Effectively Measuring the Impact of Visual Content on Sales and ROI

By Caroline Peterson.

As consumers are bombarded with a multitude of choices, the art of capturing their attention and fostering genuine engagement has become paramount for businesses seeking to thrive in this competitive era. High-quality product images and engaging videos have emerged as powerful tools, offering not only a glimpse into the features and quality of products but also the ability to spark imagination and visualize desired outcomes.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the vast majority of online shoppers rely on not only photos of products themselves, but also past customers’ photos when weighing their buying options. “Visual elements contribute to building trust and credibility,” shares Caroline Petersen, owner of Gallery Design Studio, a B2B design consultancy that focuses on the value of the customer experience. “Those elements shape consumer perception. It’s important to understand the influence decision-making process, and how it ultimately contributes to the bottom line of business across diverse sectors.”

High-quality images: The power of storytelling

The impact of high-quality product images transcends mere aesthetics. These visual assets wield a remarkable influence on consumer perceptions and play a pivotal role in shaping purchasing behavior. When artfully executed, high-quality product images extend beyond mere representation, tapping into the realm of aspiration and inspiration.

Product photography goes beyond simply presenting images to customers — it aims to craft idyllic pictures of your products that evoke a profound desire in viewers to possess them. For example, if you sell ice cream and can tap into childhood nostalgia to remind the consumer of eating ice cream on a hot summer day blissfully unbothered that it’s dripping on their chin, you can sell far more much easier. 

“This is why product photography is important,” says Petersen. “You want your consumers to not only quickly understand what you’re selling, but the story you’re trying to craft for them. The faster you can do this, the faster you can drive conversions.”

Moreover, product photography doesn’t only entail an image of a physical product, it can also be a graphic. For example, Robinhood, the trading app, does a great job of leveraging interactive graphics and visual tools to increase sales and conversion rates. Its user-friendly interface features easy-to-understand charts and graphs for real-time investment tracking, making it visually engaging and intuitive.

“This approach attracts both experienced investors and newcomers, breaking down barriers to entry in the financial world and driving user adoption,” Petersen notes. “By providing a visually appealing and simplified experience, Robinhood’s interactive graphics contribute to higher sales and a significant increase in users.”

Engaging videos: Enhancing understanding and decision-making

Engaging videos have emerged as a dynamic medium to convey information, captivate audiences, and profoundly impact consumer decision-making processes. The allure of video lies in its ability to create a multi-dimensional experience, offering a compelling narrative that fosters a deeper understanding of products and services.

When viewers are presented with engaging videos, they are not merely passive observers — they become active participants in the storytelling journey. Through visuals, motion, and sound, videos transport audiences into the heart of the brand’s narrative, forging an emotional connection that transcends the limitations of conventional marketing methods.

One of the most powerful aspects of engaging videos is their potential to evoke emotions and trigger visceral responses. Brands that leverage the art of storytelling through videos can tap into viewers’ aspirations, desires, and pain points, leading to a more profound understanding of how a product or service can enrich their lives.

“There are many different types of videos that you can use to elicit different emotions. For example, there’s something we call the ‘10k-foot video’ that is aspirational, visionary, and showcases the product’s roles in the bigger picture,” Petersen remarks. “There’s also something we call ‘on-the-ground videos’ that highlight specific product features. The point is to think about how each of these types of videos will enhance your product and share your story.”

Visual elements: Building trust and credibility

At the core of building brand trust lies the art of resonance. Visual content that genuinely speaks to the target audience’s aspirations, values, and experiences resonates on a deep emotional level. When viewers see themselves represented in the imagery and messaging, they develop an immediate sense of familiarity and relatability with the brand. This alignment between the brand’s visual identity and the audience’s identity creates an unspoken bond, laying the foundation for trust.

Beyond just representation, authenticity is a crucial factor in building trust through visuals. Customers seek genuine experiences and products that align with the promises made by the brand. Misleading or overly staged visuals can erode trust, leading to skepticism and disengagement. Instead, brands that adopt transparency in their visual storytelling gain credibility, particularly by showcasing the real faces, places, and stories behind their products and services.

Furthermore, consistent and coherent visual branding across all touchpoints reinforces the brand’s identity and fosters recognition. The use of consistent colors, fonts, and imagery establishes a cohesive brand presence, making it easily distinguishable in a crowded marketplace. This visual consistency builds familiarity and reliability, both essential pillars of trust.

In the pursuit of building credibility, visuals can also play a significant role in highlighting the brand’s expertise and authority within its industry. For instance, brands can showcase certifications, awards, or endorsements through visual elements, reassuring customers of the brand’s capabilities and quality. Additionally, featuring user-generated content in visual marketing, such as customer reviews and testimonials, adds an authentic voice to the brand, further building trust through social proof.

Leveraging visual content to determine ROI

Great visual content is one thing, but measuring ROI is another. While the impact of visual content on consumer engagement and brand perception is evident, measuring its tangible contributions to the bottom line requires a strategic approach.

To gauge the impact of visual content, tracking key engagement metrics is essential. Data on click-through rates, time spent on-page, video views, and social media interactions offer insights into how audiences respond to visual content and identify which visuals resonate with the target audience most effectively.

Moreover, measuring ROI involves tracking conversions directly tied to specific visual assets. By implementing conversion tracking tools like pixels and analytics, businesses can attribute conversions to the visual content that influenced the decision-making process.

Measuring brand sentiment and customer advocacy is also crucial for evaluating long-term ROI because assessing brand sentiment through sentiment analysis tools or social listening can reveal the impact of visual content on brand perception. Additionally, monitoring user-generated content and tracking brand mentions can highlight the extent of customer advocacy fueled by compelling visual narratives.

To determine ROI effectively, businesses must also conduct a cost-benefit analysis, which involves assessing the costs associated with producing and distributing visual content against the returns it generates. By comparing these costs with the revenue or other tangible benefits gained from the visual content, brands can make informed decisions about their visual content strategies.

High-quality product images and engaging videos have proven to be powerful tools, not only showcasing product features but also sparking imagination and visualizing desired outcomes. However, the true measure of visual content’s effectiveness lies in its ROI.

In a world where visual storytelling has become an integral part of marketing, mastering the art of visual content is not just about capturing attention — it’s about building lasting relationships with customers and driving tangible business results. By embracing the power of visual elements and measuring their impact effectively, businesses can thrive in the ever-evolving landscape of modern commerce.

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Caroline Peterson is the the founder and Chief Design Officer of Gallery Design Studio, a NYC-based design consultancy specializing in B2B AI-driven software companies. Recently, she founded eShelf, a creative operations SaaS platform revolutionizing agency profitability. eShelf is a 24/7 self-service portal automating file management, time tracking, and project management, while offering holistic 360 reporting. With eight years of experience in the global tech sector, Caroline is an expert in design, business, and technology.