Have you ever read a blog post that had so many interesting and profound ideas, you actually re-read it several times? That’s what happened to me when I read this fascinating article by Joseph Carrabis at iMedia Connections.

I originally read the article because it talks about gender and website design. But there’s much more to it than the title (”Website Marketing Across Genders”) suggests. For instance, the phenomenon he calls “Towards” and “AwayFrom” advertising.

I’ll dig into that in another post, but in the meantime, take a look at his description of using a visual on a page to draw visitors toward a specific action:

Let me give you an example of an automotive retailer site that also works in print. The goal is to have the visitor purchase a new vehicle. Place an image in the upper part of the screen or print piece. The left of the image is the owned vehicle, the right of the image is the desired or target vehicle. Just right of center is the couple or an individual facing the desired vehicle and walking towards it.

The web’s media capabilities allow the message to get across very well because the couple or individual can be seen actually moving towards the target vehicle. In a static image that implies walking have the right hand swinging towards the target vehicle, the left hand swinging towards the owned vehicle.

So simple. So powerful.

Speaking of simple and powerful, if you haven’t read Bryan Eisenberg’s award-winning article on images and eyetracking, you should. It definitely clarifies Joseph’s point.

Related Posts:

• 10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Using Flash
• When a Banner Ad Becomes a One-Click Stand
• Internet Retailer Web Design Conference, Miami
• How A Pretty Face Can Push Visitors Away
• Revenge of the Pixels: The Battle for Screen Real Estate