Random or stock images on websites are often ignored by users, who generally prefer to look at ‘real’ people, according to a new report.
The study, from web design consultant Jakob Nielsen, used an eye-tracking survey to discover that “big feel-good images that are purely decorative” are mostly ignored online, while stock photos or generic people are also intentionally disregarded.
In contrast, when users know that a picture of a person is real they will engage with the image for extended periods of time.
Nielsen then applies the study’s findings to products sold online saying generic photos add more clutter to the page and don’t necessarily help from a business standpoint
In an aspect of the study comparing a set of products on Pottery Barn’s furniture Web site and a page of televisions on Amazon.com, the research showed that users largely ignored the televisions on Amazon because they were generic, and the image on the screens, usually a “guy on a canoe” or a football player, made the product image even less inviting.
In contrast, when people navigated the Pottery Barn Web site, they engaged with the decorative photos of the bookcases for extended periods of time because they were images of the actual objects for sale.
Nielsen concludes with some advice to those using the Web to hawk products or content: “Invest in good photo shoots: a great photographer can add a fortune to your Web site’s business value.” After all, he notes, most sites are full of “fluff — of which there’s too much already on the Web.”
Read the full report here.
