In today’s world, customers face content overload, and no customer journey is the same. Applying core marketing principles can help create a visual strategy that strengthens both UX and ecommerce performance. 

Think about the customer journey as a story arc – how do you drive resonance and relational value? Stories turn something nebulous into something concrete, and crystallise values into an easy-to-relate format. 

It’s important to understand exactly what type of visual content your customers will best engage with. Aligning every image, video and graphic with the customer’s needs at each stage of the buying journey can make all the difference between exploration and conversion – helping to stop the scroll, drive engagement and convert sales. 

Test content to drive awareness 

Driving brand awareness and grabbing customers’ attention relies on sharp, compelling visuals, and A/B testing can help SMBs work out what style of visuals resonate with target audiences the most. 

AI can be a useful tool during this phase. According to data from iStock’s VisualGPS platform, 60% of SMBs globally say they create and source their own visual content, with many adopting generative AI tools to assist with marketing. AI tools make it easy and affordable to create and modify images, helping you quickly build a diverse visual library for testing.

When using generative AI tools, it’s crucial to prioritise transparency around AI generated imagery. Over 6 in 10 Brits are receptive to AI being used to generate visual advertising in a way that protects consumer privacy and minimises bias, and a further 86% believe that all AI content should be clearly labelled.

Testing AI-generated and AI-modified imagery against pre-shot stock images can help you gauge how your audience reacts to AI content, showing to what extent it should be incorporated into your UX design to maximise brand and product awareness.

Interest: piqued

The next step is to drive customer interest to explore further, and most importantly, build trust in your business. While the right visual characteristics highly depend on your industry, authenticity and emotional clarity in UX design have been proven to drive better outcomes. 

Using relatable images of the audience you serve signals that you value your customer, which can help drive trust, and you should avoid content that is overly polished. Our findings show that 97% of British consumers believe that ‘authentic’ images and videos are crucial in building brand trust, with people defining authenticity as something real, genuine and true. 

Ensure the imagery used conveys the core emotion of product discovery,  whether it be relief, belonging, or confidence. While AI can be great for conceptual visuals, if showing visuals of people, choose human-shot, stock imagery – our research shows that when it comes to people imagery, no one wants to feel fooled by AI generated imagery. Make the feeling clear and consistent so the audience understands the story your brand is telling, and avoid mixed signals in faces, gestures and visuals.

Evaluate by overthinking it – in a good way

The next phase is to aid the customers’ decision making process by making product information easy to digest. Businesses should use a range of visual styles, to add more contextual relevance to their product, with VisualGPS data showing that British consumers are more likely to engage with FMCG, personal banking and travel products when brands use a mix of images and short-form videos. 

To enhance product pages, vary your angles, include zoomable details, and show your product in a real-world context, such as someone wearing the garment, enjoying the food, or using the tool. Additionally, where relevant, utilise user reviews, ratings and user-generated content to support decisions via social proof. 

To ensure UX design is comprehensive and accessible, replace dense text blocks with accordions and visual cues, such as iconography and tooltips, to ensure that all information is clearly communicated without overwhelming customers.

The final countdown to purchase

Once your customer has chosen to go through with a purchase, the correct UX design remains imperative, to prevent cart abandonment and instil confidence in their decision. 

Visual prominence of products is less important at this stage; reducing visual noise can streamline the checkout process and improve completion rates. The focus of UX design should shift to strategically placing trust-building iconography, such as secure payment icons and badges and clear return policies.

As the final point in the journey, you want the customer to feel good about their decision. A clean, reassuring confirmation screen increases the likelihood of them returning to your business and becoming a loyal customer. 

Treating UX design as your digital storefront during the BFCM sales is a smart way to elevate your visual strategy. By leveraging cohesive images and videos at every point in the customer journey, small businesses in ecommerce can capture fleeting attention and convert it into lasting engagement, therefore boosting sales. 

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