How important are graphics to the success of a website? There are a couple of schools of thought on this subject, the first is that content is what matters on a website. After all, Google (and other search engines) can’t see what’s in a graphic so it mustn’t matter. Second, there’s the thought that graphics make the difference between successful sales or a reluctant visitor. Most of the evidence is anecdotal at best but it’s a very big question facing web designers these days.

There’s no real way to answer this for certain without conducting extensive marketing research based on the pluses and minuses of a sales cycle but with enough experience, I think there’s a fine line between the two arguments.

Frankly, Google can not see graphics therefore it can not index what’s on them. This is true, so if you’re going to build an entire website as a graphic file (JPG for example) or even use heavy Flash throughout it, there is no way for Google to understand what you’re site is about. Without knowing what content is there, it can’t index you properly and therefore can’t send traffic to you.

Does it matter that Google can’t read your site? Not really, Google is only one of a million ways people find your website and if you have a proper budget for a website, you can overcome this through clever marketing and links with other websites.

On the other hand, quality graphics do impact the interest level of the consumer or site visitor so it’s important to really stop and think about exactly what your website is saying both in words and in the images you’ve selected to present to your audience. I like to ask my clients a fairly simple question, would they be willing to print the website and hand it out (on paper) at a trade show or conference? If so, then the site’s graphics are doing what they’re meant to do which is to reinforce the branding and build an online extension of the business. If on the other hand, the website isn’t worth wasting paper on, it’s time to do something else.

The problem of course is that most people think of websites as an after thought and trust the IT department to come up with the artwork and implement a solution. Frankly I’m always disturbed when I learn the same person who changes printer toner is in charge of building a part of the company which will be viewed by millions.

So, back to the original question. Do web graphics increase sales? The answer simply put is yes, but only if those graphics are designed to improve the usability of the website, shape the activities of your users and improve the general functionality of the site.