- As discussed in class, please provide three reasons why visuals are important to web content. Please ensure you go into detail for each item. (6 Marks)
As learned in class in week 9 having visuals in copy, advertisement, online content and almost anything where you want people to read- is absolutely vital!
- Makes people more inclined to consume the content: People are lazy and don’t like to read- especially online (we scan)- however, as humans, one mutually unified trait we all have is that we all love visuals as it makes things more interesting and it’s easier + faster for our brain to process and understand visuals. And especially in 2025, being in an extremely visual consumption dominant form of media thanks to platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest etc.- which all are focused on visuals. In fact, content that contains visuals tends to “on average get 94% more views than text-based information” [i]Additionally, content with “photos, pictures, and videos get over 100% more engagement”[ii] than those that don’t have it.
- Improves Message Retention & Understanding: Often as humans when we read things we can forget what we read just seconds later- because it is just text and mumbo-jumbo on a paper and because our brains are not able to process text as fast as it is able to process images. In fact, as learned and talked about in class “-The human brain processes visual information 60,000x faster than visual text” [iii]– meaning we not only understand content with visuals more as they are able to be processed faster but also allow us to be able to better remember things more effectively both in the long term and the short term- making visuals vital to include in all content we create and also in our advertisement- as not only is it phytologically and scientifically more effective but its also what consumers prefer to consume in terms of content. In fact “visuals increase retention by 42% “– as Images convey what words can’t and our human minds are wired to respond to images. ”[iv] additionally, “One of the easiest ways to ensure that your audiences stores information in their long-term memory is to pair concepts with meaningful images. Visuals help them make sense out of the content and direct attention, increasing the possibilities that the As audiences will remember what you want them to remember.”[v]
- Stronger emotional connections: when we use visuals in web content not only do visuals help grab readers/ scanners attention more quickly- they also make the content far more naturally appealing to consume simply by human nature. However, when we have well-placed images, videos and infographics in the web content we produce- not only can help with Seo but also can help with engagement loyalty and also help form emotional connections as visuals can cause humans and our brains to react to things faster! In fact, “pictures have the power to enrich communication and stimulate emotional response.”[vi]
- Help with storytelling and conveying messages: When we use images on the web especially for storytelling and conveying messages, Images and visuals help us tell stories far faster than words and are far more compelling/ enticing at doing so. As humans, we all literally “judge books by their cover, “and the same thing sort of applies with web content and when we are consuming content. If the content does not have visuals not only are you going you be able to attract more people to read the content as “Content with visuals/ videos attract 3x more inbound links” [vii] but pictures help better engage and communicate with users and convey stories and messages with them; as stated in class materials “With just a glance, pictures can tell stories that thousands of words couldn’t tell as compelling” [viii]– making visuals absolutory vital as they are far more compelling and memorable then words especially in web content!
- Higher page visits + consumption volumes and time spent on page: Considering in today’s digital and social media consumption Maga-era visuals and images in web content especially is king, and you will be rewarded by using visuals effectively. Because not only are visuals the more preferred, favored and sleeked out and interacted forms of content – because they are like eye candy. In fact, “studies suggest that cute images stimulate the same pleasure of the brain aroused by sex, a good meal of psychoactive drugs like cocaine” [ix]– so why would you not want to use visuals? They literally trigger the same parts of our human brains as drugs and pleasure and also are simply more compelling than words + stand out far better leading to far more consumption volumes with audiences! In fact, as stated in class content “visuals get 94% more views then text-based content and views spend 100% more time on pages with visual content!” [x]
- Breaks up the text and helps with readability: As I discussed in detail above when people read online, they are not actually reading they are scanning- and that’s why we are supposed to write in the f pattern, and in plain language, use bullet points, put the most important info at the start of each sentence etc. However, when we add visuals, this also helps make the content more digestible and appealing + helps improve readability- as literally no one wants to read giant blocks of text/ copy! So, when we add visuals, images, graphics, videos and infographics to our content it makes our content far more scannable and easier to digest + increases the likelihood of conveying the effective message as we are all huge visual learners. In fact, “Good visuals guide the user journey, highlight key information, and make content digestible. When a website is visually appealing, it naturally enhances user experience and keeps visitors engaged longer”[xi]– meaning it’s not only easier for them to read when there are visuals on the web content but it’s also great for remembering!
- Increases social media Shareability & Virality: The most used social media apps that are the most popular are all visual, video and image dominate platforms – as that’s what consumers today prefer. So by including visuals not only are people going to better interact with your content but it also increases the likelihood of them sharing it as learned and discussed in class people are more likely to comment share and interact with content that has visuals and they overall help with driving traffic to your site. In fact, “Visuals like images, infographics, and videos are more engaging and easier to digest, making them more likely to be shared.”[xii]– adding to the “around 14 billion images are shared on social media every day” [xiii] as “Visual content gets the most shares” [xiv]
People rely on visuals to tell them the story that is being told- which is why its important to have visuals that convey the overall message. In fact “most people on read 28% of the words on a web page”
[i] Scott Brisco -W9 – B – The Power of Visuals (W25) (slide 1)
[iii] Scott Brisco -W9 – B – The Power of Visuals (W25) (slide 8)
[iv] Scott Brisco -W9 – B – The Power of Visuals (W25) (slide 12)
[v] Scott Brisco W9 – C – Importance of Visuals (W25).pdf (slide 5)
[vi] Scott Brisco W9 – C – Importance of Visuals (W25).pdf (slide 19)
[vii] Scott Brisco Power Point: W9 – B – The Power of Visuals (W25) (slide 13)
[viii] Scott Brisco W9 – D – Enhancing Content (W25).pdf (slide 2)
[ix] Scott Brisco W9 – D – Enhancing Content (W25).pdf (slide 16)
[x] Scott Brisco -W9 – B – The Power of Visuals (W25) (slide 1& 6)
[xi] AiT, A. (2024, July 23). The importance of visual appeal in web design. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-visual-appeal-web-design-apps-ait-vcmqc
[xii]ttps://adamconnell.me/visual-content-statistics/#:~:text=Visual%20content%20is%2040x%20more,posts%20include%20eye%2Dcatching%20visuals.
[xiii] https://adamconnell.me/visual-content-statistics/#:~:text=Visual%20content%20is%2040x%20more,posts%20include%20eye%2Dcatching%20visuals.
[xiv] Willms, J. (2021, December 2). What type of content gets shared most. Jesse Willms Official Website – Marketing Advice, Daily Updates, News. https://jessewillms.com/what-type-of-content-gets-shared-most/