Finding The Right Face For Your Landing Page
Imagery is such a crucial componant to any effective landing page. Images of people in particular can be used to establish trust, strengthen your sales pitch, and help illustrate the overall purpose of your page. This is something we like to refer to as The 3 Faces of Landing Page Optimization.
But once you have the fundementals down, how exactly do you use them to best effect? Here’s our guide to finding the right face for your landing page.
Using images of people show to off your product
When a visitor arrives at your landing page, they expect to see images of your product, just like an in-store customer would expect to see any potential purchase before committing to a sale. It’s just good practice from a consumer point of view. Unlike an in-store visit, however, landing pages don’t allow visitors to properly ‘examine’ a product before they buy. They can’t try on an item of clothing over the web, even a Free Trial of your product or service is unlikely to entice the visitor if they cannot visualize themselves using it. This is where using images of people ‘interacting’ with the product can help strengthen the connection between your visitor and what it is that you are offering.
Take a look at this landing page example:
Image: Landing page main image shows three business colleagues using the product being offered.
Here you can see that the main image is representative of the visitor. Rather than simply showing a screenshot of the software package being offered, it shows a group of business colleagues (representative of the target audience) gathered around a laptop, suggesting that they are actually using the product.
From this image, visitors are able to identify how such a product might be applicable to their own lives through association. This is far more effective than just showing an image of the product out of context. If visitors are able to clearly see how the product is being used in a way similar to how they will be using it, they are far more likely to recognize its relevance to their own needs.
When to use An image of your product alone carries little to no clout.
Using images of people to build a narrative
Some products and services are less straightforward to envisage. Insurance, for example, is nowhere near as tangible as a mobile phone or a can of pet food. You can’t directly show somebody what insurance ‘looks like’, it’s more of an idea. But you can use imagery to build a narrative around such a product/service – using images of people to put your product/service into a context that the visitor quickly understands, whilst at the same time being able to recognize the benefits of in a way that is relevant to him.
Take a look at this landing page example:
Image: Landing page main image demonstrates the positive impact of the product in a relatable scenario.
Here you can see that the main image is representative of the visitor. It takes the initial concept of finding a mortgage quote and translates it over in a way that the visitor can clearly envision. The young couple (representative of the target audience) are shown together, carrying boxes, a practice that is synonymous with ‘moving house’.
From this image, it is much easier for the visitor to identify what the product/service is through such a conventional scene. Furthermore, it evokes an emotive response (the young couple moving in together, starting a new life, etc) that will strike a resonant cord with a lot of people searching for a mortgage. Much like a television commercial stirs up personal desires in the viewer, so does this landing page image reflect the hopes and dreams of the visitor, in order to help the visitor recognize how this product can be of benefit to his specific needs and wants.
When to use You are offering an intangible service, or a product that has a broad range of benefits extending into everyday life.
Using images of people to show reliable recommendation
Otherwise known as ‘social proof’, using imagery of people on your landing page to represent your existing customer base is a great way of establishing trust, demonstrating how your product/service has been of value to other people. Social proof relies on the concept that people will conform to the actions of others, under the assumption that those actions are reflective of correct behaviour. It’s a lot like acting on the recommendation of a peer, and as with most recommendations, it’s those that come from people who we deem to be ‘most similar’ to us that are most effective.
Take a look at these two very different landing page examples:
Image: Testimonial image shows a conventional user of this type of product.
Here you can see that the image alongside the testimonial is of somebody with whom the target audience would relate quite readily – business-driven and professional in appearance.
Image: Testimonial image shows a typical user of this type of service.
While the image alongside this testimonial, also representative of the customer base, is very different in appearance – friendlier, less-formal, he is more relatable to the average person looking for mortgage advice.
When to use You are offering a product/service that is difficult to pitch without social proof.
Using images of people to give your business a face
Online transactions are, by nature, a relatively anonymous process. It’s not like going into a store and experiencing a trustworthy business firsthand, there’s nobody around to provide that kind of reassurance. Potential customers need to know that their personal details will be handled safely, and that your business can be trusted. This is where using images of people to show who you are can help remove any doubts a visitor may have about the legitimacy of your company.
Take a look at this landing page example:
Image: Landing page main image demonstrates the ‘face’ behind the business.
Here you can see that the main image is representative of the business. This picture of a call center operative is synonymous with service and assistance, suggesting that the business is helpful, reliable and trustworthy. More than that, it removes anonymity and alleviates any doubts the visitor may have about going through with the transaction.
When to use You are offering an intangible service, or looking to aquire telephone sales/leads.
Using images of people to show your business is dependable
Of all the concerns a visitor faces when committing to an online purchase, “What happens next?” has got to rank somewhere near the top. Potential customers need the reassurance that their purchase/registration/request will be properly taken care of, otherwise they won’t trust you with their business. Making good on your promises is something you have to explicitly put down in writing, and this is where using images of people to perhaps represent a member of staff can help put that message across to great effect.
Take a look at this landing page example:
Image: Landing page image shows a dependable human presence visitors can expect to receive support from.
Here you can see that the image is representative of the business. The accompanying promise-statement carries much more weight with a picture of a person to go alongside, somebody the visitor can associate with an otherwise faceless company. Furthermore, it shows the visitor that a real, dependable person will be there to follow up their request.
When to use You intend on getting in touch with page visitors after they’ve completed conversion, either by telephone, email, or using an online meeting tool.
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