Imagine that all the images on the Internet vanished. What a dry
world that would be? Let that alone, imagine your website is rid of all photos.
And then add them back one by one. Just visualising this scenario where images
are being added back releases the brain of strain and smile starts to grow on
your face. That is the power of images in webdesign.
Adding images to your website is not voluntary any more, it is
indispensable. It is one of the most important mediums that have to be an
integral part of your content strategy. Yes, you got that right. Photos are
content and have to be used as such. If you are wondering what all the hu-la-la
is about, here is a quick look at what impact images have.
Luring with good looks.
You don't need to be a rocket scientist to know that attractive
looking photos are going to work better in drawing attention than text. Sure,
there are times when a witty line of text sticks in the mind but unless you
have a very good string of words under your belt, it will be lost in the myriad
of information out there that cries for the same visitor's attention.
First impression is the only impression.
And that is not an exaggeration. It takes only a few seconds for
us to judge what we see. So, you have only that much time to say what you want
to say to your visitor. To top it off you have to make a good impression. Words
are unlikely to cut it in such a case. You have to use images to set the ball
rolling and get the visitor to stay and longer, if not come again. Also,
remember images can help to create brands too.
Fighting short attention spans.
You are not only struggling with the change in quality of a human
being's attention, you are also constantly under pressure to deal with the
reducing quantity. In addition, you have stiff competition from all the other
elements on the net vying for the same reducing quantity. In such a situation
visuals content comes in handy to replace text because of the lesser time it
takes to process. Also, visuals trigger emotion much quicker than text.
Break from text.
The above are reasons to use photographs as the first element of
content. However, images also can be used to give the reader a break from text.
These are instances when long form textual content is necessary.
Gets more views.
It has been proven by study after study that content with images
is more popular and more clickable than text. If you are not convinced, look at
the analytics provided by your site's backend data, and other social media
analytics. Compare the performance of your content that has images and that
doesn't. And it is very likely that you will have to be convinced no more. If you
have an online store, the effect is more pronounced. Ever thought of a product
page without a product image?
The next question then is how do you do images? This question
could loom large especially if you are not a professional photographer or are not
in a position to hire one. The beauty of technological advances is that it is
as easy as you want it to be and can get as complicated as you like. For
beginners, you can click very good photos with just your mobile phone and there
are tools out there that will help you learn to create and edit them. For
advance users, there are other set of tools to enhance their existing
skillsets.
How to use
images?
Make it get up close and personal.
When you are deciding on images to include on your website, keep in
mind that it is not just blog posts or websites that benefit from photos. They
are even more important for social media updates. In fact, the dynamics are
shifting to the extent that there are social media platforms dedicated to
images only like Instagram and Pinterest. If as a business, you are not taking
advantage you are doing a disservice to your business. To keep your followers
engaged, you ought to use personal photos that will make the followers a part
of your business' process.
Let them slide.
Design creators are getting very innovative about presenting
photos. From photo collages to sliders to image flip books to WordPress themes
that use parallax –
you can pick and choose or try a combination that works for your website and
its users.
Convert data into information.
If data is currency, then parsing through it to make sense of it is
pure gold. After which, photos and images in the form of infographics is a way
to convert the gold into beautiful pieces of jewellery.
Jazz them up.
Not all photos will come out right in one go. And you might not
have time to take innumerable ones or wait for the light to be just right or
the subject of your photograph to pose perfectly. You will certainly need to do
some post-production
on the images to make them look beautiful. There are hundreds of ideas to pick from
– adjust the brightness, add a filter, spruce it up with a border, make a
collage and so on and on.
Create atmosphere.
Use images in the background that spells you and gives the visitor
and instant idea of what you are all about. Backgrounds are usually taken for
granted when truly they can be explored to give the site and your brand a tone.
Replace text with text on images.
You have seen it around you – memes, quotes, invitations,
announcements and so on. Have you used them for your own site? How about you
start now? This gives you the added advantage of using both elements of content
without losing out on either. Before you think it is too technical know for
sure that there are webdesign resourcest that will do it for you in a jiffy.
Use and show.
If you have products to showcase, do have images of the product in
use on the product page. This could mean showing a piece of clothing from different
angles to using different features of a phone.
Look at what's out there.
While stock photos might be the last resort, any relevant
picture is better than no picture. If you don't have the time or
wherewithal to take your own photos, there are galleries after galleries of
royalty-free photos. Sift through them and you will find a close, if not
perfect match to convey your message.
This is all good to know but do not forget the mother of all
rules. The image has to be relevant. Nothing is as off-putting as
being lured by a picture to find unrelated main content. That would make your
strategy gimmickry and your visitor will be made to feel like a fool. And
neither the visitor nor you want that.
Is there a strategy listed here that works more for you than
others? Do you have any insights from your analytics that you could share? Are
there any other ways in which you use photos?
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