Conversion Rate Optimization Specialist

Take a quick scan of your website. What do you see? If your answer is, “Large blocks of text,” then your website may need a refresh. Website visitors don’t read text, at least not the same way that they may read a book or a newspaper. Instead, they skim text and focus on bold clues that can help them quickly absorb the content.

Perhaps the biggest clue though, is the image on the page. If you have an appealing, relevant, and helpful image on your page, then the visitor is more likely to quickly decide they want to spend time on your content.

Not just any picture will do, though. The picture needs to be contextually relevant. It should be helpful. And, in the best scenarios, it should help build trust between you and the visitor.

Sound difficult? It’s not that bad. Here are a few tips from a conversion rate optimization specialist?to help you choose the best pictures for your website.

Whenever possible, use an original image.

There are lots of reasons to use stock images. They’re inexpensive. They’re convenient. And they’re easy to find.

However, there’s one big thing that stock photos don’t have – you! A stock photo can’t ever truly express your voice and vision because it doesn’t include you, your business, your employees, or your products.

One of the main goals of using a photo is that it helps you establish a quick bond with your visitors. It’s hard to do that if you’re using photos that are also used by thousands of other businesses. When possible, hire a photographer to create your own pictures. Over time, you’ll build up a library of photos that you can use for a variety of purposes.

Put pictures of your team on your website.

If you’re like many businesses, much of your work is probably done online or over the phone. You may not ever meet some of your clients and prospects face-to-face.

Putting pictures of your team on your website can help establish a personal connection. It can build trust and help your clients develop a closer connection with you.

However, if you do put up team photos, do it right. Hire a professional to take head shots using a consistent background. Don’t just pull everyone’s Facebook profile pic.

If you must use stock photos, follow these rules

Sometimes stock photos are a necessity. That’s okay. Just make sure you use them wisely. The last thing you want is to have unintentionally funny stock photos that do more harm than good.

First, try not to use stock photos that have people in them. A lot of the best stock photos are used over and over and over again. That picture of the customer service woman that you want to use on your site? She’s also the customer service rep on thousands of other websites.

Also, make sure the picture is relevant. Yes, a stock photo of a mountaintop view may be beautiful, but does it have anything to do with your content? If not, using it may undermine the whole point of having an image in the first place.

Images are important, but you shouldn’t just use images for the sake of having images. If you’re unsure of whether you’re using the right images, take our Inbound Marketing Assessment. A conversion rate optimization specialist can review the results with you and offer suggestions.

What a Conversion Rate Optimization Specialist Says About Your Website Images