Most people are very visual in the way they learn things. That’s why we have Powerpoint – if you want to see which of your products makes the most money it’s much easier to assess the slices of a pie chart than to just read text and figures, for instance.
And this is a very visual age. The internet might have started as a text-only resource but it’s now led by pictures – just look at the success of Pinterest and Instagram.
So using infographics to sell your product is a no-brainer. All the more so now that Amazon has made all your product images viewable from the search page.
Let’s just look at what a few different information sources have to say about infographics. Xerox says that 65% of brands use infographics for marketing purposes. (You can bet the high profile brands are the leaders here, too.) Digital Information World claims infographics are 30 times more likely to be read than tables or statistics. And One Spot says using infographics can increase website traffic by up to 12 percent.
So you need to be using them! But how, and what for?
First of all, to convey key product features in an easily grasped way. There are several basic infographics you ought to include:
• package dimensions,
• assembly instructions,
• product features and benefits,
• “before and after” pictures,
• use cases or scenarios,
• comparison with other products.
Package dimensions often aren’t easy to guess from the main product photo, and if people order the wrong size they’re likely to blame it on you and maybe leave a bad review. On the other hand if you show the dimensions both in numbers and with a size marker such as a pencil or a dollar bill, or have a size chart that shows exactly where to measure and what size is needed, you’re providing really useful information in an easy to understand way.
In the same way, an assembly infographic lets customers see what’s involved in putting a product together and means that they’ll already have an idea of how it works before they open the box.
Use your reviews to find pain points like this, and then make up your infographics to suit.
Product features and benefits lets you stress why your product is a must-buy. One good way to get this information over are by showing the product in use, and adding text to show the features and benefits, but you could also create a chart.
“Before and after” pictures work for anything that’s meant to have a particular effect – cosmetics, paint, cleaning products… and everyone finds these pictures fascinating. They also have a “real world” feel that product photos don’t always possess. Use cases or scenarios have the same feel, and if your product can be used in different ways or situations, it’s a good way to ensure your customers see how versatile it is.
If you want to have good infographics, you should also pay attention to some basic principles of the form. First, don’t include too much information – that’s no better than just using bullet points. Just use the really key info about the product. Try to stick to great one-liners.
Use icons wherever you can, like a “no entry” sign for the wrong way to use a juicer. Arrows, cross marks, ticks, are all useful – I suggest you probably don’t want to use a skull and crossbones icon unless you’re selling pirate hats or eye-patches!
Make your infographics even more convincing by using photographic lifestyle backgrounds that are relevant to your target audience. Again you’re helping to get that real world feel – for instance if your cooking pot is shown in a kitchen.
And harmonize the style across all your images, so that they all promote the same brand image. Don’t put delicate pastel infographics on a site for a black-and-red logo energy drink, for example.
Infographics will deliver you a couple of extra bonuses. They can dramatically shorten your customers’ time to the buying decision – which is vital when they may look at the page for as little as 8 seconds. And infographics tend to get shares on social media, just like memes. Plus, you’re using up all your image slots on the product page. You’d be surprised how many sellers don’t, and web real estate is precious!
