Let us skip past the whole “a picture is worth a thousand words” palaver. No one wants to hear all that again.

The correct photograph not only provides visual content to your website but evokes emotion, style, attitude, and even kick-starts a relationship with your ideal client. Essentially photography can provide many things to your website, so why don’t we break it down?

It sparks a relationship

Clients want to see themselves in your business and doing so can turn a prospect into a client. Showcasing your ideal client through photography will communicate to your audience that your business is suited to them.

Let’s say you are a financial adviser or planner marketing to those approaching retirement, and your firm will help them retire comfortably.

You need to build a bank of photographs that include older, healthy, and happy people. Your clients will notice and subconsciously relate themselves to your service – all because you are showing them their ideal lifestyle that your business can help them achieve.

Your audience wants to see who you are

Many firms overlook the use of bespoke photography on their website. What I mean by bespoke photography is personal photographs, whether it’s portraits or branded photography. Using bespoke photographs means you are telling your audience who you are, what your profession is, and a bit about your personality.

Your website is often the first impression that people have of your business. This is why it is essential to portray the right style and feeling to your photographs because this will be reflected throughout your business. Within seconds your target audience will know if they are interested in your business or not.

There is a popular movement of consumers wanting to buy and support independent businesses. This is because they can see the impact they have on business owners and their employees. Clients like dealing with a small, local firm as they can directly see the benefits to the local community.

You can accomplish this through photography. For example, show photographs of you and your team. Document any charity work you do. Sponsor a local sports club? Show us!

Here’s a great example of a client we have worked with.

At the top of the “about us” page, you are welcomed by a fun, friendly, and inviting photograph of two Smith & Wardle employees. This image helps you get to know them as they are shown to be friendly and inviting. Doing this will improve the chances of your visitors getting in touch.

As you scroll down the homepage, you will also be welcomed to the team at Smith & Wardle, with big smiles in the cover image. And, as you hover over the images, an informal photograph of the team member will appear. This is great example of good photography – by seeing two images of this person you feel like you know them on a personal level.

Evoke a personality through your website by telling everyone who you are and show your audience what they will become part of if they become your client.

An important part of your branding strategy

A photograph should carry your branding identity with it. Furthermore, your bank of website images should be consistent. This could be through coloured tones, the type of location used, and the subject matter. Extending your branding identity with photography will help your target audience identify your business more easily.

Take the “rule of seven” as an example. Your prospect needs to see and recognise your brand seven times before they take action. So, using photography that communicates your brand takes you one step further to turn that prospect into a client.

Improves SEO and the click-through rate

Photographs catch the eye – indeed, that is the essence of photography. Professional photography draws the eye of the viewer and can improve your click-through rate by 42% say some. So, if you want to stand out against competitors, select your photography carefully.

Professional photography results in more web traffic, especially when shared across social media.

Catch their eye, catch your client.

Give the eyes a break

Breaking up your text with photography is the best way to stop your audience from feeling overwhelmed with information. Photography and text should be considered together.

The photographs on your website should support your content, and the content should support your photographs. Done correctly and you will communicate your message, call to action, and information effectively.

Allowing your audience to pause and break on a photograph does not stop the information from hitting the reader, as you’re communicating through a different form of content.

Give your eyes a break, have a Kit Kat. Maybe that’s the idea behind this Kit Kat eyeshadow palette… I don’t know.

Stock photography vs bespoke photography

Stock photography is a great solution for many businesses, as it is cost-effective with professional execution. However, that isn’t always the case.

As I mentioned above, to develop a relationship with your audience you must show some of your own personality through photography. This could be portraits of you and your team, or photographs of your team working around the office.

But most importantly, remember that not all stock photography is good photography, I mean check out this Catanic starring Leonardo DiCatrio on Shutterstock…

Need I say more?

We can help

If you do not have any photographs of you and your team on your website, it doesn’t express the right personality for your business, or perhaps you haven’t thought about photography in this way and used a “that looks nice” attitude, then we can help.

To find out the way we can make your website more effective, email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300.