Images in your articles – photos, illustrations, or other graphics – are often the first thing visitors look at in your articles. If the image is compelling, visitors tend to stay to check out the text.

ProBlogger 2nd EditionIf the images in your articles are of poor quality or unappealing – or non-existent! – visitors tend to leave. It’s really that simple. Not having an image in your article is mistake #4 on the ProBlogger list of 21 Reputation-Crushing Writing Mistakes.

When visitors come to your website, you have a choice. You can make it inviting and pleasant, or you can make it just about as appealing as the innards of the phone book. The difference is images.

Here are some reasons to use images in your articles and ways of effectively using them:

They break up text

Facing a page of black-and-white text is daunting for some people. Images can give the eye a place to rest, breaking up the flow of an otherwise monotonous page.

Here’s a random image to break up the text before moving on.

Images in Articles

They lead into the text

CheckmarkSince people look at them first, the images provide a starting point for the rest of the article.

Good images are like flashing arrows that say, “START HERE.”

They introduce the topic

Picking an appropriate, related image gives the reader an idea of what to expect from the article.

For instance, a photo of a street sign that says “Bumpy Road Ahead” lets the reader know that the article is about challenges or change.

Sales Funnel

They support the article content

A diagram, graphic, or other image can further illustrate the article’s content. A flow chart of a sales funnel, for instance, gives you another way to explain the concepts you’re presenting.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. If that’s true, you can’t afford not to use images in your articles. They may be the most powerful tool you have.

Rick Brock