It’s theoretically possible to make sales from a website with absolutely no graphics at all, if you write a persuasive enough sales message.
Nevertheless, graphics are very important. A study by Stanford University found 47% of people make a decision on whether to buy from a website, based solely on the appearance of the site (essentially its graphic design).
This implies that if your website looks attractive and professional, nearly half your customers will immediately feel comfortable about doing business with you.
Presentation is particularly important for an online store
For an e-commerce website, where you are trying to get people to pull out their credit card and buy directly from the site, a picture really is worth 1000 words. How good a product LOOKS has a huge impact on how well it SELLS.
Imagine you went to an online store selling clothing, and they described the clothes in detail but offered no pictures – would you buy from them? Not likely.
Taking that to the next step: if the shop had pictures, but they were obviously shot with a cheap digital camera, and the model wearing the clothes was unattractive, would you buy? Again, not likely.
That’s why every successful online store selling clothes has attractive-looking models and professional photography.
While this is obviously true for items such as clothing, a lot of businesses forget that it’s just as true for any product online.
Your images need to be razor sharp and professional
Your prospective customer wants to see every possible detail of the product they are thinking about forking out their hard-earned cash to buy.
As I keep reiterating, trust is so important in closing a sale, and having a fantastic looking site with fantastic-looking photographs of your product will help you win that sale from a lot more people.
Of course, a great picture has to be backed up with a great product for long term success. But if you don’t have a great image, a lot fewer people will be willing to buy from you no matter how good your product is.