The Importance of Professional Quality Photography for Web Design

In this day and age, websites are one of the most important elements of a company and its brand. When you think of a website, you think of its design, the content within it, and how that website functions. But one thing that is typically overlooked is the importance of authentic and quality photography within that website experience.

The content of your site is not just limited to words, people are visual by nature and photography plays an important role in creating that great experience that we all seek. It can help connect all the different pieces that tell your brand’s story. It combines with the branding, web design, and copy to tell users what you do and the benefits of your services and products. Photography assists to evoke the emotions that help users connect with your brand. You can read a lot of words on a screen but if you don’t have any images to connect those words to, a user may feel overwhelmed or get tired of reading quicker, which makes them become less engaged with your website.

Having the best photos for your website should be one of your top priorities. It also helps the designer when they have great assets to work with. Beautiful photography can help establish the quality of your company and enhance the overall look and feel of your website. With better photography, visitors will likely stay longer and enjoy the website viewing experience more.

There are a few different ways of obtaining quality photography and it is something you should prepare for before you even begin a website project. 

1. Use stock photography
2. Hire a professional photographer

Stock Photography

Stock photography is a collection of generic images, licensed to individuals or organizations for use in their marketing materials. This is the quickest and easiest way to get quality photography for your website but it does come with a few downsides. There are tons of stock photos out in the world, and you won’t be the first person to use them. This means that your photography may not be unique to you. This can instantly hurt the quality of your brand if someone makes that connection. In our experience, stock photography should be your last resort if you can avoid it. The most effective websites are the ones rich in original photographs, specific to your brand.

Hire a professional photographer

If you want to avoid using stock photography, we highly recommend hiring a professional to get the job done. While it may cost more, think of this as an investment in your brand’s future. They will get the photos you need in order to tell your story well. In addition, those photos won’t only be used on your website design, but can also be used on social media and other marketing materials. It will help bring a consistent visual to your overall brand story that will keep users engaged over time.

Things not to do when gathering photography assets

There are a couple of things that you should be careful and aware of when gathering your photo assets for your website.

Don’t use a cell phone camera

Although it can be used as a last resort, we do not recommend using cell phone imagery on your website. It can easily be distinguished from professional photography and lower the overall quality of your brand. It’s not as high resolution as professional cameras and can lead to a pixelated and distorted image on your website.

Using imagery that doesn’t make sense

Ensure that you are using the correct types of photographs, specifically when talking about your products. If you have a very specific product but show a picture of a different variation of that product, it may mislead your customers and confuse them.

Landscape vs Portrait

We see a lot of clients provide images to us that are in portrait (vertical) orientation. This works in very specific instances but generally, websites utilize more horizontal landscape-oriented photographs to fill space in the design. You can always make a vertical photograph out of landscape orientation, but it’s not as easy to make a horizontal out of a vertical photograph without lowering the overall resolution of the image.

Conclusion

We can design great websites, but if we don’t have the assets to work with at the beginning, it will greatly limit what is possible. Engaging photography can boost success rates and conversions within your website and make telling your brand’s story a whole lot more fun. 

Give your designer the tools to best meet your goals and present your brand in the best possible light. 

Let Us Help

Not sure where to start with finding a photographer? We can help! Our team at Boost Creative is comprised of individuals with a wide range of talents, including photography. We also know the best of the best in the industry and routinely partner with them when projects require a specific skill set, like action shots, real estate listings, or even food photography. We can provide you with the resources to capture the right look and feel for your business and its website. 

To learn more about Boost Creative, our team or our work, contact us today!