The importance of web visual experience – Musato Technologies
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The significance of the web visual experience

In recent years, the way people consume online content has become increasingly visual. Today, the web visual experience on a website or app has a direct effect on the conversion rate. New Age consumers expect intelligent graphic design and they reward brands that offer high-quality visual experiences. Before getting into the ‘how’ of creating a great visual
experience, it is important to understand the ‘why’.

web visual experience

For online shopping, sight is the strongest sense as messages and visuals are
communicated through screens.

People shop with their senses. They touch, feel, taste, smell, and see the things around them, and then make purchase and brand trust/loyalty decisions based on the received information. For online shopping, sight is the strongest sense as messages and visuals are communicated through screens and evoke immediate emotional effects. Some eCommerce experts believe that people decide whether to buy a product or service within the first few seconds of seeing it. As the saying goes, ‘first impressions matter’.

It pays (literally) to provide the best possible visual experience to prospective customers. How do companies build a conversion-focused visual experience into brand strategy? The answer is to focus on three important aspects of eCommerce visual content: branding; product
content; and consistency.

The first step is to set the stage for customers to trust a brand — long enough for these individuals to stick around and explore the products/services. Digital natives can spot stock imagery, and they
either disregard it (at best) or leave the website (at worst) since the lack of originality cheapens the brand experience. Brands should choose authentic images over stock photos.

The style, layout, and navigation of a website or app should also match the brand identity and story. Whether a brand sells edgy clothing or sophisticated financial products, visitors need to visually understand the brand and feel that they are in the right place. The same principle applies to the textual content of a website.

Text and the corresponding layout should tell a unique story, communicate the benefits of a brand, and guide user actions/decisions. Good visual content makes it easy — and sometimes even fun — for people to do what brands want them to do. Once visitors decide they are in the right place, brands should give them a total view of products/services. For example, nowadays, one image of a product is mandatory.

To take things a step further, however, brands should embrace a curated collection of images that showcase a variety of angles and depictions (360-degree product views, for example). A great web visual experience answers most, if not all, consumer questions before they even need to ask.

Additionally, original brand content that features real people wearing or using a product/service can help potential customers envision themselves doing the same. These visual context cues are more intriguing than standalone product shots.

Incorporating interactive content such as instructional videos can also deepen the visual experience. The more value brands can demonstrate with content, the better. Beyond the latter, it is also important not to forget user-generated content (UGC). UGC includes reviews, ratings, and images submitted by real customers.

Today’s consumers make purchase decisions based on what others have to say. This type of ‘social proof’ is an essential aspect of eCommerce and must be included in the visual experience. Last but by no means not least, visual
experiences need to be consistent — and provide consistent quality — across all channels. The visual
experiences that customers buy into on a website must also translate on the corresponding app(s),
marketing emails, social media channel(s), product packaging, and in-store displays (where applicable).
Seamless visual experience matters. It enables companies to offer true omnichannel experiences and solutions to customers.

Moreover, brands should remember that visual content weaves a carefully crafted experience for the end user to enjoy. At the end of the day, if the customer does not enjoy the experience or if it gets interrupted, brands risk conversion. On the other hand, with positive experiences, there is greater
potential for a returning, loyal customer. Compelling visual experiences are the future of online business. Improving these experiences does not have to feel overwhelming.

Brands should take things a step at a time. Start small with extra product photography and then go from there. A better visual experience can only help businesses stay competitive and continue to thrive in 2021 and beyond. Contact Musato Technologies for your business web and application development to succeed online.

Gideon E. M
Author: Gideon E. M

Gideon Ebonde M. is the CEO and Chief Software Architect at Musato Technologies. He is experienced Software developer with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. He has a strong engineering professional skilled in Mobile Application Development, Enterprise Software, AI, Robotics, IoT, Servers, Cloud and business application. He is an accomplished DevOps software engineer and a visionary computer scientist and engineer.

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