Images are incredibly important for helping people retain information. In fact, according to HubSpot, images are the difference between people retaining 65% of the information they read 3 days later, or just 10% of the same information without an image. Customers who are shown high-quality product images are actually 3X more likely to convert.

However, research shows that there IS a limit to the number of images you should include in your marketing emails. In fact, you should use only 3 images or less- why? There are several reasons you should limit the number of images in an email.

1. Open Rate

HubSpot completed an interesting test to see if people preferred image heavy emails, or text heavy emails. The results were astounding. While people stated in a survey they preferred emails with less images, HubSpot’s AB testing proved otherwise. Here are some takeaway statistics from their findings:

• Increasing the amount of HTML lowered opens by 23%
• In a plain text vs HTML email, the HTML template heavy on images received 25% less opens
• Adding .GIF, another form of visual element, decreased the open rate by a mind-blowing 37%

2. Click Rate

Another part of the HubSpot research showed that HTML rich emails had lower click rates than their plain text counterparts.

• Emails with .GIF versions had a 2.3% lower clickthrough rate, and taking into consideration the lower open rate, these emails received 42% less clicks than their plain text counterparts
• When it came to plain text vs HTML, the HTML email had a 21% lower clickthrough rate and 51% fewer clicks overall with the reduced open rate

Best Practices for the Images You Choose

• Skip the stock photos: Stock photos are so overused and just like content, original is better. Considering hiring a professional photographer to include high-quality images in your blogs, but don’t underestimate one of your biggest resources either- your customers. Sharing customer images in emails can increase engagement rates by helping customers feel like they are actively engaged with your business.
• Ensure your images look great on mobile devices: Remember, many readers are using their cell phones and tablets to read marketing emails, so ensuring your images look perfect across devices is crucial.
• Link your images to products or applicable web pages: Make sure your images don’t just sit there, but give readers another way to visit your website and view more pages!
• Use people in your photos: Research shows that using a person in your images, looking at a specific product will increase the chance your reader will follow her his or her line of site. If you want more focus on what you are trying to sell, this is a great way to do it!

Email Marketing is a great way to engage with your current and future customers and help keep your brand top of mind. For more tips and tricks to improve your digital marketing efforts, follow us on social media as we’re always sharing the latest tips.

Related Post: How to Choose Quality Images for Your Blogs

By Amara Young