How to Use Stunning Photos to Create the Go-To Website
Whoever said love is the universal language of mankind did not understand the power of a photo. A picture isn’t just worth a thousand words anymore, it also conveys a thousand emotions that – when done correctly – could change the face of your website for good.
10 percent of all the pictures that mankind has ever taken was produced in the last twelve months. This goes on to show, that with a camera in every pocket, images are becoming an important part of our everyday lives.
Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest ride on the success of images and businesses and individuals alike are reaping the benefits out of it. Take YouTube star Zoella for instance; she has over 70k followers and posts selfies, snippets, and brand promotions.
A lot of websites do not pay attention to the right type of image. Some people believe that images are just an addition to the site – a visually uplifting addition – but in truth images are as important as textual content, if not more. And from a design perspective, images find a solid place in the design structure.
Why should every website have exceptional images?
Better retention
The reason why books for children have colorful images for every word is that people learn to associate words with particular images. Neuroscientists say that associating information with a mental picture would help you retain it for longer.
Web sites today face cutthroat competition. One needs to do whatever possible to be remembered by the audience. A lack of images creates an absence of this association.
Gets the attention
The father of advertising, David Ogilvy, was a huge fan of images in ads. In fact, he would delegate his team to find the perfect image for a particular write-up. You might have the best ad script written or have flawless power-packed content on your website, it all goes down the drain if the reader isn’t motivated and captivated enough to read it.
To get to the part where you wow them with what you offer, you first have to draw their attention to it. Images work remarkably well because people don’t read but instead, scan and skim pages.
Convey messages better
Besides association, images also work as an add-on to the information you want to convey via text. In fact, in some cases, the image-to-text association is like a peanut butter jelly combo that has its own flavor.
Also, given how much more information you can pack in a visual element, a creative image can say a lot more than text does.
Helps with branding
Your brand’s story needs visuals to be communicated. And experts believe that visual assets are indispensable in telling a brand’s story. Think of Red Bull and how their images instantly inspire people to do adventurous, risky things. Or Nike for instance, their brand ethos shines clearly through their Instagram and Twitter visual feed. With pictures and videos of workouts and motivational quotes, this is one brand that’s using their visual asset correctly.
Image courtesy Nike
Saves up space
Going by the ‘a picture is worth a thousand word’ idea, images help to clear up a lot of space on the website as they put forth a good chunk of information without demanding a lot of space. This leads to a clean sleek and uncluttered layout.
Where flashy texts and chunky pop-ups were the norm a decade back, websites today are gearing more towards a simplistic approach. Most designers are of the opinion that websites should have a good amount of clean white space and muted, subtle complementing colors.
Breaks the monotony
We already pointed out that with attention spans getting shorter and shorter, people these days only skim through rather than read the entire piece. Website content that goes on and on will most likely have a page abandonment issue because our brain has the tendency to decode language in a sequential, linear manner. And hoping for chunky text to get read, especially if your targeted audience isn’t proactively searching for information on your website, is like wishing for snow in May.
Strategically placed images can both cut down on the need for too much text and also break into “chewable” chunks. Think of images as speed breakers that propel the reader forward. According to research, visuals – images, gifs, etc. – increase your reader’s willingness to read any content by almost 80%
Where to place images on a website?
Depending upon the design of your website, you can have a one-page website with images on the and on they foreground. Or you can just opt for a text plus image combination with a few images on the side and main information (textual) in the middle of the page.
If yours is a portfolio-based website like a photographer’s website where you need to show off your work, you might consider including a slideshow gallery with your best works. This would instantly grab the reader’s attention to where you want it to be and is a great way to make use of your personal images.
Product images are again another important part of your e-commerce website or one that retails physical products instead of services. You have to have high-resolution good quality product images to give your buyers a glimpse of what the product looks like, enticing them into buying it. In fact, more than just images, you should also have a video that shows the product up close and personal.
Profile photos of teams and key members of the company/website is a great way to humanize the brand. Your readers connect with the actual people behind the screen and not just a bunch of stock photos. And adding pictures of the team is also an excellent way to build trust, especially if there are known faces on the list.
How to choose the best photos for your website?
By now, you’re probably thinking “Hey, I have a good idea of why images are so important for any website but how do I get the best one for my site?”. For websites that want to stand out of the crowd, images can play a huge role. Here’s how you can choose the best ones for your website:
Create it
Even when you sit down to chalk up a cost plan for building or revamping your website, you should take into account the amount it would take to get professional images clicked and processed. This is ideally the best way to get images for your website; you are getting images in line with the theme and requirements of your website. You’re not just picking from what’s available.
Also, when you get images created your molding them as per your vision of your own web corner. It’s merely an interpretation of the objective of your website in a visual format. And it’s individualistic to your website. Plus, you have the power to decide how it comes out, what lighting should be used, how the models should pose, what should the backdrop be. You are creating an image in the truest sense of the word.
Enhance what’s already there
A lot of webmasters are strapped for cash, and they might not have the bandwidth to get professional images shot. If you are a photography enthusiast with basic knowledge of DSLR and photography (or if you want to get started, here’s a great guide), you can create stunning shots that would beat any generic stock photo. Enhance these images using Photoshop Actions and Lightroom Presets so they can compete with the works of the professionals. It’s a quick, economical option that you can resort to but make sure you do have some knowledge of photography if you’re going down this route. Shoddy, inferior quality images just negate everything we spoke about so far.
Source it..but smartly
What do you do when you don’t have the means to invest in getting professional images shot for a website or the skills to do it yourself? You turn to the next best option – getting it from royalty free sources.
The idea is not to use generic images of people smiling, looking like it’s the best thing in the world, and which honestly makes every reader want to slap them. Also, your competitors might be using the same images too so how does that differentiate you from them? Also, how does it ensure that your images make an association with your brand possible?
You have to dig deep, get filtered, and get more personalized results.
A few things to keep in mind
- Placement of images is important. Make sure it helps the text and does not distract from it. Studies show that when using model photos, it’s best to make them face the text as it diverts attention to the text rather than take away from it.
- Real people photos get more attention and hence improve readership. It also helps in humanizing the brand and makes people connect.
- Make sure whatever images you are using do not slow down the page. Page load speed is an important parameter in both rankings and judging page abandonment.
Images are pretty much the backbone of your website content and more. Get this part right and you’d dramatically change the look, feel, and conversions of your website.
What is your opinion on website photography? Tell us in the comment section below.
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