It might sound like a trivial bit of nothing, but as much as any element on your online store, visual content matters in every circle you can think. Consider yourself browsing on the internet when you come across something of interest. Immediately after opening the link, you see an impressive list of details attributed with the product. But why don’t you buy it? It certainly is a good offer that comes with everything you need. Still, you choose to abandon the page and move to other websites.

As humans, the limitations of our trust are quite confined.  As a customer when I see a steal deal on an online store my first demand is always to see least a picture of it. Without an image to advocate the authenticity of the products, I might never lay my trust in that deal.

The potential of using visual content on your eCommerce websites is unlimited. Without a healthy presence of images, graphics and a little bit of videos, you cannot compete in today’s eCommerce environment. In this article we will help you explore the untapped potential of conversion boosting techniques through the right use of visual content on your website. We have coined 5 effective and proven practices that can help nudge up your store revenues in a matter of days.

1. Images

Every online marketer is aware that images speak louder than text. They not only invite customers towards the product pages, but pack a punch bigger than a 1000 words combined. As the latest trends suggest, online users are more into fast browsing and least bothered in reading long extensive textual description. Professional, high quality images help visitors absorb the content better. Images help visitors absorb the content by summarizing every detail of a product and delivering it in the fastest means possible. Without an appropriate image next to a product, it is highly unlikely that any visitor of the era would find their interest in it.

Responsive Design and Mobile Internet

Since the last decade, cellular mobile technology has taken a new form called smartphones. Smartphones are largely touch-screen cellular handheld devices capable of running almost every task a computer can. As trends move with the tide of technology, a large percentage of internet users have shifted to handheld devices from their conventional desktop and laptop computers.

This technological upheaval and the increasing internet speeds on handheld devices have made responsive design a necessity for every eCommerce store. Responsive design was introduced to create better user experience for customers using smaller screens without scrolling incessantly. By implementing responsive web design, your website will be compatible and scalable on mobile screens allowing your images and other visual content better exposure. This means better accessibility for the customers on your website and faster loading speeds to view your visual content.

HD photography

Among the most notorious mistakes merchants make while adding visual content on their product pages is the poor image quality. Using poor quality images on product pages can create a deafening silence. Any visitor in search of a particular product will abandon your store if your competitor has used a better quality image to exhibit their products. As much as it damages your conversion rates, it also reflects terribly on your company. You can avoid being any part of this fiasco by using a DSLR to photograph your products. A digital single-lens reflex camera or DSLR is a camera device that works together with the optics and the mechanisms of a single-lens reflex camera through a digital imaging sensor unlike the photographic film. DSLRs are nor cheap and come in a wide range of specifications and features that are evenly priced, but it is a necessary investment that most definitely pay off good.

Features

Thanks to the growing trend of eCommerce platforms, you no longer need to hire a dedicated developer to produce specific functions for showing your images effectively. You can simply download extensions and modules depending on the eCommerce platform you are using. For instance, if your shopping cart is Magneto, you can add Product Gallery extension to show your albums and image categories. This extension also allows you to display all your website images on a dedicated page. It comes with tons of options for better view ability through light box, close-up through zooming feature, customized thumbnails and titles with a bunch of SEO options for Meta description etc.

2. Why Videos?

Videos are the most underrated and underused elements of eCommerce websites. People tend to use images more often and avoid the hassle of uploading videos to their product pages. A recent survey by Animoto in the US showed that about 73% of Adults are more likely to purchase a product after watching videos that are associated with them. While the internet is on its prime with faster speeds being introduced every year, watching videos is no longer a buffering nightmare of the past.

What They Should Be About?

Now that you have decided to add videos to your product pages, the second task is what type of content to show from them. For an online store selling vacuum cleaners, it will not be in its best interests to show a video that only brags about their products without any proof. The best method to attract customers through video content is by showing how other customers think about it. That is right! You can upload testimonials and customer reviews mixed with an unbiased clip about the specifications of your products that highlight the unique selling points about your items.  A well optimized video content will not only exhibit a powerful description for your product, but also produce a welcoming vibe that will stimulate conversion process within the customers.

Placement for Videos

Now comes the placement. The most effective means to display your videos is by showing them on the hottest area on your website. Videos are known to work beautifully next to images and call to action buttons or CTAs. Also make sure your video has enough negative spacing around it to isolate it with other elements on your website.

Video Features

Adding features and functions with your videos is imperative. You cannot expect the customer to open a video gallery by instinct and view all the videos you have attached with your product description. Customers need assistance even when they interact with videos. For instance, you can introduce image galleries to compile your videos, add comment box and rating features with it. You can also enhance thumbnail icons with customization and show them in light box with switchable video quality settings.

3. Show people how to use your product or service

Visual content is all about creating ease of use and promoting better understanding about your merchandise. But flooding your web pages with images and videos will lead you to no good. To make sure your visual content hits the mark and brings a truck load of conversion to your store, give your content a perspective.

You can do this by showing the features and benefits of your products through infographics and user-guide videos.

4. Infographics

Infographics are an excellent source of engagement. They basically allow you to compress an entire article packed with features and benefits about your product in just one strip of graphics and text. While you create an infographic, you only mention the unique selling points and benefits that can easily tip the scale to your favor. Clipart images, graphical charts and representation allow the viewer to skim through the numbers, text and images without getting irritated, bored or annoyed.

Although infographics can be powerful beacons to lead customers into conversions, they require the time and research before anything can be displayed. Every statistical data you mention must be up to point with razor sharp accuracy, while the color scheme and design in accordance with the latest trends and user preferences.  It’s better to hire a full-service website designing company to create high quality infographics.

5. User Guide Videos

As we mentioned earlier, videos can be molded into almost anything to make your products look good. But as much as customers like viewing your products and knowing about their reviews, they would also like to hear how to use them. A wide range of products especially electronics require an introduction about their specifications, features and design before they can be bought or used. It not only helps customers understand about their functionality, but also prevents them from using it in the wrong way that can hurt them or cost them financially.

You can add user guide videos by reciting the user manual in a step by step procedure followed by their extensive use in multiple areas by introducing a modeling figure in your video.

Final Thoughts

Fundamentally, online users are interested in acquiring information in the most fun and fast means possible. Among the most effective methods to do that is through visual content. We have already discussed the dynamics of visual marketing in this article earlier, you give them what they want to see, and they will return it back to you in the form of conversions and revenues. To me, it’s ‘A Fair Trade’.