Words v Images

We have been researching Pinterest on behalf of a client, trying to work out if it would provide a good platform for their products as an alternative to the usual way of doing things on the web. The question entered my head about the vexed question of images v's words. What should you use if you want to attract clients?

Even after all this time, the web is geared to words. When Google says "content", it means the quality and type of words that you use. Search engines care less about images, because they can't analyse them in the same way for their value despite recent advances. They certainly can't evaluate them in anything like the same sophisticated manner. The result is that they are slanted towards text, and this is why SEO experts and web designers will bang on about the content you are creating.

Humans, on the other hand, like images. The old cliche says a picture is worth a thousand words. Whether that is true or not we are not going to argue, but one thing that is true is that good use of visuals increases retention significantly. And lets face it, we use sight to gather our information and words to analyze it.

If we continue with this thread and consider a fashion shop, it's clear that noone would buy without seeing the product first. The shop window has to be visual.

So here is the clash. When should you use images and how?

1. Remember image searches are very popular
2. The best analysis suggests that you will achieve the best results if you mix images and words
3. Images without words carry less meaning
4. Keep your words to the point. People read headlines first and decide if they want to go further
5. Use the alt text to add search value to your images
6. If you can afford it, use original images for more impact
7. Good design carries more impact with your readers

How Facebook and Pinterest work

Images have another value. Facebook and Pinterest are predicated around sharing experiences visually. People go there there to flick through images and notes on the images. So, if you want to be successful in attracting attention, you need to present a visual version of the message you are attempting to get across.

As for the future, the prediction is more images, more video, more mixed content. If you want to see how far this can go, visit the magazine site zoozoom.com, the closest equivalent to a glossy magazine we could find quickly. 

Which brings us to our final point. The trouble with big images and flash is they make everything so slow. One day the world may be superfast, but, if you want to hold someone's attention, scale your ambitions accordingly. Luckily for you, Facebook and Pinterest do this for you. If it's your own site, you are designing, remember to keep your load speed high so you don't lose your customer before they even got there.