Importance of Good Quality Photography in Web Design

If a photo is worth a thousand words, then how many is a really good photo worth?

Good high-quality, professional photography can really make a difference to web design – it can make or break the appeal of a website, which is why I always stress to my clients the importance of good-quality photographs.

Why is Good Photography so Important?

Whatever your industry, there will always be competition and, in website terms, this competition is always merely a click away.

If your website looks unprofessional, then there’s a good chance that the user will quickly move onto your competitor’s better-looking and more professional website and they could then win up with the business.

Creating the right first impression has always been important and website photography is incredibly important in creating the right first impression.

Benefits of Bespoke Photography

if you’re selling your own products online, then you’re going to need photos of the products.

However, if you’re selling services, then you have the option of using stock photos or bespoke photography.

Having your own bespoke photography either with a professional photographer or taken by yourself has a number of benefits over stock photos.

Meeting Your Exact Requirements

If you’ve got your own photography, then you’re assured that the photos will be exactly what you want. Whether you have a professional in to take them or you do so yourself, you know that you’re getting the right shot – just how you want it.

Having full control over the photo enables you to convey just the right message and nail the brand identity.

Of course, if you’re taking the photos yourself, then they need to be good quality otherwise they can actually harm your business’s brand.

Bespoke and Unique

Staging your own photo shoot also ensures that your photos are unique and will not be seen on 100’s of other websites across the world.

If it’s essential for your business to stand out from all the competition and differentiate yourself, then having your own unique photography may be essential.

There are also SEO benefits to using unique photos. Whilst Google doesn’t currently penalise the use of stock photography, it does prefer unique content that matches user search intent and good quality photos that are bespoke to your business would meet that criteria.

Create Trust and Authenticity

Photos of your business premises and team will help to build trust with your visitors.

Many people feel more confident when meeting or speaking to someone new when they know what they will look like in advance.

Conversely, we’re all familiar with some of the cheesy stock photos of people either sitting around an office table or pointing at charts and, of course, the classic woman wearing a headset offering customer support.

Using this kind of photo definitely does not create feelings of trust and authenticity.

Long-Term Cost Benefits

Although hiring a professional photographer can be seen as an extra expense when compared to buying a couple of stock photos or even using free stock photography, it’s worth bearing in that you’ll often have hundreds of photos at the end of the photo shoot, from a variety of different points of view and therefore emphasis.

You won’t have to dip back into the stock photo website and purchase other photos from the same shoot – assuming they exist. This opens up a whole array of new use cases where you simply don’t want to use the same photo again and again.

Stock Photography

If the budget really isn’t there to hire a professional photographer, stock photos are still a great option. Want to learn more? Read my article: Stock Photography: Benefits of Paid vs Free Stock Photos.