Unlock the power of images to hook your website visitors in

We’ve all been there. You’re relaxing on the sofa, and think…

“Mmm… let’s take a look at YouTube”. 

You open it up on your phone and start scrolling and scrolling through a mountain of videos.

And then … ‘Wham!’ You stop scrolling and start watching a video about the 10 most dangerous places on earth - maybe that’s just me.

But have you ever taken a minute and thought... "Why did I stop at that video?"

There are 4 reasons why you halted your YouTube scrolling:

1. The thumbnail image caught your eye

2. The title grabbed your attention

3. The video starts which draws you in

4. The short description makes you inquisitive

These 4 things combined create a feeling of intrigue and relevancy - this is why you stopped in your tracks.

But how quickly do you click the close button and move on? 5 seconds, 15 seconds, 30 minutes?

Stat: According to research by Microsoft and the University of California, the average human attention span is 8 seconds.

It's not surprising our attention spans are so short. We’re all constantly bombarded by a stream of content and information.

However, the problem doesn't just apply to videos on YouTube, it applies to everything, including websites.

It's why you have moments to catch a website visitor's attention and intrigue them - or risk them slipping away without giving you a second thought.

This fleeting moment is your chance to engage and captivate.

How to use eye-catching visuals to grab someone’s attention

It's a challenge capturing the attention of prospective customers - but don't worry, I'm here to help!

Over the next few months, I'll discuss other strategies and techniques for hooking your visitors in, but to kick it off, I’m going to talk about the power of images.

Images of people create empathy

Using an image of a person on a website is highly effective in grabbing attention and making a business seem more legitimate.

People are naturally drawn to images of other people, and having a face or a figure on a website can create a sense of trust and evoke a certain emotion in the viewer.

For instance, a smiling face may suggest a feeling of joy and happiness, while a more serious expression could be used to reflect a sense of authority or trustworthiness.

A word of warning

Eye-tracking studies have revealed a fascinating insight into human behaviour.

We are hardwired to pay attention to pictures of people and prioritize them over other elements on a page, including a headline.

This human trait means you must be careful how you use images of people, as you don’t want to deflect away from your message. There are of course ways around this.

Use a human gaze or visual signpost

Have you ever seen someone look up at the sky and then found yourself looking up too?

Studies prove that people are naturally influenced by where others look and visual signposts that point in a certain direction.

Using a picture of someone looking at your headline is highly effective at grabbing attention and moving the gaze towards the headline.

Use subtle movement

Using subtle web animations and movement to grab attention is a great way to draw focus to important information or content on your website.

There are a variety of techniques you can use when creating animations, including hover effects, parallax scrolling, and other motion effects.

Show your product in action

Images that demonstrate people using a product can have a powerful effect on the viewer and can actually trigger the Endowment Effect.

This is a psychological phenomenon in which people value an item more because they feel like they can own it or be associated with it.

Likewise, if you manage a location or venue, using images of people within it and enjoying themselves can have an immediate effect on the website visitor as it feels much more relevant to their desires and needs.

Objects build trust

The use of an image for a product which does not take a physical form, such as a digital download or ebook, can be almost impossible. I can understand why many online businesses don’t include a headline in this instance.

However, research has shown that even if an object does not exist in a physical form, a photo of it can make it feel like it does. It becomes more legitimate and trustworthy to the consumer.

Using mockups like the example below can bring a product to life.

Design tip: You don’t need expensive software to create a mockup of your digital product. You can use Canva and its SmartMockUps tool. Once you have a book cover design (which you can also create in Canva), superimposing the image on one of their book mockup templates is super easy and can be done within minutes.

Illustrations are a great alternative to photos

Illustrations can really bring your website and brand to life if used correctly and can be a cheaper alternative to professional photography.

Not only do illustrations help to capture the attention of visitors, but they can also be used to explain complex topics creatively and memorably.

Be careful with how you use them and make sure the illustrations you use:

• Accurately reflect your message and brand values

• Are in a consistent style and colour

• Are professionally created

Pro tip: Purchase illustration packs from a website like Blush.Design. There’s 1000’s of illustrations to choose from. Browse and select a collection that has a style that fits with your brand’s voice and tone. Then purchase illustrations within those collections that fit with the headline messages across your website.

Avoid using the following images

So I’ve told you what images you should use, now it’s time to tell you what to avoid.

Bad stock photography

Poorly chosen stock photography can have a very negative effect on your business. I see this all of the time, and it’s really frustrating (but sometimes also amusing).

Your customers aren’t daft. They’ll be able to tell if your photography isn’t real to your business. It’ll make you look lazy, unprofessional and unauthentic. It has the potential to damage your brand or business. So it’s best to avoid it.

If you have to go down the route of using stock photography, then use them sparingly and try to avoid the following:

1. Cliché or overused images: It's best to choose images that are unique and relevant to the content on the website.

2. Images that don't match the brand or message: Using images that are unrelated to the content or that clash with the overall aesthetic of the website can be confusing for visitors.

3. Low-quality images: It's important to choose high-quality images that are clear and visually engaging.

4. Irrelevant images: It's important to choose images that accurately represent the content and message of the website.

No space around a focal point

If you’re going to invest in professional photography, make sure you take photos where the subject has space around them - give the subject room to breathe.

This will allow for a message to be placed on top of an image without it going over the top of the subject, a technique that is often used within hero panels on a home page.

Pro tip: Use a background remover tool like Removal.ai If you want to use an image that doesn’t have space around the subject.

Conclusion

With millions of websites vying for users' attention, it's important to ensure that your website stands out and grabs visitors’ attention with eye-catching visuals they can relate to.

In this newsletter, we've explored several strategies for using hero panel images effectively.

By following these tips, you can create a hero panel image that not only captures visitors' attention but also communicates your brand message and values effectively.

Remember, your hero panel image is often the first thing visitors will see and associate with your business when they come to your site, so make sure it makes a strong and lasting impression.

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