Pictures and video are an essential component to Internet marketing. If a picture is worth a thousand words a video must be worth a few million. The proper use of images and video on a website can increase consumer confidence and loyalty.
Consumers are visually stimulated and are more likely to notice images and video on a website rather than read the site. Most web users skim the text of a site but notice the images and will generally watch a short video clip.
Effective Use of Images
Images need to immediately capture the eyes and interest of your target market. You want to place the images prominently on your website and make sure they are large enough that your target market can identify the contents of them.
Consider your target market carefully when choosing images. The pictures should contain people, products and other images that your website audience can identify with. If your target market is primarily female you want the images to be of females. If your target market is of a particular demographic make sure the images include people from that demographic.
Do not try to replace website content with images. It is important to have content even if it is only skimmed. A serious buyer will take the time to read further.
Videos
It is easier than ever before to add videos to a website. Videos are a powerful way to convey a message. The videos can be client testimonials, product demonstrations, service explanations, company profiles, or anything else you deem important.
The videos can be hosted on a site like YouTube or you can host the videos directly on your server. YouTube hosting is acceptable though slightly less professional than hosting the video on your site directly.
Your videos should look good and be professional. Avoid poor camera work, dark images and poor audio quality. A good video can be an effective way to impress people. A bad video is a fast way to lose the interest of someone on your website.
Videos can be scripted but only if you are hiring professional actors. Videos tend to be much more effective (especially testimonial videos) if the person is speaking naturally and using their own words.
Add some videos to your website as part of your Internet marketing strategy and see how your target audience reacts. Add or remove videos as needed for maximum impact.
