Use Quality Images For Greater Impact

One of the things that I generally notice on websites is the quality of the images used throughout the site. Generally I find that people completely underestimate the importance of having great photos and images on their site.

As I’ve discussed several times before the two most important aspects of a website are how it looks and the information (content) you provide your visitors.  The fist thing that visitors to your site will do is judge your credibility based on how the site looks.  If it looks good and is well laid out they will then begin to read your content, and then you’ve got them (so long as your content is good).

One of the pit-falls of website photography these days is the urge to grab your digital camera (or phone with camera) and take your own photos.  I’ve seen all too often photos of staff that have been taken against the wall of their reception area or out in the car park, and the lighting is wrong, there is no consistency between the photos and they scream amateur.  Unless you’re a great photographer, understand what the components of a great photo are and have the right equipment, I’d steer clear of the DIY path.

So now you’re asking what the options are.  Well there are two main paths you can take.

Firstly you can engage a professional photographer who will give you great results and provide guidance on the kind of photos you should be using. This is the best option if you have the budget because you’ll get exactly the images you want, in the setting you want and they’ll be unique to your site.

The second option is to use Stock Photos. Stock photos are photos that have been taken by professionals who then sell them for use on your website or in your brochure. Prices can range from $1 to hundreds of dollars, depending on the quality (web v/s print quality), popularity and photographer. One of my favourite sites is istockphoto.com. When you have to head over there for a look around, but be careful! I’ve been known to spend hours looking for the right photo.

Here are my top 7 tips for website photos:

1. The first, and best option is to always use a professional photographer. You’ll get photos of real people, real products and real locations that your customers can relate to.
2. When using stock photos avoid cliché images such as people shaking hands.  Be a bit more creative.
3. Make sure the photo has a purpose. Don’t just use a photo for the sake of it.
4. Think about the style of your site and make sure the photo matches.
5. Fewer, higher quality images are better than lots of small lesser quality photos.
6. Make sure your photos are giving a positive image.
7. When using stock photos of people choose carefully. I can’t tell you how often I see the same people on websites!

So next time you’re updating the content of your website give some thought to the images you’re using, and whether or not they’re appropriate for your website or it’s time to update them.