5 Reasons to Invest in Professional Website Images
If you are investing in your website design, do not overlook the importance of working with a professional photographer for at least some of your website images. It is okay to mix in some iPhone imagery—striking the right balance is key!
When planning for a new website or a redesign there are many points to consider including: written content, calls to action, clearly defining what you offer and the customer journey. At the top of that list should also be website images.
I have worked with many business owners and can confirm the ones who chose to invest in professional photography, hands down, have the most polished end result that truly tells their story driving a more authentic connection with potential clients. Investing in a professional website as well as professional imagery does add expense. However, the ROI has the potential to earn back that investment many times over. In most cases a business website is your store front to the world. It tells the story of what you offer potential clients and the problem you solve for them. Poor imagery can quickly turn site visitors away to the next competitor listed in search results. I could go on and on about the benefits of professional images but let’s focus on the top 5.
1. Images tell your story and draw site visitors in to learn more.
Images support the written message and tell your story to potential new clients. If you are selling a product or service like interior design, your images are going to be the front door to motivating a site visitor to work with you or not.
When someone finds your website, they will skim the content to decide if this is potentially what they are looking for. If they feel like they have landed in the right corner of the internet, they will read through the content. If not, they bounce to the next option. Your images need to draw them in to read more and support what you are offering in a clear and professional manner.
2. Images are a huge component of your brand image.
Your website design, when executed properly, will be cohesive with your branding. The color palette, typography and images should all work as a “team” to tell your story. This is a huge reason why as a brand and website designer, I need your images from the beginning of the site design or I need you to obtain images that compliment the branding we have selected for your project.
If your branding is classic and sophisticated, you wouldn’t want to have images that are more contemporary or abstract. It would confuse site visitors and probably result in them moving onto the next option. You say you offer “X” but are showing me “Y” does not build trust. Which leads me to my next point...
3. Poor website imagery is most definitely costing you opportunities for growth—goodbye potential new client.
If your images do not accurately support the content of your site and what you offer, you are 100% losing opportunities to grow your business. If someone lands on your site and the photo quality is terrible, they move on to the next. This is not to say that you can’t mix in some iPhone imagery because you can. In fact, I worked with a client who wanted to make sure she had a mix of professional and casual images. We wanted to convey her professionalism yet still incorporate more in the moment imagery to ensure she felt approachable.
Gabby Guarino is a private chef and her website is still one of my favorite projects to date! Her photographer is absolutely amazing, like next level some of the best images I have ever worked with. She has a combo of images on her site that she provided and professional photos captured by Eric Vitale Photography. The mix of these images perfectly captured the essence of her brand and services.
4. A skilled photographer will pay attention to the technical details.
Lighting, background colors, what you are wearing all play into the end result of your website images. Use me as an example, I recently invested in brand photography for a rebrand and new site. The photographer I worked with specialized in brand photography and did not miss a detail. She advised me on what to wear, chose a location that connected with my brand persona and chose backdrops that complimented all of the above. Stay tuned for a deep dive on this process in a future blog post but in the meantime, check out Amber Renea Photography on @amberreneabranding on Instagram to see what I mean!
Most photographers will provide both web and print sized images. Web sized images are crucial and will save you time and money with the website design as well as positively impact your site speed. If you try and upload huge images, it bogs down your site. Each platform has different specifications for image sizes. I find that most web sized images work just fine.
5. Images can positively impact your SEO.
Have you ever been looking for an item for your home you saw on Pinterest with no link? We have all used Google image search at one point or another. If someone is looking to learn more about your company, if you are for example a real estate photographer or interior designer, chances are they are going to use Google image search to see your work.
Obviously a real estate photographer will have professional images but will they be indexed by search engines properly? Ayerborne Photography is a great example of a site with properly indexed gorgeous images. It is imperative that you add ALT text to all images for accessibility and SEO. Learn more about ALT text here in a previous article I wrote, “What is ALT text & why it should be added to website images.”
Professional images might be the key selling point for your business. Again thinking of an interior designer—if someone is looking to work with a local designer they will most certainly want to see images of your work. Professional images along with proper ALT tags will only help propel you towards the top of search results landing you more dream clients.
Referencing what I said before, it is 100% okay to mix in some iPhone images but larger hero images for your site should be taken by a professional. Another great example of a website properly using this mix is Amy Havins, Dallas based blogger. She works with some very talented photographers but also shares quick bits of content as an influencer and the mix works beautifully. Check out her Currently Loving page for a great example of this working quite well in practice on her website.
At the end of the day, great photography can help tell your story and convey your message as a professional to potential new clients. If you are investing in a new website or redesign, working with a professional photographer will be the right move and yield a better end result with more opportunities to connect with your dream clients. If you are local in the Winston area and need some recommendations, please reach out as I know several who I trust depending on your style and brand: jlwatrob@north8designs.com. I would love to connect you with some potential options to help you find the right fit.
