As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” It’s right, too. Studies show that people remember 80% of what they see and only 20% of what they read. In this article, we will discuss why you should use website images in your web design.
Images break up content and add depth.
People often get tired of reading words, and skim through website pages, picking up snippets of information as our eyes move downwards. A well-placed image gives your eyes meaningful encouragement to linger on and provide subtle assistance to continue reading.
Images help bolster your brand.
Branding is essential because not only is it what makes a memorable impression on consumers, but it allows your customers and clients to know what to expect from your company. The images you select for your website help to sell that expectation. Are you a company that sells its wares to Hipster Gen-X Coffee aficionados? You want your website imagery to sell that story and reinforce the mental image that your brand brings to your consumers’ minds.
Visual Listening
We share 3.2 billion images online every day, many of which “mention” brands without text use, according to Brandwatch. So how are these images tracked without text? Through “visual listening,” which is essential media monitoring for images. Placing your brand logo or watermark on the image counts as a reference to your brand, earning you a ‘visual mention’ that remains in the mind of the viewer.
Visual listening has become so advanced that 80% of the images online that include a brand’s logo don’t mention the brand in the accompanying text. That one simple action can earn you a lot of media attention.
Images are great for SEO
Smart use of good SEO means adding a caption to your photo, describing it, and its purpose. When search engines crawl through your website, they can pick up on that information and rank you higher up their search results.
Sharing Images is the new normal
“Generation Y prefers a picture-based method of communicating information rather than a text-based method,” according to a 2010 paper by Soussan Djamasbia, Marisa Siegelb, and Tom Tullisb titled Generation Y, web design, and eye-tracking.
Also known as Millennials, this generation grew up with access to the Internet. They are on track to become the most meaningful set of consumers worldwide. Meeting this trend will earn you a broader consumer base, and keep your brand relevant.
