While it’s certainly true that the written content on your business website is important, you should not forget how vital images are as well. People are more likely to visit a website that contains images, and your business can convert these visits into leads and/or sales by choosing the right images to keep visitors engaged.
If you do not make wise choices regarding images they will not be as effective as you need them to be. There are several factors to consider in order to make the right decisions when it comes to your online visual content.
Stock images vs self produced images
One of the biggest decisions a business can be faced with, when choosing images for its website, is whether to create original images or whether to invest in stock photos, such as visuals from Focused Collection. There are pros and cons for both choices,
Creating original images means that you can ensure that they accurately reflect your brand and that they are original. However, making sure these images are high quality takes a lot of effort and can involve investing in equipment such as a tripod, light box and editing software. It often makes sense for a business to choose high quality stock images instead. They can be highly effective in engaging website visitors and using them requires less effort and strain on the business.
What do visitors want to see?
It’s never a good idea to choose an image for your business website simply because it appeals to you. The people who need to relate to the images you use are your website visitors. You need to understand your audience profile and select visual content that is relevant to them.
However, you should never forget your brand when you are making your decision. Choosing an image that is highly relevant to the audience, but has no obvious link to your brand, will not work, as telling people what your business can offer them should always be a central theme.
Being creative while sticking to the message
You want the images on your website to be eye catching and to stir up conversation. This is especially vital if you also want the images to be shared across social media. It’s a good idea to use images which are thought provoking or funny, as long as they accurately represent your brand message.
Never get carried away with trying to be too clever or creative if it means that your brand message becomes confused. The point of the exercise if to use images in a way that promotes your brand and gets people talking about it. If the link between the images and your brand message is not obvious this is not going to happen.
Images work to engage people with your business, if they are used in the right way. Remember that the visual content you choose must be relevant to your target audience, reflective of your brand and of high quality, in order for it to have optimum effect.
