Laryssa Wirstiuk 0:00
Ready to break free from algorithms, vanity PR, and money-sucking ads? My name’s Laryssa Wirstiuk, and I’ve learned in 7 years of jewelry marketing that content is the crown jewel. My agency Joy Joya takes a holistic approach, leading with laser-focused storytelling, impactful content creation, and strategic content distribution. This method has worked for the solopreneur as well as the multi-million-dollar company, and now I’m sharing these systems and tactics with you. Here’s to standing out in the Sea of Sparkle.

Welcome to Episode #283. Today, we’re diving into the world of heroes, but not the kind you might expect from comic books or Marvel films. Instead, our focus will be on hero images and their critical role in digital marketing. The term “hero image” originates from web design and refers to the prominently large and often wide image that captures your attention at the top of a website or an email campaign before any scrolling occurs. This image may sometimes feature overlaid text or photos, and can even extend to videos or carousel sliders. The purpose of the hero image is to reassure your visitors or viewers that they’ve arrived at the right destination. Upon viewing the hero image, individuals should feel a connection to your brand and/or a resonance with the products you offer. It’s meant to be an inviting gateway that encourages exploration, similar to the welcoming display window of a physical jewelry store. This is your chance to showcase your brand’s identity and inject visual appeal into your homepage or email campaign, especially since other design elements on most effective ecommerce sites and email campaigns should be simplified to ensure the thet load efficiently across various devices. When someone enters your online store via the homepage, the hero image lays the groundwork for their shopping experience online. If you’re eager to discover how to maximize the impact of hero images on your website and emails, continue listening to or watching this episode.

But before we get to the solid gold, I’d like to take a moment to remind you that this podcast has both audio and video – so you can either listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube by searching “Joy Joya”. You can support the podcast for free by taking the time not only to subscribe but also to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

Okay, let’s get into today’s episode, my Sparklers! Did you know where the term “hero” image comes from? Apparently, it comes from theater and describes a special prop, called a hero prop, that’s made with extra detail for close-up views. A famous example is the DeLorean Time Machine from the “Back to the Future” movies. Also, “hero images” have been around even before digital media. Remember newspapers? Above the fold on a newspaper, there’s usually a big image to catch your attention and give you the day’s views with a headline. Similarly, on websites and email campaigns, the hero image is also “above the fold”, but without an actual fold, that refers to what you see before you scroll. I’ve mentioned before that today’s users only spend like less than two seconds looking at email campaigns. When it comes to how long it takes for someone to form an opinion about a website? Well, that takes all of 0.05 seconds. And that data’s from a study published more than 10 years ago! That hero image needs to do a lot of heavy lifting. So what are the benefits of having an effective hero image, and why should you be caring so much about this piece of visual real estate?

First Impression Counts: An effective hero image on an e-commerce website or in an email campaign for a jewelry brand sets the tone and makes a strong first impression. It grabs attention immediately, presenting the brand’s aesthetic and quality. For luxury items like jewelry, this visual appeal can significantly influence a shopper’s perception and interest in exploring more.

Brand Identity and Storytelling: A hero image is a powerful tool for conveying a brand’s identity and narrative. For jewelry brands, the right image can evoke emotions and convey the craftsmanship, heritage, or inspiration behind the collection. This storytelling aspect can connect with customers on a deeper level, making the brand memorable.

Highlighting Key Products or Offers: Jewelry brands can use hero images to spotlight specific pieces or collections, new arrivals, or special promotions. This visual focus guides visitors toward featured products or deals, potentially increasing conversion rates and average order values.

Enhancing User Experience and Engagement: A well-chosen hero image can improve the user experience by making the website or email visually appealing and easy to navigate. It can guide the viewer’s eye to key information or calls to action, like shop now buttons or links to more information. For jewelry shoppers, an engaging visual experience is often part of the luxury shopping journey.

Building Trust and Credibility: High-quality hero images can help establish trust and credibility. For jewelry brands, where the appearance and perceived value of the products are crucial, professional and aesthetically pleasing visuals signal to customers that the brand is reputable and committed to quality. This trust is especially important in e-commerce, where customers cannot physically inspect the products before purchasing.

How to pick a great hero image and make it work for you Let’s talk first about the hero image on your website: Quality Over Everything: Always choose high-resolution images that showcase your jewelry in the best light. Detail is key in jewelry photography; the images should highlight the craftsmanship, material quality, and unique design elements of each piece. However, they shouldn’t be so high resolution that they slow down your site. In general, hero images should have a 16:9 aspect ratio and about 1200 pixels wide, but you can reference your Shopify theme or work with your web developer to find the ideal size. They should also be horizontally oriented, so photos should be taken specifically for the purpose of being used as the hero to ensure they have the right focal points and can be cropped correctly. Although the appearance of your hero image on a desktop is crucial, don’t overlook the mobile experience. It’s essential that your hero image is designed to be responsive and adapts well to both vertical (phone) and horizontal (tablet) views. Consistency in Branding: Ensure that all images adhere to your brand’s aesthetic, using a consistent style, background, and lighting. This uniformity helps reinforce your brand identity and creates a seamless shopping experience for visitors. Incorporate Lifestyle Shots: Besides product-only shots, include lifestyle images that show your jewelry being worn. This helps customers visualize how the pieces might look on them, adding an aspirational element to your brand. Leverage the Power of Merchandising: Your hero image acts as a virtual storefront. Just as in physical merchandising, where displays are regularly updated to highlight different products, collections, or themes, your website’s hero image should be swapped frequently. This approach keeps the site looking fresh and encourages repeat visits. Highlighting specific items, collections, or offers directly in the hero image can guide customers’ attention and influence their shopping journey. Regularly update your hero image to feature new arrivals, best sellers, or seasonal collections. This not only keeps your website dynamic but also allows you to strategically direct customer attention to where you want it. Align with Holidays, Promotions, and Events: Adjust your hero images to reflect upcoming holidays, special promotions, or events. For example, feature romantic jewelry collections around Valentine’s Day or exclusive discounts during the holiday shopping season. This relevance encourages engagement and can boost sales during key retail periods. Incorporate Clear Calls to Action (CTAs): Ensure that your hero image includes a clear and compelling call to action, such as “Shop Now” or “Explore the Collection.” This guides visitors towards taking the next step, whether it’s browsing a collection, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase.

Now let’s talk about the hero image in your email campaigns: When it comes to the points I made about quality, consistency in branding, and lifestyle shots, much of the same advice applies. But obviously with email campaigns, you’re sending them more regularly than you’re likely to change up the homepage of your website, so you have to come up with many more options for hero images than you have to do for your website. Use clear, high-resolution images that showcase your jewelry in detail. Given the smaller size of email images compared to website banners, every detail counts in making your product stand out. Since email campaigns usually showcase a small grouping of jewelry products or even just one product, then that hero image really needs to be relevant; this takes some pre-planning to make sure you have the right images to tell the story you want to tell. For an email to be effective, it has to do much more than just look pretty; it has to be delivered in the inboxes you want to reach. Ensure images look good on both desktop and mobile devices. Considering the significant amount of emails opened on mobile devices, images must resize automatically to fit different screen sizes. Appropriate Size and File Format: To avoid slow loading times, which can lead to increased abandonment rates, keep your image file sizes small. A general recommendation is to aim for images that are under 1MB. Using formats like JPEG for high-quality images and PNG for graphics with transparent backgrounds can help manage file sizes without sacrificing quality. The ideal size is 600-700px on desktop, and 320-385px on mobile. Alt Text: Always include alt text for images in your emails. If the image doesn’t display due to a recipient’s email settings, the alt text will provide context. Plus, it makes your emails more accessible to individuals using screen readers. Consider Load Times: Since not everyone has high-speed internet, optimizing images for quick loading is crucial. Tools like Adobe Photoshop or online compressors can reduce file sizes without losing much quality. Test Across Platforms: Before sending out your campaign, test how your emails, including the images, appear across different email platforms (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) and devices. This ensures a consistent experience for all subscribers. Concluding Thoughts Hero images are much more than just attractive visuals for your jewelry business; they’re strategic tools that can influence perception, engagement, and sales. By carefully selecting and optimizing these images, you can significantly enhance your brand’s appeal and effectiveness.

Okay, let’s get into the GOLD MINE. Welcome to another edition of THE GOLD MINE – a segment where I get personal and share insights on entrepreneurship, mindset, success, growth, and all things business. THE GOLD MINE allows me to share topics and insights close to my heart. In this week’s GOLD MINE, I’d like to talk more about the role of merchandising in marketing. Even though I’ve covered this topic in detail in episode #257, I want to explore an analogy that really showcases what effective merchandising can do for your marketing strategy. In past discussions, I’ve mentioned how marketing can start to feel like a never-ending loop of repetition for both the business owner and their marketing team. You might catch yourself thinking, “Don’t people get tired of hearing the same thing?” But, surprisingly, they don’t; most of the time, they’re not fully catching what you’re saying because they’re too distracted. Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the challenges of merchandising and the constant search for new ways to present information to your audience. It was during one of these moments that an analogy came to me, one that made everything much clearer for me and, hopefully, will do the same for you. Think of marketing—and the effort to keep showing your products in fresh and exciting ways—as similar to a teacher trying to keep the attention of a classroom full of teenagers. Just like everyone else, busy with their phones, lives, and social media, these teens are distracted and probably wish they were somewhere else. With a million things on their minds, you, in the teacher’s shoes, need to find a way to reach each one. Everyone has their own way of learning; some need to see things, others need to hear them, and some need logic. They all move at their own speed. You must keep trying different methods to teach the lesson until it seems like they finally “get it.” Some will need to hear the message more than others, but it’s incredibly rewarding when the one who seemed least interested comes up to you after class to say, “I finally understand. Something about how you explained it today just clicked.” I’ve had many of those lightbulb moments as a student myself. So, for you as the business owner or marketer, you need to be like that teacher. You have to keep presenting your message over and over in new ways until your target audience realizes, “Wow, this is something I need in my life.” That’s your job; if you give up, no progress will be made. You need to use your creativity to keep finding new ways to share your message. It might seem repetitive to you because you know your product inside out, but for most people, it just won’t click—until suddenly, it does.

What do you think about that? Does that resonate with you? Do you feel inspired to try to keep telling your message in new ways? I want to hear about it.

Did you have any questions about today’s episode? You can always email me Laryssa at laryssa@joyjoya.com. If you loved this podcast, please share it with a friend who’d appreciate it. And don’t forget to subscribe as well as leave a review on Apple Podcasts. If you’re completely new to digital marketing, then you’ll want to purchase and read a copy of my book JEWELRY MARKETING JOY. Visit joyjoya.com/book for more information.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai