Tuesday, February 27, 2007

4 Ways of Increasing Your Profits Using Images

Images not only can create an aesthetically pleasing
atmosphere for users, but they can also (and more
importantly) help you gain credibility, and ultimately
sales if done correctly. Here are some great ways to
increase your credibility:

1. Self Portraits/Customer photos

Having a photo of yourself on your sales page will help
your customers feel more at home, and that they're dealing
with a real person, and not just a machine. This increases
your credibility in the viewer's eye because it adds a
personal touch, and you will see your sales increase when
you employ such methods. A great place to place a self
portrait is in an 'about me' section of your site or
newsletter. If you don't have a section like this, you
should consider creating one because this, just like the
image will increase your credibility and your conversion
rate.

Another way of using pictures to increase your conversion
rate is by using customer photos. You should place these
on customer testimonials, and when people view them, they
will see that this is a real customer that is satisfied
with your product, and they will carry much more weight
this way. Testimonials alone are a great way to increase
conversions, so don't hesitate to make them even more
effective by adding customer photos. The only problem here
is acquiring the photos themselves, since many people do
not have a self portrait, but that shouldn't stop you from
asking your customers for them, and maybe even offer them
discounts for some incentive! The choice is yours.

2. Product Packaging

Product packaging images - this means, regardless of what
you're selling, be it tangible or intangible, to offer
images of your product. If you're selling an ebook, create
an ebook cover. If you're selling an actual book, show a
photo of it. What this does is explain to the viewer of
your site that your product is 'real' and that they're
really getting something when they're spending their money.
It's been proven that simply showing an ebook cover on a
sales page can increase conversion rates by over 50%! You
can't afford to miss out on something so simple that will
increase your sales this much, so make it a point to have
some product packaging!

3. Physical Evidence of Product's Success

This can mean an infinite number of things depending on
what you're selling, but in a nutshell, try to include a
photo of something that lets your site's visitors know that
the product you're selling actually works. Some examples:
If you're selling a book on internet marketing, show a
picture of a check you've received while using the
techniques explained in your book. If you're selling a
book on bodybuilding, show before and after pictures of
someone who has practiced the methods explained in the
book. These kinds of things will drastically increase the
viewer's excitement in your product and will get them
itching to whip out their credit cards!

4. Soothing, Pleasant Graphics

You want your site's look to be welcoming just like a big
soft sofa, so your viewers are visually relaxed and not
constantly being annoyed. Things to avoid are animated
icons and bright/flashy/uncomplimentary colors as these are
very unprofessional, leading your visitors to believe your
product may also be unprofessional. Plus, these things may
turn away some visitors altogether, so do your best to
avoid them. Train yourself to use softer colors, softer
gradients, softer backgrounds, etc. And you (and your
visitors) will reap the benefits.

If you practice some or all of these methods you will see
great improvements in your conversion rates, so don't take
them lightly. People will read interesting copy, but
nothing builds credibility like a bit of positive imagery.
Hope you've learned something!


Barrett Phillips is webmaster of Baphi.com and Author of
"Simply Design - Aesthetics That Sell"
His book offers tutorials on Ebook Cover Design, Logo
Design, and Web Page Design geared towards intenet
entrepreneurs.? http://www.baphi.com/