Design Method
The Importance of Photography and Professional Images on Your Website
The world wide web recently celebrated its 30th birthday. We have undoubtedly come a long way in a short space of time, and the internet is now much more than just searching for information and reading it. A visual and interactive web has enabled the global community to collaborate seamlessly.
In a digital age where brand personality and authenticity are crucial ingredients to any website, the use of canned template themes and stock images is beginning to look incredibly dated. From the moment someone arrives on your site, you have 15 seconds to capture their attention and show them what makes you unique before they click or swipe away forever.
Time is not on your side, and you are also faced with the realisation that you only have one chance to make a first impression with your visitors. Professional photography and imagery are your secret weapons to showcase your unique brand and what you do without having to use words. Powerful photography can help you make every second count by dramatically speeding up the processing and understanding of information.
There is no avoiding the fact that the imagery greeting your website visitors will influence both the credibility of your company and the message you want to deliver to your clients. A generic website theme combined with stock images is promoting someone else’s vision rather than your own. These are just a few reasons that highlight the importance of photography and professional images on your website.
Explore your online habits
As a business owner or marketer, it’s easy to understand how the aesthetics of your website can influence your website’s ranking and the user experience it delivers. Sure, the logo and website design are obvious examples of areas you need to get right, but if you want people to remember you, sometimes you have to look a little closer to home.
When browsing the web during your downtime, ask yourself what images capture your attention, and which do you take a quick glance at and continue scrolling? Do any of the photos make you trust the company or have the opposite effect? How you answer these questions will help you discover the difference between how to make an instant connection with a brand as opposed to muttering to yourself, “I don’t think so” as you click away.
According to research, online content with engaging images will get 94% more views than pages without. But when you encounter the same stock image on multiple sites, the entire pages will cease to be trustworthy or authentic to any visitor of your site.
The idea of arriving at a party to find someone wearing the same outfit is everyone’s worst nightmare. But imagine the horror of discovering that your competitor is using the same images or website theme? But it’s not all about the stock vs. unique photography debate. Any imagery used on your website must also reflect your brand image, and appeal to your target audience.
There are also increasing reports of copyright trolls whose entire business model consists of creating copyrighted creative content, making it available online across a variety of platforms, and then filing lawsuits onto unsuspecting users. By using your own imagery, you can avoid any potential copyright issues or becoming a target for online gangs’ intent on setting you up for an expensive mistake.
However, the biggest allure of creating exclusive content for your website is that it will enable you to showcase a brand identity and personality that cannot be replicated by stock footage. When browsing sites featuring the same themes and images seen before on multiple websites, they instantly become forgettable.
By contrast, the use of high-quality photography and imagery on your website can also help boost your SEO. Remember your images will appear in search engine results and increase engagement too. Visually appealing content that is sharable or Instagram worthy will tempt your audience to not only interact with your content but share it across multiple platforms.
Another great example is featuring photographs of both your staff and even your customers. Bringing your brand to life and showcasing your authenticity are much more than just another set of buzzwords, you can provide your audience with a friendly face to go with your voice and emails to bring a personal touch to your business.
Looking across the digital landscape, there is an argument that we are all creators with our carefully curated Instagram profiles. But if you do not possess photography skills or know a photographer that you can trust, there is no shame in leaving it to the experts.
Professional web designers will have vast experience with photo editing and already have access to design packages that will help bring your imagery and brand personality to life. If you would like to explore how we can help you at Design by Pelling or even need pointing in the right direction, feel free to contact our team……