How to convert Your Visitors into Customers through Image Search

Today in this blog we are going to learn about image optimization, especially if you run an ecommerce/online store. It is an art to convert searchers into visitors and then visitors into customers.
Today I am going to answer questions mentioned below which often nag an ecommerce website owner’s mind:

1. Why my website images are not showing up on Google image search?
2. Do I need to Alt Tags for my images
3. What is the difference between PNG, GIF and JPEG
4. Do I need to put small size images on the website

So, let’s start 6 must know image optimization tips:

1. Image names should be properly defined and should be in plain simple English
It is very simple to click more than 100’s of images from your mobile camera or digital camera but when you open the camera image folder, you can find the images’ names such as DMIACA1.jpg, DMIACA2.jpg . Once you start searching any particular image, then it is very tough to find one  because the names of all the images are similar, you cannot differentiate.

In the same way, think about your customers: how would they identify/search your product, if the image name and image folder is not defined properly.

It would be much better to define your image folder name properly and put all the images in the image folder with a proper descriptive name; it becomes very easy for a search engine as well as users to identify the correct image. For example,   you make a folder “Car” and inside the image folder, the images names are Ford sidan GLX 2, Ford SidanVXi, 2; by doing this, aa search engine can easily index your web page images quickly and they will begin showing up on Google image search. 

2. Images Alt Tag optimization
Alt attributes adds SEO value to your website and it helps search engines to index it properly. Even if any user moves mouse pointer over the image, it shows the exact image name. Adding appropriate alt tags on your web page images help your website to get better ranking, especially if you are optimizing ecommerce website so that search engines show up the images on web search.

Simple tips to add alt tags

• Just like the way you describe image file name with, the same way you need to define image alt tag in plain English text
• Mention product serial number or model number if you sell products that have them 
• Do not make your alt tag keyword stuffed
  

3. Always come up with image dimension strategy and product angles
Going back to the Ford example, you wouldn’t like to show just one car’s model, but would like to show models of your other cars too to your visitors and go a step further to show them the cars’ inner view, close up wheel images and more, it is completely up to you how smartly you show all the images to your viewers. It would be in best interest to show shots of car images along with the cars’ interior images with wheel and more.

4. Choose the right image file type
There are three common file types which are used to post images on website:
JPEG, GIF and PNG

JPEG or .JPG is somewhat of an old file format which has become the standard image format of the internet. JPEG images are easy to compress with small sizes.

GIF are of lower quality images than JPEG and are used for simpler images such as icons, decorative image, favicon and more.

PNG images are becoming more popular than JPEG and GIF. 

• For most ecommerce sites JPEG will be your best choice
• Never use GIFs for large image size
• PNG can be good alternative to both JPEG and GIFs
  

 5. Use Sitemaps

Google image sitemap will help you  get your images noticed by search engines. Adding alt tag, proper image name and image size with format is not just enough. You need to create separate sitemap for your images with a proper tag. Google Webmaster Tool . What is important here for you is to add all the necessary information, while using specific tags to any sitemap tags.

6. Beware of decorative images.
Decorative images include background images, buttons and borders. Anything non- product is considered as a decorative image.
Always try to avoid putting JPEG images on the blank space or in the border area of the website. Use PNG-8 or GIF format image or it’s better to use CSS to create colored areas instead of using image.