Use Photos in your Web Design…
In a post recently on Econsultancy, entitled ‘Does mobile mean the end of photography in web design’ (https://econsultancy.com/blog/65155-does-mobile-mean-the-end-of-photography-in-web-design#i.22jgfc6bodduyr), Ben Davis suggests that consumers are increasingly favouring ‘slick mobile sites’ that eschew photographs.
He goes on to say that photography is becoming rarer online, and that many people negatively associate it with being sold something, or find it distracting from the functional aspects of the website. While this might be true some of the time (and certainly more so for overused stock images), there are many good reasons for continuing to use photographs in your web design. Here are five of them.
Photos provide a showcase for your products
With many types of products, such as clothing, photographs are not only useful, they are downright essential. People want to see what they’re buying before they buy it, and textual descriptions just aren’t up to the job. Far from being distracting, a well-taken product photograph can draw the attention and lead to a sale.
Images help to break up your content
No one likes reading long sections of unbroken text on a screen. Photos provide natural breaks in the text and make it appear more manageable.
They can give your site character
A well-taken set of photographs can become a powerful representation of your brand. The old adage that a picture can represent a thousand words remains true in the digital age, and enables you to communicate your brand image succinctly.
Photos can give your site a human face
For some companies it may be appropriate and even recommended that you let web users get to know your team a little. Ditch the dodgy stock images of perfect-teethed brunettes with headsets and get some photos taken professionally of the people that are integral to your business.
They look cool
Photographs have been around for almost two centuries and the Internet is certainly awash with them, but the power of a well-taken and appropriate photograph is still hard to beat. Consider using striking images that will earn your site extra cool points.
