Graphic Design Use in Internet Marketing

Posted on September 29th, 2011. Written by Jamie Northrup.

Graphic design is the creative combination of type, images and symbols to communicate a message. Its role in internet marketing is to not only send a message, but also entice the reader to perform a desired action, such as clicking an ad or purchasing a product. The importance of graphic design in online marketing is equal to that of other major marketing tools, such as search engine optimization and compelling content. Just as the value of optimization methods is for high rankings leading to traffic, and the merit of good content is for providing useful information to the website visitor, so also the worth of graphic design is to make the communication of a message effective. This effectiveness is achieved through employing various strategies.

Photographs and Images

Images not only add visual interest and appeal, but they powerfully communicate ideas and emotions as well. In addition, they also help the website visitor to identify with and relate to the message. This emotional connection is one of the goals of internet marketers, as it is needed for a
successful campaign. To illustrate this concept, a webpage promoting a back pain product could use a photograph of a man clutching his back and grimacing in pain. It should be noted at this point, to use your keyword in the image alt tags for purposes of search engine optimization.

Another benefit of images is that they create desire for the product being promoted. In some cases, an enlarged photo can be helpful in achieving this end. For example, a larger photo is needed for jewelry to showcase the facets of the stones and details of the design. A different type of example where a larger image can be useful is a travel site, where a gorgeous photograph of white, sandy beaches and turquoise waters could cause the  visitor to imagine how nice it would be to vacation there.

Type

Clickbank, an affiliate marketing company, provides good examples of graphic design that uses type to advantage. Designers of their product pitch pages often change the color and enlarge the font of key words and phrases, so they don’t escape the attention of the visitor. Aside from changing the color and font, another strategy is to use plenty of “white space”. This concept involves breaking up content into bite-size chunks separated by spaces, which allows the visitor to scan the material quickly. Another helpful type technique is to divide the content into segments, using subtitles in H-1, H-2, H-3 and H-4 tags. The use of keywords in these tags also helps with search engine optimization.

Symbols

Squidoo, a medium for affiliate marketers, illustrates how to use symbols to great advantage in their graphic design. They use symbols, such as a big red arrow to draw attention to the product being promoted. Used judiciously, this strategy can be effective when combined with compelling content. Various symbols, including “Buy Now” graphics can be procured online.