- 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)
1 – Memorable Long-Term
Visuals are incredibly important in web content because it helps users store information in their long-term memory instead of short-term memory. When content is broken down with only text, users have a harder time remembering the information because it doesn’t have a hook to it (visual). Dr. Lynell Burak is an education consultant who states that words, concepts, and ideas need to be hooked with a visual such as a video, an infographic, an image, and so on for information to go into long-term memory (Briscoe, W9-C-Importance of Visuals (W25).pdf, Slide 6). If the average attention span is “2.8-6 seconds” and the human brain takes about “13 milliseconds” to process an image, then the use of strong visuals effectively speaks a thousand more words than text-based information does (Briscoe, W9-B-The Power of Visuals (W25).pdf, Slide 4&13).
On the web, users have a short attention span, they are busy and simply won’t read every bit of text and information. Utilizing impactful and appropriate visuals makes web content more potent, attention-grabbing, and memorable in the long-term to the user. Furthermore, studies support this by finding that users retained almost “65%” of visual information while only retaining “10-20%” of written or spoken information after three days (Briscoe, W9-C-Importance of Visuals (W25).pdf, Slide 7). Users on the web will not only remember content with visuals in the moment, but they will remember it days or even weeks after engaging with it! The use of visuals in web content makes content memorable long-term. Users are more likely to come back, stay loyal, be interested, and associate it in their day to day lives! It helps make web content much more engaging and guarantees higher retention.
2 – Enhances Understanding Faster
Users need information on the web to immediately tell them what they need to know. By using visuals, users can immediately understand key concepts and information without needing to read heavy sections of text to find what they are looking for. Not only do users on the web not have time for this, but they simply aren’t interested in it. In fact, studies find that the human brain processes visual information “60,000” times faster than text (Briscoe, W9-B-The Power of Visuals (W25).pdf, Slide 8). By leveraging and utilizing the right visuals, users gain an immediate and enhanced understanding of web content. Furthermore, “90%” of information transmitted to the brain is visual, making it a more effective form of communication than text alone (Briscoe, W9- The Power of Visual Content (W25).pdf, Slide 4).
For example, for True Pilates Windsor’s landing page, I can include a video of members happily participating in Reformers Pilates to convey connectivity, community, and inclusivity. Not only do videos increase the average page conversion by “86%” (Briscoe, W9-D-Enhancing Content(W25).pdf, Slide 5), but it also helps users immediately understand that they can expect an open and inviting studio that is not intimidating or exclusive to intermediates. Based on specific contexts, visuals are incredibly useful in web content because it improves user-experience, understanding, and comprehension. Visuals improve learning by up to “400%” (Briscoe, W9-B-The Power of Visuals (W25).pdf, Slide 11). This fact alone justifies how much visuals impact the user’s cognitive levels as it increases their ability to understand everything they need to with speed and efficiency. Visuals guide users through information and help break web content into digestible chunks. By incorporating visuals, users can make decisions with confidence and ease.
3 – Triggers Emotions
The brain’s right hemisphere of image processing, feelings, and excitation far outweighs the left hemisphere’s efforts to decode information and engage in rational thinking (Briscoe, W9-D-Enhancing Content(W25).pdf, Slide 17). What this means is that using visuals that can emotionally connect to users on the web is critical because it directly impacts their ability to engage in it. Moreover, the use of visuals with emotional implications helps users feel all sorts of feelings. Depending on the context, users can feel moved, inspired, happy, interested, joyful, etc. This alone helps users feel more personally involved and connected to web content. This is especially important because when users feel certain emotions and feelings, it increases the likelihood of them sharing web content across different platforms. Emotional connection encourages users to share content. It distracts users and stops them from doing what they are doing by hooking them with content that resonates and emotionally connects to them. This is broken down into all sorts of components such as colours, typography, complexity, and more.
Web content that utilizes visuals with strong emotional appeal is much more likely to resonate and stand out amongst other content because it is more impactful and unique. The same way people listen to certain artists, go out for a walk at the end of their day, watch certain movies, etc. It’s all about emotions and how they make the person feel. For True Pilates Windsor, I can incorporate visuals of real members engaging in classes offered using a colours scheme that evokes feelings of love, safety, and empowerment. This is not just visually stimulating to the user, but it helps user emotionally connect and engage with the studio on a deeper level. Text based information alone, especially on the web, is not enough to immediately tell a moving story or evoke deep feelings. For this example, the use of visuals with emotional appeal helps users feel certain safe and inspired, increasing their ability to share the content, follow social media platforms, and go as far as booking a class.
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