Eye Tracking: Which Web Photos Are Crucial For Usability?

Another article we came across recently mentions eye tracking and a study that tested whether or not people were attracted to certain images on a web page. When designing, many include decorative images to spruce up the site, inform the text, and give the eye something to look at. Seems like a good enough idea. But the study showed that many of these images go completely ignored and as such, are a waste of space and time.

There’s a gap in how users approach website imagery. Some types of images are not paid attention to – these are the large, “feel good” images that are mostly decorative in nature. These are the filler photographs. Stock photographs. Other types of imagery can be treated as important content and therefore scrutinized by a website visitor. Photographs of real people – not just models or stock – and products help to lend importance to the site and the imagery itself.

In the original post (which seems a bit more like a rant), the author argues against these decorative photos, saying that many websites are obsessed with filler. For the most part, even in a world of high speed connection and quick upload and download times, users still seem to prefer site that focus on what they’re looking for or what they want.

For e-commerce sites, product images help customers to understand what’s being sold, what’s available, and what’s similar and different about various items. For personal websites, the author writes that many want to see an image of the author, or for a business site, people are drawn to pictures of executives and staff. We know users allocate less attention further down the page, but in a study cited in the article, people spent 10% more time looking at portraits than reading the short bios themselves, even if the bios of the particular study page took up 316% more space than the pictures. It was obvious from the eye tracking gaze plot that visitors to the site were in a hurry and wanted a quick overview.

Visitors don’t like generic content and are able to spot it from a mile away, so it is a waste of time and effort on a designer’s part if they’re going to include imagery like this.

Photos as Web Content

Related articles:

1. Eye Tracking: Evaluating Landing Page Usability With Surveys
2. Eye Tracking and F Patterns: Recurring Theme in Web Usability
3. Framework for Eye Tracking Patterns and Usability Problems: Pt 2
4. Framework for Eye Tracking Patterns and Usability Problems: Pt 3
5. Moodle Using Eye Tracking to Study Usability and eLearning
6. Framework for Eye Tracking Patterns and Usability Problems: Pt 4
7. Shocking Revelation: Eye Tracking Has Problems
8. Eye Tracking Web Usability Study Reveals the “Golden Triangle”
9. Which One Is Better? Mouse Tracking Or Eye Tracking?
10. Eye Tracking Usability: What is the Best Sitemap Layout?