Photo Tips to Elevate Your Branding and Website Design
In today’s digital world first impressions are so important to your website. The photos on your website help set the tone for your brand and make your brand design memorable. That’s why it is so important that your website photos feature your best work and share your brand story. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Do you ever feel overwhelmed at the thought of choosing photos for your website? It can feel impossible to pick from hundreds of images from your latest branding shoot or years' worth of work! We’re sharing our website design tips on how to choose the best photos for your site, in a way that is much more streamlined, and much less overwhelming. We’re going to give you our top three types of photos to include along with some tricks on how to optimize your photo selection.
THREE TYPES OF PHOTOS FOR YOUR WEBSITE
01 | Portfolio or Product
What type of work do you want to be known for? About 60% of the photos on your website should feature your work and/or your product. These photos speak to exactly the type of work you do. They showcase your talent and style to your audience. Potential clients are likely going to want to take a look at your portfolio before deciding to reach out, and so these photos are key to drawing them in. But it’s not enough to simply show the designs or the product. Make sure you’re including images that show how the designs or the product are used. For example, if you’re an interior designer, show people enjoying the spaces you design! It helps your work come across not only as beautiful, but also as functional and livable. (We’ll talk a bit more about showing your work in context later on).
02 | Process
What does your process look like? 30% of your photos should show the magic behind your work. Will your audience still have questions about your process? Of course. But these photos give them a little behind the scenes and spark their interest to want to learn more about your process.
03 | Portraits
Who are the faces behind your brand? About 10% of your photos should feature you and your team. Including photos of your team (along with some fun facts) adds a sense of personability. It puts people behind your brand, and helps your audience get to know who your brand is, what your team brings to the table, and how you all collaborate together. Teamwork makes the dream work, so why not showcase that teamwork in action!
HOW TO SELECT THE BEST PHOTOS FOR YOUR WEBSITE
Now it’s time to select your photos! But where do you start?
First, get general! No need to preselect images for each landing page right away – that can make the process feel a bit overwhelming. With so many photos to choose from, you’ll want your favorites all in one simple spot. Try curating a general folder of your favorite images. Make sure you’re intentional in choosing these images. They should showcase your best work and speak to your brand personality. Think of this as your own personal Pinterest board. Now you (or your designer) have one location with all of your best images to pull from. This will help streamline your selections. We recommend around 100 of your favorite images total. That number gives you a broad selection without feeling too overwhelming.
Now that you have all of your favorite photos in one spot, you can start your selections. Keep in mind the 3 categories of types of images we talked about earlier – 1) portfolio/product, 2) process, 3) portraits. Organize your products or portfolio content by 1 folder for each page you plan on having. We recommend no more than 25 images per gallery.
INCLUDE PHOTOS THAT SHOW YOUR WORK IN CONTEXT.
Lastly, make sure you include photos that show how people interact with your work! Show those unique moments that make your brand special. How you show it matters. Here are some examples...
If you're a boutique hotel, don't just show off the rooms, show the little moments your guests will enjoy about your stay. Those unique moments will help them imagine themselves in your hotel. Once they have that image in their mind, it builds your memorability.
If you're selling a high-end candle, don't just show the product photo, show it lit next to a cozy couch or inviting bubble bath. Place the product in a space that aligns with your brand image. Your audience is going to envision that candle in their own space.
If you're a wedding vendor, don't just show the shots of the reception tablescape, show your couple (and their guests) experiencing their dream wedding day design!
At the end of the day, make sure you choose website photos that build a sense of emotion. The more imagination and inspiration you can spark, the more you can capture your audience’s attention and help your brand stick in their memory. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, so use your website photos to your advantage. They tell your brand story in a way far more impactful than words alone.