Because they’re fun!
The other day a brilliant brand strategist I know and love referred one of her clients to me for a brand shoot in order to get some updated images for the new website she was designing for her. So I hopped on a call with the client and we chatted about her business, both where it’s at currently and where she sees it going in the future.
At one point she mentioned her work with the brand strategist and said “When she told me I should work with you, I was surprised – I didn’t even know I needed photos for the website!”
This is, surprisingly, not uncommon as a response. A lot of small businesses only give cursory attention to their websites – with either no photos, or maybe a sprinkling of stock photos. It’s sort of a necessary nuisance that they know they have to check off the marketing list, and give it no more thought.
“When you have a business website, appropriate imagery can increase sales when your users relate to it. Images help establish an emotional connection between your website and your users.”
Haris Bacic – Forbes
But of course I get very excited when I hear this – I can’t help myself. I’m like an evangelist with a captive audience, wanting to share the Good News of how transformative good imagery can be for a website’s design. Because (without a boring recital of all the stats) it’s true.
Images are the quickest way to wrangle attention and forge a connection. And if you’ve hung around here long enough you’ll recognize my drumbeat of “People buy from people they know, like, and trust.” When you show them who you are, you’re humanizing your brand – you’re more relatable and therefore (over time and with consistency) you’re perceived as more trustworthy – and hopefully you are of course!
Now, there’s a lot of other, more tech-y reasons that images are good for your website – like for SEO, but that’s not really my wheelhouse here. Images are a great way to tell a story, illustrate your process or products, build credibility, and increase consistency across your platforms and advertising material.
So, since we’re all such visual creatures, I thought I’d do a side by side comparison of a before and after website with one of my favorite clients of 2024.
While you might not always know why you gravitate and feel more engaged by one website over another, once you see professional, consistent images across a platform you suddenly realize the impact they have. Not all by themselves of course – a good, thoughtful website design that’s easy to navigate and great copy are crucial. But you can see how powerfully these elements work together – benefiting both the end user (potential client) and the business. And isn’t that the point?
BEFORE
AFTER
I seriously get so excited every time a client sends me their new or updated websites after a session with me. All the time spent on location scouting, wardrobe choices, and shot lists come together to help create something that the client can really put to work for them. That shows who they are, and what they do.
This client had a fantastic team that I was thrilled to be part of, and want to acknowledge here. She hired an expert in storytelling and thought leadership, a website designer that helped her dial in the vibe of her new site, and a stylist that I had such fun with going through Sabina’s wardrobe to curate each look for every set of shots and locations.
As always – hope this was helpful (and fun!)…
