The importance of visual content for websites
Websites exist for everything and everyone, and they play a crucial role in communicating information and attracting visitors. Be it for your local art and hobby market, your website as a freelance photographer or even for an international business. One of the most effective ways to attract and hold the attention of users is through visual content. This includes a wide range of media, from images to videos, that not only enhance the look and presentation of a website, but also improve the user experience in a variety of ways. In this blog post, we'll look at how this works and how you as a website creator can benefit from it.
1. increases attractiveness and engagement
Visual content immediately attracts attention. People are visually oriented and are often attracted to images. Adding high-quality images, videos or infographics can increase the appeal of a website and keep users engaged for longer. It also makes the content more engaging and easier to consume. They can even break up the content and invite users to read on. Most people's attention spans are getting shorter and shorter thanks to visual content in very short formats. Think of videos of a few seconds on TikTok or YouTube and of course platforms like Instagram. You can also use similar tactics on your website to keep visitors on your platform for longer.
2. strengthening the brand identity
Images and visual elements contribute to the overall brand experience. Consistent use of certain colors, fonts and visual elements can help reinforce a company's brand identity. A recognizable visual style can leave a lasting impression on visitors. In a content management system like WordPress , you can easily set your color scheme with most themes. Once you've set it, you should save the exact hex codes of the colors in a safe place. Then you can always refer back to them and don't have to search for them. You can then also use these colors in your email and other communications.
3. simplify complex information
Some concepts or information are difficult to understand if they are only presented in text form. Charts, diagrams and infographics can help simplify complex data by presenting it visually. This makes it easier for visitors to understand and retain the message. And it's much quicker to see a conclusion at a glance rather than having to search for it.
4. strengthens the SEO strategy
Optimizing visual content with relevant alt text, titles and descriptions can improve a website's search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines like Google rank images and videos so that they are more likely to be found by users searching for related content. Platforms can also cooperate with each other: Your YouTube videos can lead to more interaction on your website and vice versa.
5. increase "shareability" on social media
Visual content usually leads to more engagement on social media platforms. People are more likely to share images or videos than text-only content. This can increase visibility and drive more traffic to the website.
Visual content plays an important role in improving user experience, strengthening brand identity and increasing visitor activity. Therefore, it can no longer be considered secondary on your website, but should be included in your content strategy from day one. The use of visual content is a valuable investment for any website that aims to communicate effectively with its audience.
