You think you have the most excellent, most fascinating images in store that you plan to use for your eCommerce website. But, only having the most captivating visual content is not all there is to build a great website. You need to know how you can use images to boost your website’s conversion rate.

What good is your pictorial treasure if it doesn’t help increase your online store’s conversion rate?

Most businesses are unaware of the power of using the right, not only great or fascinating, images for their websites. But, with a great image usage strategy and some creative ideas on the kind of visual assets to use for your website, you can definitely beat your peers.

Below are some ideas to help you enhance your website’s conversion rate using the right imagery:

1. Never compromise on image quality

Like it or not, the images you use on your eCommerce website are literally an “image” of your brand. They reflect how seriously you take your brand’s reputation among your clientele.

For example, use your best-quality images for your website’s landing page. It is where your customers will get your brand’s first impression. Be sure to make it count! Sloppy, low-quality images are a big no-no! Use images that are high definition and are aesthetically appealing.

But it is also important to remember that high-quality images are primarily heavy and can slow down your page speed. A website that takes ages to load does not rank well on the search engines, and it is also frustrating for the customers. You can reduce the size of images without affecting their quality using tools like Photoshop.

When showcasing your products, you can display a full-size default image of your product. In contrast, the rest of the images can be stored in clickable thumbnails.

2. Add context to your images

When it comes to online stores, people have a hard time making a buying decision. One of the reasons is that they cannot experience the products like they could in a physical store.

Your job is to take your customers on an imaginative journey where they can see themselves wearing that high-quality wool sweater, eating your whole-wheat pasta, or enjoying a morning jog in your comfy warmups.

You cannot achieve that without adding context to your imagery. So, instead of just displaying a picture of your high-quality wool sweater, show a model wearing that sweater against a cozy wintry backdrop.

Capture a family enjoying your whole-wheat pasta on a Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner or have models pose in your comfy tracksuits. You can now control your customer’s perception of your products and boost your conversion rate.

3. Include a sentimental touch

The best way to follow this tip is to understand your target audience first. Who are you aiming your products at?

You have to be creative and sentimental. Ask yourself: can you attract teenagers and adults with similar, similar content? How about men and women? Now, narrow this down to the attitudes and behaviors of your prospects.

For example, your product images should carry a tinge of warmth and love if you are selling to newly married couples. Whereas, if your product is aimed at young athletes, the images should depict strength, success, and persistence. Don’t just choose images; choose images with the right emotions for the right audience.

4. Stock images are a great option

Stock images are a fantastic option to get a better conversion rate for your website and save some money and time. While you cannot use these images for product advertising, you can undoubtedly purchase images to up your website’s design game. There are many high-quality and amazing visual assets on stock websites, ranging from generic aesthetic images to responsive icons.

While using stock images, you risk giving your website a generic and cliche look. The key is to be creative. You don’t necessarily have to use the entire picture. You can use the parts that appeal to your audience. Edit and retouch the pictures to make them more reflective of your brand’s ideology.

5. Consider using a mascot

Mascots are very popular these days. Your customers will remember your brand through your mascot as it leaves a welcoming and friendly impression. It would not be wrong to say that mascots are imaginative ambassadors of a brand. Remember the cute Ow.ly of Hootsuite? Or the jovial Freddie of Mailchimp. These mascots leave a last-longing impact on your customers and help them remember your brand.

Just think of an animal or a bird or any character that, in your opinion, best represents your brand, and then work around it. Maybe put a broad smile on its face or a wink. How about a thumbs up?

It’s all up to you how you want your mascot to personify your brand’s message. You can then share your ideas with a creative designer and get a mascot made for your online store.

Conclusion

Running an online store saves you from so many expenses with an actual store. It also keeps your business open to customers 24 hours a day and throughout the week. With so many advantages, you should definitely consider investing in great visual content for your website.

These ideas are just to help you leverage the power of images and increase your website’s conversion rate. Although these tips may seem quite generic, they are what you need to start using images the right way. And then, you can always tweak these tips according to your unique business requirements until you find the right recipe.