An Image is Worth 1000 Words – Optimizing Images

An Image is Worth 1000 Words – Optimizing Images

Great images sell!

The online environment has the characteristic that it’s based on words. But this doesn’t mean that images are not important. Image optimization is a very efficient way of raising conversion rates for your online store, attracting customers and even of content and self-service.

Vectorious front pageImage source: Vectorious website

I bet this happened to you also: you clicked on an image (you know those images with “Click for more details”) and you ended on a page with only a bigger image and nothing else.And the only way to get out of there was to hit the back button or to leave the page.

Things like this will slow the persuasion process on your website. The purpose of an image is to ease the buying process, not to make the website look cool. Each and every pixel should hold the weight of gold conversion. If an image won’t help your selling than it means it can affect it. It can make it loose its value. How does your images stand out from the ones of your competitors?

Apple front page

Image source: Apple website

What is an image trying to transmit?

There are three things an image is trying to transmit:

1. Characteristics

2. Benefits

3. Values

Characteristics

Can an image really show with precision the characteristics of a product? Think of alternatives for that. If you are selling physical products, you need to presented in comparison to something else to show it’s size or characteristics. If you are selling products such as vectors, web resources, you need to make a presentation image that best reflects that product by including a small sample from the actual product.

IKEA front page

Image source: IKEA website

Benefits

Can an image express the benefits? Depending on the product you are selling, you need to think of an images that best presents the benefits you will receive by buying that products. People aren’t that much interested in the image of the products itself, but of the benefits he will gain by buying that product.

kitchen and food front page

Image source: QVC website

Value

It’s not necessary to place a valuable image next to a product. These images express both the value of the website as well as the product itself.

Can an image express what you want?

Naturally, the images on your website must transmit the same feeling along the entire website. The quality and the aspect of the images must also be consequent. Your images must be related to the content of your website and to the values you are promoting.

Designtnt websiteImage source: Designtnt website

You transmit the value through the images and the words you use on your website. Credibility and value are very important. A visitor needs a good reason to buy something from your website, he doesn’t need a lower price. The words and the images on your website must express the value you want visitors to perceive.

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