When creating your new website, it’s important to consider everything (colors, fonts to use, content, etc.). One aspect that is often underestimated is the photos that will appear on your page. Many companies ignores the photo aspect when thinking about their website.
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF PHOTOS FOR MY WEBSITE?
First, pages with photos receive 94% more visits than those without photos.
Another important point to remember is that a picture is worth a thousand words. A human can understand an image in 100 milliseconds! By selecting the right photos to use, it will be easy to capture the attention of visitors. Moreover, without even reading the text, they can visualize your services, your products, and relate to using them. Create a positive atmosphere in your photos and include people in them to help users identify, reinforcing a positive user sentiment towards you and humanizing your website.
High-quality photos attract more visitors. Photos also serve as a showcase for your website. When a person searches for something related to your business, the search result may display an image used on your website. If you use beautiful photos, they will draw users’ attention to your website. Quick tip: properly labeled photos can stand out better in search results.
The same goes for social media. When you share a link, an image representing it appears. The choice of this image is crucial, as it either catches the user’s eye or leaves them indifferent.
People visiting your website will quickly scan the content and may not necessarily read the text. You need to make a good first impression quickly, and photos play a significant role in achieving that. Users take only 5 seconds to judge your website and decide whether to stay or look elsewhere.
Images that work well are clean and minimalist. If you have overly cluttered images, it can strain the eye, and users won’t understand what to focus on or the subject of the photo.
Another advantage is that it’s easier for web developers to work with high-quality photos. Having quality photos makes it easier to add content on top, such as text, without it getting lost in the photo or causing readability issues.
I WANT EXAMPLES!
Here are examples of websites that have chosen to invest in their photos :
See how the photo quality has a positive impact. It’s also very easy to add text on them without affecting readability. In the last three images, you can see people, which helps visualize themselves enjoying the product (in this case, air quality). It’s a website related to air, so the use of white and pale colors gives a sense of purity and lightness, which goes well with the featured product. The minimalist style of the penultimate photo allows the product to be highlighted quickly without many other elements, making its beauty stand out, even though it’s just a simple air conditioner.
hey! I want photos like that too!
There are two ways to obtain high-quality images.
using image banks
There are websites where photographers share their photos with the rest of the world. These sites allow you to have high-quality, professional photos for free, even for commercial purposes! Here’s a short list of these sites:
There are also paid photo banks, which often offer more choices than free photo banks.
Shutterstock, iStockphotos and Getty Images are three of the major players in the field.
Finally, there is also The Stocks, it’s a search engine that allows you to search for images (or several other types of media) across multiple image banks at once.
using the services of a photographer
The latter is a paid option but comes with many advantages!
First, hiring a professional photographer guarantees high-quality photos. They will have the appropriate equipment for the job, and, more importantly, they will be familiar with composition rules that will enhance your subject and add an extra dimension to your photos. They can also retouch the photos if needed to bring out their full potential.
Furthermore, using a professional photographer allows you to get images that precisely match your needs because you can provide them with specific directions. This helps convey your message more effectively through the images. For certain projects, you might ask the photographer to take a picture of a person, leaving plenty of space on the right side of the person, so that developers can later add dynamic text over the image.
Finally, another advantage of using a photographer’s services is the ability to have personalized and unique images. While using a website like Unsplash is good, the images are still from a photo bank, which can be quite generic. Moreover, since these websites are popular, many other websites (including your competitors) may use the same images as you. Therefore, having your own images ensures a unique touch that sets you apart. Additionally, instead of using strangers in your photos simulating situations, you can feature your real employees or clients, which adds a very interesting human aspect. Photos are an ideal way to highlight the local aspect of your business.
in conclusion
Photos are crucial for your online platform. High-quality photos are attractive, especially if they feature people from your company. Your web designers can create engaging visuals using your photos, adding a touch of professionalism to your business. Minimalist and clean photos allow your subjects and text to stand out without sacrificing readability. Obtaining beautiful photos is easy with platforms like Unsplash. Don’t hesitate to hire a photographer because they can provide you with photos tailored to your needs and unique images that emphasize the human and local aspect of your business.
Photos are not an expense but an investment that enhances the quality of your website.
– A savvy individual
