It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, so what do the images that you place alongside your content say about your business? On average, users spend just 11.1 seconds reading an email, giving you a small window to make a huge impact. One of the best ways to make that lasting impact- using eye-catching images to hold your viewers’ attention. In this blog post, we will cover everything you need to know about pairing images with your content.
Why Are Images Important?
Language barriers may exist in the world, but everyone understands a picture. In addition to being visually stunning, images can also help us remember information. According to a study conducted by John Medina, people are likely to retain just 10% of the information they just consumed, but when that information is combined with a relevant image they are able to recall six times more. Additionally, when asked most customers prefer to focus on images over text.
With so many images to choose from and questions to consider, how do you even begin to select the right one? The key is to take the time to understand what makes an image more or less appealing and under what conditions. A/B and multivariate tests can only tell us that an image works better than another, not what they do.
Now for the science behind choosing the perfect image.
Number 1: The Subject
MIT researchers conducted a study that found that images containing people are the most memorable, with “human-scale spaces” and close-ups of objects not far behind. Coming in the last place? Natural landscapes, unless they feature unexpected elements such as an unusual rock formation or something similar. In 2015 those same researchers released a deep-learning algorithm called MemNet, which allows you to find out the memorability rating for any photo that you upload.
Number 2: The Hidden Meanings of Color
The psychological meaning behind colors is a fascinating thing to study. Colors communicate messages, influence behavior and even evoke emotions. In fact, up to 90% of snap judgments are based on color alone. While there is little evidence that specific colors perform better than others, there are studies that have proved that color preferences exist in each gender. These studies show that men often prefer bolder colors, while women prefer softer colors.
Making the decision on which colors to use on your website and in your content comes down to one thing: what you want to achieve. It is important that your color is perceived as being appropriate for your brand or product. For example, if your brand was all about relaxation you wouldn’t want to you red in your logo or on your website. Below is a table of colors and which emotions are commonly associated with them:
What your Color says about you:
- White- purity, clarity, peace, cleanness, simplicity
- Yellow- cheerful, optimism, friendliness
- Pink- sincerity, nurturing, warmth
- Red: excitement, love, passion
- Orange- lively, energetic, extroverted, sociable
- Blue- competence, intelligence, communication, trust,
- Brown- seriousness, reliability, support
- Black- sophistication, glamour, power, dignity
- Purple- luxury, royalty, authenticity, quality
- Green- nature, security
If you are interested in learning more about colors and how they can impact your website conversion rate, check out our color-centric blog post here.
Number 3: The Filter
We live in a world where “filter” has become part of our everyday lexicon, thanks in part to the rise of social media. But filters also play a part when choosing images. A 2015 study found that using a filter on an image on sites such as Flickr and Instagram increased the views on the photo by 21%. The number of comments increased by 45%. But why? The increase in contrast and exposure (which can highlight objects or bring out color) is more appealing. A word of caution though- not all filters are created equal. Filters that have a warmer temperature are usually more appealing than cooler toned ones.
If you are interested in learning more about the impact that images can have on your conversion and click-through rates, click on the banner below to schedule your free 30-minute consultation with us today.
