Nearly 40% of consumers will leave a poorly planned, organized, or designed site. In fact, 38% will judge your business based on your site at a glance, too. If the images on your new company website are low-quality and lacking, people might leave.
Before that can happen, add finding the best stock photos to your website development process. The right stock photography can impress and engage your target audience.
Not sure what types of photography suit your website? Here are a few tips that can help you review your options.
With these tips, you can choose between stock photos with your customers in mind. Read on to learn more today!
1. Review Your Brand Guidelines
It can take over five impressions in front of a consumer before they begin remembering your brand. Meanwhile, consistent branding across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%. If you want to set your website (and business) up for success, consider your branding.
What message or mood is your overall brand trying to convey? For example, you might want to create a fun, playful website. Perhaps you want to look corporate and professional.
Before choosing any stock photos for your website, define your brand’s overall style. Make sure you and your web developer are on the same page, too. The best developer will understand your brand’s style and the message you want to convey.
Choosing different types of stock photos and other brand elements could confuse customers. The imagery across your website might clash, too. Instead, make sure you’re choosing photography that suits your overall brand.
If you haven’t outlined your brand guidelines yet, consider working with a digital marketing agency. They help you develop your brand before you start working on your website.
2. Focus on High-Quality Imagery
As you explore the different types of stock photos available, you’ll likely notice some are more appealing than others. Regardless of the types of photography you choose, make sure to focus on quality.
High-quality images can help communicate a high-quality brand.
Placing high-quality images across your site can benefit the website’s overall appearance, too. Make sure the images have large pixels. Look for high-resolution pictures as well.
During the website development process, make sure to review your site both on desktop and mobile devices. You might find a picture looks high-quality only on smaller screens.
During this process, make sure to consult your web developer. They should help you create a website that’s mobile-optimized. If photos don’t adjust for smaller devices, they might look awkward.
Neglecting to have a mobile-optimized website can impact the user experience. A negative user experience might scare visitors away. You could miss the chance to convert those visitors into paying customers as a result.
3. Look for a Call-to-Action
If you want to find the best stock photos for your website, think about each photo’s purpose.
Where are you placing the photo? What message are you trying to communicate? What is the purpose of having that page?
Asking these questions can help you align each photo with a specific call-to-action. Don’t add a photo to a page unless there’s a reason for it. Otherwise, the photos you choose might fail to accomplish your goals.
Determine what you want the customer to do when they reach a page. Then, allow the image to double as a call-to-action.
For example, you can use high-quality, attractive images to make people want your products or services. Then, you can add a call-to-action like, “Buy Yours Today” to entice shoppers to take action.
4. Convey Your Message
A picture says a thousand words, right? When adding different types of photography across your site, make sure it communicates on your behalf. You can use high-quality images to hook your audience.
Your images can engage customers and encourage them to take action.
Make sure the photo you choose gets your point across. Consider the headline or call-to-action you might pair with the image, too.
Even with strong messaging, people might not read a headline if the image isn’t engaging.
Instead, show off your products, services, or businesses. Let your photos add depth to your website. Make sure they add to your brand story, too.
5. Show Real People
When reviewing the best stock photos available, consider adding more photos of real people.
People connect with people. Images of real people across your site can help you evoke an emotional response. People might feel more connected with your brand, which could help you generate conversions.
Try to avoid stock photos that look like stock photos, though. Instead, find photos that make people look genuine. You can look here to get started.
Instead of using stand-alone images of your products, consider taking unique images of people using your products, too.
6. Check the File Type
When choosing your images, make sure to determine if you need a JPG or PNG.
PNGs are ideal for flat areas of color or if you need a transparent background. They’re also ideal for graphics.
JPGs are ideal for photographs.
7. Optimize for SEO
As you use these tips and start reviewing different types of stock images, make sure to keep search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. SEO can help improve your search engine rankings.
More people are exploring images when using search engines online. Your images could appear for a relevant search.
Optimize your images for SEO by using your target keyword within the file name. Avoid using generic file names, too.
Don’t forget to review the image alt text as well. The alt text will describe what appears in the photo. Try to naturally include the SEO keyword within the image alt text.
Remain consistent when adding these photos across your site. For example, you can use hyphens for each file name. The best web developer can help.
Stunning Imagery: 7 Tips for Selecting the Best Stock Photos for a New Site
Don’t neglect the photos that appear on your new website. Instead, use these tips to choose the best stock photos with ease. Using these tips can ensure your website wows customers and leaves a lasting impact.
You might have an easier time generating sales as a result.
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