Imagine a website without images. You can vary the text size and font as much as you want but it’s still not going to be pretty. These days, images are the simplest way to make your website look more visually appealing, but the right images can actually have a significant impact on how users interact with your website. We’re going to look at the different ways images can enhance your website, so you can choose the best photos for your company.

Images look good

Ok, so it’s not just about looking good, but that is an important part of using images. 

The last thing you want from your website is a homepage that is covered in text; users are likely to be overwhelmed and will click off immediately. Instead, try and use a high-quality image that reflects your brand with a call to action in large font; Do you want the visitor to buy your product, download a resource, or contact you?

First impressions are everything; 75% of people base their opinion of a website’s credibility on the web design, so you want to make sure yours stands out. 

Good images increase traffic

If you use high quality, beautiful images on your website, this actually has a significant impact on the likelihood that visitors will turn into customers. Photography provider Pic-Up reported that websites without images got 94% fewer views than those with them, and the more views you get on your site, the more chances you have that they will convert. 

Human beings are very visual creatures and we are drawn to images, which is why we use them so much on websites. It also has marketing results:

• Increased user engagement. This means users spend more time on the site, making it more likely that they will contact you or purchase your product or service. 
• Decreased bounce rate. This means that you will move higher up search engine rankings, bringing you more traffic. More traffic means more customers!
• Well chosen images create a link between the customer and your company. This makes them more likely to convert because they feel a connection with your business.

Images make your brand memorable

To make your brand – and website – memorable, you need to decide on a style that best represents your brand and what your company stands for. Create a collection of quality images that have similar qualities, for example a particular colour theme or lighting style, and use these images across your website, on your office walls, in your brochures and on online directories. This will bring a sense of continuity, consolidate your brand image and make your products and services more memorable. 

You might only have stock images at your disposal, which is fine – Go Sitebuilder has a huge directory of stock images – but try and choose pictures that have qualities or characteristics that connect them – low-light photos, for example, or a minimalist style that makes the most of white space. Research has shown that we remember 80% of what we see, but 20% of what we read, so make sure you don’t get lazy with images!

Product photography drives sales

Never underestimate the power of product photography. First and foremost, having product photos that accurately capture your product aids clarity for your customers. Many online returns are due to the fact that the product looked different online to the item they received, so good product photos result in fewer returns, meaning less time and money wasted. 

Good product photos are also a way to hook in those viewing your site on a mobile device. People on their phones are less likely to have the time or the inclination to read a lengthy product description, so they are going to choose the product image that captures their eye. 

Good photos could make or break a sale. Think about how you shop; if there are two similar products at a comparable price, you’re going to choose either the one with the better picture, or the one that has more photos. A better picture makes you look more professional, and more pictures represents your product better, making you a more trustworthy company to shop from. 

Optimised images are better for SEO

If you optimise your images for SEO then you are more likely to rank higher in search engine results, giving you more traffic. To do this, choose relevant, high quality images and customise the file name. Google’s crawl bots can’t “see” images, so DSC16632 means nothing to them. Change it to something relevant and ideally including a keyword for your business; if you sell jewellery, for example, naming the file “green-necklace” is much more useful. 

This is the same for alt-tags on your images, which are also used by search engines to understand what an image is. You should be able to alter these in your website builder. Top tips: describe the image in a few words as if you were talking to a friend with their back to the screen, don’t include those small words like “on”, “a”, or “the” and don’t start with “image of…” as it’s not necessary. “Woman wearing green necklace” is ideal.

If you’re worried about an image-heavy website slowing down your website speed and making your site laggy, then check out our blog on how to manage images on your website. If you’re ready to create a new site with beautiful images, then try Go Sitebuilder! We have ready to go templates for you to upload your own photos, or you’ll have access to our extensive stock images section. Try our 14 day free trial today!