Would you eat THIS or THAT? Photography CAN make or break your website!
Posted by
Anne Craft on Wed, Oct 12, 2011 @ 02:24 PM
Pin ItYesterday, a friend told me that we should try this really great restaurant in our town. As I typically do, I pulled up the restaurant’s website to check out the food. Within the first three seconds I told her “absolutely not.” On their homepage they had posted a grainy picture of a not-so appetizing hamburger. It reminded me of a food poisoning experience I had at a greasy fast-food chain. I did not even bother looking at the menu. Instead, I just sat there in shock. This was their homepage! Any media savy business would use their best picture, or was that their best picture? Companies need to understand the importance of great photography.
Do you want this to represent you? Or this?
Whether you like it or not, it is 2011 and we are in a digital age. It is imperative for businesses to digitally display their company in a unique and exciting way. A good online presence, accompanied with great photography is essential. It is estimated that roughly 80% of your potential customers find your company online. Given the example above, a picture is worth 1,000 words and first impressions are vital.
If bad photography is splashed on your website, listen up! Use this checklist to evaluate your photos for digital publication.
Photos must be of professional quality. This means they are:
- Clear and in focus, not grainy.
- Free of clutter. Take notice of what is in the background of photos. The subject should be the only thing that catches the eye. Make sure that there are no poles growing out of people’s heads, etc. A plain background is, in most cases, desirable.
- Free of other distractions such as bright areas, especially at the edges.
- Properly lit. Free of distracting shadows, or lighting that makes the subject look undesirable.
- Cropped properly, avoiding awkward clipping of objects or features at the edge of images. Tight cropping to show a face or perhaps a waist length portrait may be fine, but avoid clipping small parts. For example, try not to clip a hand or an ankle and foot.
- At least 640x480 pixels and 72+dpi (96 or 300 dpi preferred)
Stock photography is readily available and in most cases relatively cost effective. The photography on your website or profiles is a reflection of your business and professionalism.
If there are images that you need that are not available in stock photography galleries, consider hiring a professional. And don’t forget, all photos must be royalty free, or you have to pay the royalties!
In order to remain competitive in today’s Internet savvy society, make sure every picture on your website is a superb representation of your company. Otherwise, you just might be losing 8 out of every 10 potential customers that find your online presence.