So you have got your website up and running, you have created
There's only one problem.
You are not getting the viewership your oh-so-valuable content deserves. Having great content does not do much good if no one is reading it.
So how do you make your content more appealing and increase your viewership?
You could start by adding images. Images help make your content and website more appealing to your target audience.
However, there are right ways of doing this, and there are wrong ways.
Let's take a look at five strategies you can implement right now to effectively use images to grow your website.
It is important to remember that each page of your websi
This concept also applies to the use of images on your pages. The images you use need to be relevant to your brand message. This can mean things such as color scheme, using your logo, or the type of image.
Do you use the same style of graphics to convey different types of data? Are your images clear and concise? Do they have synergy with the rest of my content? These are all questions you should be asking yourself when deciding if images will strengthen your brand.
Think about it. We have all been to websites before that we thought were going to provide us with exactly what we are looking for, only to immediately hit the back button to return to the comfort of our search engine page and begin looking elsewhere.
Most of the time when this happens, it is because the page is, well, ugly. Images help to prevent this issue by creating a user-friendly, readable page that has structure.
Placing the right images in the right places helps to guide your reader to the text and begin their engagement process with your content.
Using images is important for your website, but it is just as important to remember to have a purpose for each one.
Use your images to add value to your content, not to just take up space. Accompanying images that have value to your text will help readers better understand your content.
Types of images that really emphasize this point are graphics such as tables, pie charts and graphs. However, not everything has to be about numbers and data. Helping your reader visualize your message with pictures creates more meaningful and memorable content.
In order to do this effectively, use your target market as your starting point. Are they men? Women? Or both? Are they young, middle-aged or seniors?
For example, if your company's main purpose is to provide consumers with do-it-yourself tax software, you probably wouldn't use an image of a child playing outdoors. Instead, you might use an image of a middle-aged person sitting in front of a computer.
Using this strategy will help your visitors feel like the content was written for them and increase the likelyhood that they will return.
Let's take a look back at the tax software company. They may decide to use relaxing and calming images on their product like beach scenes to provide comfort to their target audience during what is generally a stressful time of year.
When they discuss doing taxes on your own, maybe they add in an image with bolder colors that is more chaotic. The emotions that these images evoke should be used as a tool that you can adjust as you lead them through your website.
Using images in your content and on your web pages is a great way to grow your website. Images can help to strengthen your brand, increase readability and create structure, illustrate important points, relate to your audience and trigger emotional responses.
Following these 5 image strategies will help to lay a solid foundation to effectively use images on your website.
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