After a good while browsing a website, you are about to click on the “add to cart” button. But you don’t, its design is not attractive enough.
One of the main reasons that make us leave a web page is the absence of attractive visual stimuli. Paradoxically, thanks to technology, our attention span is low and every day it is more difficult to get us to stay interacting on any website.
In a recent investigation led by the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and the University College of Cork (Ireland), it was shown that the attention span of the human being is increasingly reduced.
In this context, the visual content of our website is a powerful tool for calling action and getting conversion metrics to skyrocket.
Along the same lines, another Social Media Examiner study notes that more than 30% of digital marketing specialists use images as an essential part of their strategies.
In this article we tell you how to use visual marketing to increase conversions and achieve your business objectives.
# 1 Visual marketing strategy – Optimize the web page with visual content to chart a conversion path
When a visitor enters a website, he decides to follow it or leave in a few seconds.
The conversion path begins when an anonymous visitor arrives at the home page of the company’s website and finds content that is interesting enough to want to know more.
As María del Carmen Fernández González, a consultant in luxury e-commerce, expresses in her book The formula for success to increase sales that create a good website (which may or may not be a landing page like of Blue World City ) with images and videos of our product or service increases the conversion rate by up to 80%.
How do we keep a user connected to our website for the first time? The starting point should be to offer a value proposition , what identifies us and makes our business unique .
The visual content that we show has to express clearly what is the competitive advantage of our online store. It is the ingredient that not only delivers a product or service but solves a problem, a need, a desire … that competitors do not contemplate.
A good value proposition usually includes a text (with title, subtitle and a paragraph of text), as well as visual elements that support it (photo, video, graphic …). Clearly express why someone would want to buy on our website instead of on a competitor’s.
When making your own, keep these recommendations in mind :
- It has to be concise and easy to understand.
- You must define what we do.
- You have to explain how our product or service solves a problem for potential customers.
- You should answer the user’s question : “If I am your ideal customer , why should I buy from you what you offer instead of buying it from any of your competitors ?”
Vidyard.com video hosting platform uses a video on its homepage to explain in an attractive and fun way how your solution works. And it shows its value proposition in the text that appears in the first seconds . In addition, it makes a call to action at the end of it in which it asks the viewer to take a tour to get more information.
Next to the video, a highlighted button appears to do that tour for free, registering, as well as a demonstration. When the user completes the process and registers, the conversion goal is much closer.
Keep in mind that people tend to retain only 10% of what we hear. However, if written text is combined with relevant images , 65% of the information remains in our memory for at least three days.
When it comes to choosing the images on our website, we must be clear about the message we want to convey. Thus, the web must maintain consistency both in its design and in its visual content .
For example, the Sleep Number rest products company begins its conversion path with a website designed in modules that invites the user to scroll or scroll vertically.
Each of them contains several perfectly structured visual elements (static images, vectors, sliders and a video) that always lead us towards the same objective : to buy the product.
In the first, third and fourth module, a call to action is made , in this case, the online sale . If the visitor has not yet decided, in the seventh and last module he is invited again to take action with the “ Capital Smart City”.
It is an online store concept based on content marketing , which offers useful and relevant information related to the brand with a specific commercial purpose. The visual hierarchy is consistent and integrated into the sales process, whose elements are embodied as a digital experience.
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# 2 Visual marketing strategy – The power of infographics
A decade ago, infographics began to flood our inboxes, social networks, news … Its value was clear: highly shareable content that removed excess text for an audience that was already beginning to shorten its attention time.
The question is whether today it continues to be as effective as part of the global strategy of content they convert. The answer is yes . In fact, using infographics can increase web traffic up to 12%.
Non-profit organizations such as The National Endowment for the Arts or The 9/11 Memorial and Museum, continue to use infographics as an essential means to share their progress and raise awareness about their work.
On the other hand, static images give a lot of play to capture and keep the attention of the public. There are many ways to use them, so take note.
Micronarratives and mini-infographics for social networks
It is common for social media to share small pieces of information (graphics, for example) that are part of a larger set. These mini-infographs are used to direct traffic to the complete infographics that are hosted on our website.
To see an example of micronarrativa in social networks, you can see how the company NeoMam Studios shares fragments of its infographic works on Instagram.
Thus, they easily reach their potential customers . In this case, one of his shared infographics on this social network was used in an article by The Huffington Post Canada .
Interactive infographics
The interactive content has a conversion rate of 70%, according to Demand Metric . This is because the different types of interactive content (infographics, landing pages, widgets …) specialize in customizing it for each specific user.
This is the case of the BuzzFeed company tests , which have a huge success because they provide knowledge about oneself in a fun and individualized way.
Thanks to these interactive infographics , the user finds help in choosing what type of clothing suits him best, discovering the type of loan that suits him or something about his personality
Since today’s consumers love content specially designed for them, it is more than likely that they will stay on our website and come back again and again to enjoy what we offer them. Without almost realizing it, we will be carrying out a full-fledged conversion .
Ebooks and visual white papers
An electronic book or white paper that is well designed will include quality graphics, icons and illustrations every approximately 200 words .
In this way, the reader will not feel tired and will advance to the end of the book. According to a study by Nielsen Norman Group , most of the audience will only read 20% of a text that contains 600 words or more.
In addition, this type of visual content can be shared on social networks , which will generate more traffic to our ebook or white paper.
A great example of this is the white paper offered by NETRONIC , which can be highlighted:
- The inclusion of a bulleted text that allows visitors to know what they will get when reading the book.
- The inclusion of an image of the book, which makes it more tangible, despite being a digital book.
- The inclusion of the word “free” to capture the attention of visitors .
- The inclusion of the word “now” as an immediate call to action .
- The text ” 16-pages whitepaper “, which shows exactly what we are going to meet.
- A short form, which facilitates conversion.
- A minimalist footer that keeps the focus on conversion.
Presentations and balance sheets of financial results
We often prepare high quality content for presentations at conferences , business meetings or webinars. As a rule, they are visual presentations that are shared internally.
An excellent way to drive traffic to our website is to reuse this content on platforms such as LinkedIn , other social networks and even in our corporate blog.
For example, this report of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum is an interactive piece in which individual data are combined in different graphs to see the exact value representing the set of an infographic .
# 3 Visual marketing strategy – Storytelling is your ally
Transmitting stories that the user can easily remember and with which he feels identified is the goal of storytelling . By connecting with the emotional part of our potential audience, we manage to create a link with our product or service.
The art of storytelling requires creativity, skill and practice. It is a trial and error process that distinguishes bright businesses from mediocre and loyalty to consumers .
Diana Damas, an expert in productivity, storytelling and communication , explains in this video the fundamentals of this strategy.
When developing a good storytelling strategy for our business we must ask ourselves these questions, according to Diana Damas in one of her monographs, developed for the Uned Foundation:
- What defines us and how should we tell it? Why may or should the audience be interested? Can we create a story that reflects the “heart” of the brand?
- What do I hope to get with the story? Can i get it
- What other stories does our audience handle about our brand, entity, sector or product? And about the competition?
- Is it an interesting story that you would share with friends?
- Is it easy to remember? Is she honest, consistent and credible?
- Who are the protagonists? What is the context? What experiences and emotions does it transmit?
- Does it respond to introduction, knot and outcome? What is the climax of the story?
The storytelling technique catches the user’s attention especially when we tell human stories.
Why is storytelling important in visual marketing?
The visual narrative allows us to communicate and convey messages and information visually through stories . These are much more interesting and entertaining than traditional marketing messages. In addition, they convey emotions through the aesthetics of the image .
If we decide on a strategy that uses this type of narrative, we can cover any type of content or message transmitted through visual media. It can be anything from static images and illustrations to animations or videos.
How can I create amazing visual content?
Storytelling is a personal approach to marketing, since each individual narrates differently and uses different emotions to trigger a positive, solid and direct response .
Emma Coast worked as a screenwriter for Pixar , the company behind some of Disney’s best animated films . In 2011, he posted a list of the 22 basic rules that the company uses to tell a story on Twitter . We recommend that you keep them in mind when creating your visual story because they have proven to be very effective.
In the digital age, the client is not only right but can share his ideas, feelings and opinions in a hyperconnected online community . Your ability to influence the purchase or consumption decisions of others is very high.
In fact, 92% of customers rely more on the opinions published by other users than on traditional advertising. With this idea on the table, the visual narration of our product or service driven by the client itself serves to build trust towards it and expand its reach.
An excellent example in this style of narrative is the “ Stories of the Airbnb community ” platform , which consists of an innovative mix of stories from true hosts and travelers from the accommodation platform .
Instead of bombarding us with elaborate versions of its own history, Airbnb offers its users a platform on which to tell their most emotional or meaningful experiences.
# 4 Visual marketing strategy – Video marketing has become the king
The technology company Cisco notes that by 2022 82% of internet traffic will be generated by videos.
Think about it… the video is entertaining and engaging. The human mind has a tendency to visualize things and we like to be told stories. Therefore, using videos is a useful and profitable practice to increase our conversion rates .
According to EyeWideDigital , hosting a video on our landing page can increase the conversion by up to 80% . Producing videos is available to companies of virtually any size and budget, since the options are endless.
Not sure how to start using video for this purpose? We give you some ideas that work.
Video marketing ideas for beginners
- Record a demonstration of your product or service by making a screencast (a video recording of your screen).
- Create an animated GIF about something you want to show.
- Record customer testimonials of about 15 seconds.
Intermediate level video marketing ideas
- Make a video with a brief introduction of the company , explaining its mission and objectives.
- Animated videos on white board are instructive and effective.
- Try an extended version of testimonials and clients and resolved cases.
Advanced video marketing ideas
- Turn blog posts into shorter videos and share them on social networks.
- Make a video that includes a complete demonstration of your product or service. It must include an attractive narrative, be professional without being burdensome, show empathy and have a sufficient duration to correctly explain the product and its benefits without lasting too long.
- In 2015, Google introduced a new logo, and for this it created a video that told the evolution of its ‘ doodle ‘. It is brilliant and effective because it uses others to tell the story, as it focused on users, media and opinion leaders who have promoted the brand over time. It works more as a historical piece than as a commercial video.
- Produce visual pieces that include longer interviews with key members of your business.
- Create videos using the formula “my company + geographic location”. Google’s keyword analysis tools show that there is a large number of searches that include keywords with the type of business and geographic location. For example: “Shoe store in Barcelona”.
This way, when someone searches on Google, it will be much easier to find us. If we apply it to some of our YouTube videos , we will get our business to position itself much better and be more visible .
- Prepare a video for each of your calls to action . For example: “Call us”, “Subscribe to get a free trial”, “Tell us about your friends and get free credits” …
- Create a brand video . It is usually framed as part of an advertising campaign and aims to show at the highest level the mission of the product or service we offer. This type of video creates awareness about our company or brand and attracts our target audience .
The advertising company Wieden + Kennedy conducted a campaign for Nike Women with different brand videos.
In this he uses an honest sense of humor to show the inner thoughts that women experience when they play sports in different fields. It is a human approach that links the public with the brand and helps in the conversion process because the feeling of empathy influences their preferences.
Use the video in the chats to convert your potential customers into MQL
For a potential user to become an MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead or a Qualified Lead for Marketing) we can combine a Twitter chat and Google Hangouts. What is the advantage of adding video?
Our goal is for the potential client to stay, and with traditional Twitter chats this is complicated, because they are usually very noisy. The participation is very high and is easily dispersed attention to issues that we are not interested.
By using video and Twitter, and chats such as The Pipeliner CRM #SalesEU or #SbizHour you can guide the conversation in an organized way . We approach our audience dynamically and personally, and gain visibility and credibility.
In this chat, a guest is interviewed every week through Google Hangouts, and Twitter becomes a kind of live message board for users to participate in the interview.
Although similar to a webinar , this method is easier to configure and does not require expensive software. In addition, the entire event is captured on Twitter .
Tips to make the session a success:
- Send reminders to participants before the chat.
- Write down interesting chat questions and comments and mention them live. Thus, you show the community your interest and commitment.
- Advantage to the maximum the functions of Google Hangouts: use Google Calendar for invitations, save the video on YouTube and creates a Google+ page for your video collection.
# 5 Visual marketing strategy – Publish your visual content in the most appropriate photography and social video media
On the internet the tendency is to read less and less. Image-based social media and videos increase their number of users every year. Currently, there are more than 500 million people using Instagram and Facebook daily.
Boosting our conversion rate through social networks is an indispensable requirement for any business or product. We encourage you to keep these tips in mind in your business strategy:
Make your landing pages attractive, fast and effective for mobile
Our ability to attract customers through social networks is reduced to the creation of a perfect user experience . The social landing page must be easily navigable and without interruptions. In addition, it makes no sense that it is hidden from users.
Check out how RageOn promotes its online store in its Instagram biography. Pretty simple, right?
RageOn’s biography leads directly to a mobile optimized landing page .
By clicking, it is clear that your landing page is optimized taking into account your conversion rate on social media. Large buttons appear and call attention, suggesting that potential customers via mobile are a primary objective .
Launch promotions with video to convert more
The videos have the dual function of showing our products or services in action and capturing the attention of our potential clients in social networks. With this it is possible that the time of permanence in a page increases and, with him, the conversions .
It’s no secret that video-focused social ads work very well. Here is an example of BigCommerce , whose advertising campaign on Facebook tripled its free trial conversions through social video.
It includes effective calls to action
Often, the increase in the conversion rate is given by making small adjustments to our profiles or captions.
For example, asking our fans to see our promotions is to play fair, as long as we do it tactfully. In other words, it is not prudent or effective to put a sign that says ” BUY OUR PRODUCT “. But subtly encouraging some kind of commitment to calls to action is consistent.
This is the case of J. Crew , who includes in his Instagram biography an invitation to his followers to buy their products. J. Crew’s “shop our feed” in his biography serves as a call to action.
Take care of the visual perception of your service or product
This is subtle advice, but it is worth mentioning so as not to lose conversions.
As the user becomes familiar with us, we must maintain the consistency of our visual content so as not to lose it. Creative elements such as images, color scheme or tone make our clients recognize us and feel identified. We don’t want to lose them by disorienting them .
Check out this Halo Top post on his Instagram . Always follow the same playful tone and with recognizable compositions for his followers.
In addition, your link to the biography is updated with your latest promotions.
When we click, we reach a landing page consistent with those same visual messages. Halo Top maintains its visual identity through its promotions on Instagram.
User created content has great value
When we talk about conversions, customer photos or videos are the best content to boost sales . In fact, a study by TurnToNetworks showed that 90% of consumers claim that user-generated content influences their purchase decision.
Boosting our conversions through this type of content is a simple and highly recommended strategy. See how Shein promotes its products in this way.
In short, people want to receive information in the fastest and funniest way possible, and visual content allows us to transmit it in this way. That makes us more likely to interact and carry out a feedback process that brings with it a greater number of conversions .
Do you want to start trying these techniques to see how your conversion rates increase? Go ahead and tell us in the comments section how was it!
