Men tend have longer engagement with image-led online ads than women, as well as being able to notice a higher percentage of the ad’s content.

According to a study from stock photo company Shutterstock, carried out by eye-tracking market researchers Lumen, men look at ads for 0.9 seconds while noticing 33 per cent of the ads compared to 0.5 seconds spent looking by females and only a quarter of the ads noticed.

In addition, the research found that image-led ads featuring children were more engaging to parents. People with children viewed 25 per cent of ads for an average of 1.3 seconds, compared to the 22 per cent and 0.8 seconds of those without children. Similarly, images of an elderly couple were viewed more by people aged over 55.

“It’s notoriously hard to prove the effectiveness of online ads but this study goes a long way to showcasing what type of images engage viewers and therefore what kinds of ads are most effective,” Jeff Weiser, CMO at Shutterstock, told Campaign. “For marketers looking to produce online ad campaigns, they should seek to use simple imagery that appeals to the target demographic.”