Well photographed images can enhance the look of your site. However – original and authentic website images will really win your customers over.
We’ve all heard it before, but it’s so true… “a picture paints a thousand words”.
Nothing impacts the aesthetic of your website more than the images!
People tend to recall pictures more readily than they remember words, so choosing the right imagery doesn’t just create a great first impression, but also a lasting one. Images also help to evoke emotion, create trust and compel a visitor to take action.
Professional Photographer
Investing in professional photos – especially if you are trying to sell products online – will provide you with a versatile asset. Apart from your website, they can also be used in your marketing and any promotional material for your business.
Your photos represent your business and showcases the products and services you have to offer, so the more professional the photos, the better the reflection on your brand!
DIY Photography
Ok, so not everybody has the budget up front to hire a photographer. To start with, you can attempt a bit of DIY photography. Most smartphones these days have quite high megapixel counts and great image quality.
Follow some of the tips below to make the most of smartphone photography!
- Get to know your phone’s camera app
- Composition is key! It all comes down to the arrangement of the subject in your image. Consider the rule of thirds, depth of field, patterns, texture, leading lines and perspective.
- Lighting is everything in photography – it also helps set the tone, mood and atmosphere of a photo.
- Consider the background. Make sure there’s nothing in the background that distracts from the main subject. When photographing products for an online shop, a neutral, consistent background works best.
- Download some photo editing apps – the use of filters, adjusting the brightness or even cropping an image can work wonders.
- Most of all, be creative!
Free website images
Finally, you have ultimate resource – the internet! There are a variety of websites that provide free professional images that do, or do not, require you to credit the author. These can be a great option if all else fails.
The drawback to using stock images is that your service or offering can seem less authentic than original images. Just make sure you choose carefully and always keep your brand personality in mind when selecting images for your site.
Here are some great sources:
We hope you enjoyed our checklist series for setting up your online business! Keep following us for more information on selling online.
