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/