In last few years creating a website was no longer restricted to publishing of blogs, newsletters and articles. It had moved away from the long paragraphs of do’s and don’ts. A new breed of content developers for websites started playing around with visual content. They started creating attractive websites that no longer limit themselves to text but started attracting audience with visual content. With this slick visual content they were showcasing the information in an attractive way.
Over the years now visual content for a website has become essential and a standard format. Though visual content has become an integral part of website design, textual content will continue to be an essential. Acknowledging that fact one still needs to bear in mind that visual content helps in getting more traction.
Here are 12 reasons on why visual content is important in creating attractive website design:
It Grabs Attention
There are loads of information out there and every day it is increasing. It is estimated that there is 1.5 billion individual units of content in the market. Each day there are about 2 million videos being uploaded and 140 million tweets are generated. With this sheer volume of information out there the only way to grab attention is by creating visual content. Visual contents ensure that the product has its appeal to its target audience.
Visual Content is Processed Faster
Human brain has the ability to process only a limited quantity of information. Hence, it will process the things that catch its attention and visual content takes precedence over text. Furthermore, the brain understands visual content in one-tenth of seconds compared to textual content. It is also decoded and processed 60,000 times faster by the brain. Therefore images and visually attractive websites make better content than lines and texts.
Human Communication relies Heavily on Visual Content
Researches have shown that non-verbal communication is the key factor in human communication. Since 93% of the communication made by humans are non-verbal while 90% of the information processed by brain is non-verbal. Humans pick up the non-verbal communication because 70% of all sensory receptors are concentrated inside a person’s eye. Of which brain processes about 50% of the information received by the visual receptors. Hence, to grab the audiences’ attention it is worthwhile to combine both text and visual content, as each on their own will be incomplete.
Visual Content Generates More Views
Attractive and appealing visual and graphic elements garner 94% more viewership than plain texts. Press releases with photos generate 14% plus traction. Moreover, there is a rise of viewership by 48% when content includes both photos and videos.
Visual Content Can Go Viral
It is a rare case that a textual content goes viral compared to a visual content. If visual content used for marketing and creating an attractive website is liked by people, they will share it with their online communities and social networking sites. Thus giving it a chance to become viral. To grab the opportunity one needs to be smart. Visual content designers thus need to include the website information, logos and links so viewers know the origin of the content. You also need to syndicate it in a way that it is clickable. This will then bring in loads of inbound links. Relevant and high-quality links will boost your website’s ranking. So ensure that the content has proper tags, correct meta-information and text descriptions. Chances of being contacted or searched for by the target audience rise by 60% when the visuals go viral.
Increase in Followers and Subscribers
Texts and words solely cannot create an attractive website design. Rather compelling visuals can and helps in generating more viewership. You will get more comments, likes and shares of posts that have visual content in it. According to studies an article has 37% more engagements from audience when it includes visuals.
Easy to Understand
Explaining things is easier with the help of visual content. Pages with graphics make it easier for audience to understand the brand and its USP. Such a visual effect is likely to increase the attention of your audience by 67% and initiate them to take action.
Makes the First Impression
Whether we like it or not we still do judge a book by its cover and it is no different for websites. A good well and beautifully designed website with good and appealing graphics will continue to allure your customers. A playful, bright and colourful homepage will instantly captivate your audience. The visitor will recognize the creative capabilities of the brand while understanding its message.
Influence on Human Emotions
Psychological studies have revealed that colours and colour combinations evokes different kinds of emotions. Visual contents rely heavily on colours and therefore induce emotion. These emotions dictate a person’s choice and the actions he/she will take in relation to purchasing. So be sensitive in the colours that you use for website design and optimization.
Creates the Brand Image
For most of use we can recall visuals easier than a text. Therefore logos become so essential for a brand, it is almost synonymous with the brand. Visual content therefore helps in creating a brand image that one can recognize easily.
Visitors Will Stay Longer
In a site which has well and attractive website design with compelling visual content a visitor is likely to stay for a longer period. While in all likelihood websites with long textual content will fail to keep the audience interested in the message for long. This is because humans are wired in a way where visual content is likely to appeal more than text.
More Social Engagement
Researches on website content and social networking sites have revealed 65% increase in engagement with a brand in a month when visual content is used. This is mainly when a brand does a campaign on Facebook and such platforms.
Final Verdict: For better website optimization you should use visual design to create your website. This will grab your audience’s attention. Try to make the visual content top edge so that the audience will overlook other deficits of your website.
