Hook, Line & Thinker newsletter, published by Troutdream Graphics - October, 2003

Images with impact

The Russian playwright, Anton Chekhov said "If there is a gun hanging on the wall in the first act, it must fire in the last."

What does this have to do with website design? More than you might think. Every element on your site should serve your core objectives. Extraneous or unconnected features that don’t lead visitors towards a relationship with you will move you away from your objectives. I've noticed a trend lately for businesses to decorate their websites with imagery and features that do little or nothing to guide visitors towards a greater understanding of the business. At best these images create some vague "mood" or show a desire to use something - anything! - other than another spinning globe or happy businesspeople shaking hands. That's fine as far as it goes, but any image, however wonderful and exciting, without a solid tie-in, is at best a missed opportunity it to begin a dialog with your future customers. And at worst may lead visitors to conclusions about you that you didn't intend.

For example, a personal coach's site is decorated with lovely ocean images. What does this tell me about the coach? That she lives by the beach? That she'll pound me down until I'm eroded into shape? That the drone of her voice will lull me to sleep? It's a pretty visual, but it doesn't help me understand how this person is going to help me solve my problems.

On another site, a financial planner has a picture of a rock climber. It's a great, dynamic image, but there's no explanation. What am I supposed to assume about this person? Will he be taking big risks with my portfolio? I assume he thought it was more exciting than pictures of people talking around a table – and he's right. But he missed a great chance to tie it into a message about being determined and methodical – how he'll never leaving me hanging without a safety line. How he likes to get a panoramic, top-down view of the market in order to give the best advice.

An intriguing image can be a terrific icebreaker – it's eye-catching and people want to know why you chose that image. What does it say about you and how you do business? It gives you a great chance to tell your story. The initial purpose of most websites is to begin a relationship with a prospective customer; to let them know what it will be like doing business with you. This is true whether you are a one-person shop or a giant corporation. Doing business is ultimately about ongoing dialog between two parties and a captivating image that leads to that dialog can be one of your most powerful weapons. What kind of dialog is your website having with your customers?

Since this is the third act of this newsletter, let me close by saying if you're not getting enough bang out of any element on your website, then it is only a distraction from the real drama.

If you have a web-related question, drop me a line. If I don't know the answer, I'll find out.

You can find other articles and past issues of this newsletter at http://www.troutdream.com/stories.html

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