I was browsing a few websites on Friday and was looking at the nice looking website of a marketing agency. Their layout was professional and modern. Overall, everything looked great. I scrolled down their pricing page and say they offered a nice range of prices for different business needs and budgets. Then, right near the bottom of the page, I saw a photo and some text.
I read the text and was immediately ready to push the back button and leave the website entirely. But, then my investigative nature made me stop and ask why that had been my reaction.
It didn’t take long for me to figure it out. The text claimed that they have a team of consultants and support specialists who are subject matter experts ready to help a business with their marketing strategies.
So the words said that…which sounded good. But then my eye was naturally pulled to the photo and I got a totally different feeling. It turns out, the people in the photo, while they are friendly and sweet, look like they’re in a call center. As a business owner, if I’m hiring a marketing agency, it’s because they have expertise in helping me make strategic decisions that affect my business future. The idea that specialists are waiting by to help guide me is a fantastic one…however, in my mind, real specialists–ones I’d trust my business future to, don’t work in call centers. And, because pictures speak louder than words in most cases, my mind immediately dismissed the written words that sounded so good, because the reality of the photo was different.
A Simple Photo Change Makes All the Difference
Does the following edit on this message help bring more continuity and reinforce the content? (This alternate photo could have easily been a person of color, or even a male, and still given the similar effect as this one I chose quickly for illustrative purposes. The importance, however, was the lack of a “call-center” look, a real office phone, and the feel of an executive professional giving me their full attention.)
Something Small Really Does Make a Difference
There are so many things that give messages on our business websites–colors, design, copy (the written message), element placement, layout, and even the photos chosen. While none of us can get it all 100% correct, it really is wise of us to consider each thing carefully. Like in the above instance, web design on this company’s site looked great, even the prices were reasonable, but one little picture made me want to leave.
A Question
My question as a strategic web designer is “how many sales are this company losing just because they chose a photo that didn’t reinforce their message?” How many sales are you losing for similar reasons? Take some time today to look over your own business website and think about the various elements. Maybe a small change or two could make a big difference in the long run of your business!