Creating a visually appealing, compelling, and effective website design involves numerous factors, from typography and colors to menus and content. However, one critical element of designing a website is using the right images.
In fact, the role of images in web design is much greater than many people assume, particularly for those who lack marketing experience. Images should be a main tool you use to enhance your website, support articles, and entice more visitors.
At Relentless Digital, we have a talented team of digital marketing experts who cater exclusively to service-based contractors. So if you need web design services for an HVAC company, look no further. We’ll take care of all the hard work, including SEO, keywords, copy, images, layout, and more.
Now, let’s discuss our main topic, which is how images affect the overall design of your web page.
The Most Common Types of Web Design Images
Before we discuss the impact of adding images to your primary website and landing page, we’ll explain the most common image types.
Logos
Developing a compelling logo for your HVAC company is no small feat. It should be a symbolic representation of what your brand stands for and provide a clear message.
Whether you have a standard 2D or fancy interactive logo, it’s important to think carefully before you make a final decision. You should always have a logo (think clickable images) on the page header that sends users to your home page. Try to determine the necessary style to appeal to your target market and provide a visual aid.
Hero Images
A hero image is the first visual visitors see on web pages, whether that’s a logo, illustration, graphic, photo, etc. A popular choice is a hero banner with both a visual and text. This image directly impacts how customers make a first impression of your company, so it’s important to make it compelling, cohesive, and highly attractive. You may want to consider investing in a custom hero illustration to ensure that the end result is unique, appealing, and attention-grabbing.
Photos
Photos are arguably the most common choice for visual content. Pictures can serve numerous benefits for an HVAC company website. For example, you can use photos to create a portfolio website, to draw the user’s attention on blog posts, as visual aids in a how-to post, and more. The most common photo content types include:
- Paid stock photos
- Free stock photos
- Original photos
- Edited photos
Illustrations
Custom hand-drawn and digital illustrations are also common images in web design. Illustrations come in various styles, and artists can tweak them to suit whatever your website needs to draw users and draw attention from your target audience.
Adding custom graphics is an excellent way to improve your site’s overall design quality, particularly if they complement existing layout elements. Furthermore, illustrations create a unique visual presentation and aesthetic, giving your company a competitive edge. Common types include:
- System messages or notifications
- Hero illustrations
- Theme images
- Infographics
- Mascots and logos
- Advertising and marketing banners
- Blog article images
3D Renders
Another type of web visuals growing in popularity are 3D renders, which are computer graphics you create by transforming 3D wireframe models into traditional 2D images. The result is an eye-catching, photorealistic image that’s a cost-effective alternative when the site images you want are too expensive or impossible to obtain.
How Your HVAC Company Can Benefit from Using Relevant Images in Web Design
So, how much of an effect do visual images have on the success of your HVAC company’s website? Consider this statistic: articles with images result in a 650% higher engagement level than text-only articles. With that in mind, here are some ways that using images in web design can impact page performance:
Improve User Experience
One of Google’s most important ranking factors is user experience. For example:
- How fast does your web user interface load?
- Is your site easily navigable?
- Does your page have a responsive, mobile-friendly layout?
- Does it provide visual originality?
- Are large images kept above the fold?
- Is there a background image?
When you add images to your company’s website, you can create a positive user experience that encourages visitors to spend more time on your page.
One example would be adding an image portfolio of jobs or HVAC work your team has completed. It demonstrates the quality of your workmanship and which services your company provides.
However, avoid adding too many images (it slows down loading speed) or using distorted photos that don’t provide a clear message to viewers.
Show Up in More Search Results
Whether you use your own photos or stock images, utilizing visuals allows your page to show up in more search results. For example, users searching for “HVAC company near me” can find your page in the same spot on the primary search results pages and image results pages.
Plus, visuals entice visitors to click on your page instead of another. Be sure to properly optimize your images to gain the most benefit from SEO (search engine optimization) by using captions, clear and concise metadata, and resizing to ensure they show up correctly on different screens.
Strengthen Your Presence on Social Media
Correctly using photos and images on your website strengthens your digital presence on social media. For example, consider this study that found including at least one image on social media posts resulted in more shares on Facebook. More shares equal a wider reach, which drives more traffic, increases lead generation, and can boost conversions and new customer acquisitions.
Contact Relentless Digital Today
As you can see, optimizing images to enhance your website requires time, knowledge, and specific skills. As the owner of an HVAC company, your everyday life is already full of responsibilities. Many owners do not have the time, effort, and knowledge necessary to design a successful company website.
If you need help leveraging SEO and web design, the Relentless Digital team has you covered. We understand the importance of images in web design and how they impact your marketing efforts. Call Relentless Digital today at (262) 624-1726 to request your consultation with our team of experts.
