I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” As a freelance content writer, I don’t love that because words are my thing! Words are important! But it’s true. Did you know that images are processed 6x-600x faster than words, according to this research? That makes sense because you have to think about what words mean but with an image, there’s less brain power involved.

That makes visual storytelling incredibly powerful. Does that mean we should all throw away the written word and just put pictures on our websites? No. I’d argue combining the two creates a more compelling narrative than either one alone. As a Charlotte web designer, this is our specialty – we create beautiful websites that are also informative. Like I wrote in my last post, if people can’t find your store or know how to contact you, what good is a website?!? That, my friends, is why you need both words and images. So how do you harness the power of visual storytelling in web design? Keep reading.

Who ya talking to?

This is the number one rule whenever you create anything, ever: Know your audience. Who is coming to your website? And what do they want? Are you speaking to busy professionals looking for a Charlotte web designer? Or are you creating something geared toward parents with young children? Who your audience is will dictate the language you use as well as the visuals.

Also think about why someone would want to visit your website. Are they coming for entertainment and information (as I hope is the case with this blog)? Or are they prospective customers who you’d like to purchase a product or service? Maybe they’re a mix of both! In that case, what visual elements will speak to them? Something dreamy? Something fun? Working with a professional, like a Charlotte web design company, can help you sort out these things.

Make it pretty

This may go without saying but I’m saying it anyway – make your visuals attractive. Use high-quality images that are relevant to your brand. And don’t be afraid to tweak photos. Just yesterday I wrote a blogpost and wanted a bright, happy photo. I couldn’t find what I was looking for and edited my best option to turn it into the photo I wanted. Tada! Problem solved. This is also where an NC web design company like Web Symphonies can help you out.

We use a combo of pretty pictures, intriguing color schemes, and animation to make your brand come alive. We’ve been in this business for a long time and know what colors pop, what trends to use, and which to avoid. All in all, that helps create a consistent visual style that will resonate with your website visitors and help you achieve whatever your goal is.

Have a direction

The best stories have a clear beginning, middle, and end. No one wants to wade through a swampland getting stuck in the bog. That’s what happens when you have a website without a story. Your visitors may get lost in the muck and not do what you want them to do: contact you, sign up for your email list, buy your products, etc. Your website should guide people to do that call to action. Visually, this may mean using arrows, animation, or something similar. What you’re doing is creating breadcrumbs for your visitors to follow. You’re saying, “Go here, now here, now here.”

It can be very difficult to do this well because as you know, a website doesn’t have a clear entry and exit point. Some people may find you because they googled a phrase. For us, that could be “web design Charlotte NC” or “Charlotte internet marketing.” They may get directed to a blogpost instead of our homepage. That’s OK because we still convey our call to action everywhere.

So there you have it. Harnessing the power of visual storytelling can create a website that’s engaging, memorable, and also supports your call to action. That’s done by knowing your audience, making your content visually appealing, and having a direction. If you need any help with this, we’re just a phone call away at (704) 336-9113, or send us an email if you’d rather. We look forward to hearing from you.