We’re big believers in the power of photography to improve a site. Most designers think about aesthetics when choosing photos for pages. While we certainly love pretty photos as well, we also have learned over the years that the right photo can increase your conversion rates as well. A couple quick tips:
- People are better than places or things - generally speaking photos of people are more effective than shots of objects or places. There are certainly exceptions (travel sites come to mind) but even then a photo of a beautiful landscape with people works better than a landscape without (and a person using a product works better than the product by itself.)
- Women are better than men - interestingly, not only to men tend to convert at greater rates when women are in the photography, but women do as well. A simple trip to the bookstore magazine rack will confirm this for you. Pick up a copy of Maxim and a copy of Cosmopolitan. What gender is more prominent?
- Photos where the subject is looking at the call to action boost conversion rates - when the subject is looking at the call to action the user’s eye is drawn towards the call to action. When the subject is looking back at the user, the user’s eye tends to stay where it is.