images are important because the average person remembers 20% of what they read, but they remember 80% of what they see!
