Here’s another discussion from our web development essential elements series. Now, let’s discuss the importance of images in web design.

Images are essential elements of your overall website content and there are significant reasons you should keep imagery at the top of your priority list in web development. As digital marketing continuously innovates so as to how people use the internet — more people are using images to remember, learn, and deliver information globally.

What is the importance of images in web design?

Images make your website rich with substance while helping search engines interpret your content and for people to understand your website’s content better — especially if you have an eCommerce website and you need to showcase potential customers your products.

1. An image is worth a thousand words

Frederick R. Barnard believes so — he was the first person to coin the phrase “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Most of the time, people find it boring and tiring to just be reading from just pure texts and go through words on a website page. However, images break up the ocean of texts and offer a quick fix for those who prefer to skim. An image can help momentarily pull the website visitor into the content they are viewing and help them understand the texts better and completely.

Images help you communicate quickly and effectively with your visitors and help your potential customers understand who you are or what your products are before even reading a word from your website.

2. Images help you convert your leads

High-quality images attract more visitors to your website by increasing its search engine optimization’s (SEO) value and decreasing your site’s bounce rate. Images can also increase your website’s user engagement which leads to longer visit times for users and gives you more time and a chance to sell your products.

Here are the reasons why images can help you convert your leads:

• Images garner more views to your website which also means more chances of conversion.
• Form a link between your business and customers which can lead to users more likely to choose your products or services.
• Increase user engagement leading to more time spent on your website.
• Decrease bounce rate which means a higher search engine ranking and more traffic to your website.

3. Professional images lead to business growth

According to a report by allBusiness on how people ranked the importance of image quality in relation to purchasing products, there are about 94% who said that image quality was “very somewhat important” in terms of buying a product.

Professional and high-quality images give potential customers the security they need for them to choose your business or products. If you’re running a restaurant or a café, people would like to see exactly what they expect when they visit the place — from the way the whipped cream is creatively placed above your bestselling drink to how the light falls warmly on your walls, adding that cozy feeling.

Use images to your advantage by showcasing the smallest to the grandest details of your products.

4. Leverage your brand using images

Let people know who you are, introduce your business and give them reasons to choose you using images. Flaunt your products with vibrant and crisp looking images — show your flavorful creations with neutral clean shots that would let your business shine. A professional photographer can help you with this task and help you explore your vision because they are experts when it comes to highlighting the details of your products and place them on a sweet spot.

Working with a professional photographer can help you establish your brand’s theme consistency and even further your business’s mission and vision using images — this is what branded photography is about, giving you better control of how your website visitors and potential customers perceive your business.

5. Images with captions

Adding the right caption to your images adds value to it. Captions make the context of your image clear and concise to your website visitors won’t have to figure out what they’re looking at — by offering them a full-imagery experience and a text guide to guide them, you’re increasing the value of your user experience (UX) which is another factor that makes your website excellent.

Conclusion

While texts on your website content bring value, appealing images create a bigger impression by telling a story — one that reflects your business well. Your main goal is to provide the best images to help your business and website succeed and therefore, achieve your goals.

If you are interested to learn more about the importance of images on your website, download our Web Development ebook.

If you’re looking for help in understanding the importance of high-quality images for your website, talk to one of our web development specialists now!