In my previous article, Logo Design on the Move, we talked about the trending colors and logo design adjustments that have been appearing on popular websites. We also covered how the advent of mobile web devices is creating a trend with logo designs. Well, with the spirit of that article in mind, this month’s installment will touch upon photography trends in web design.
Absolute Marketing Group, has a theory about websites – “Content is King”. Most people think of content as simply words on a page. However, our definition of content involves written content (copywriting), graphic content (logo, design elements and textures), SEO content (combinations of words for search engine optimization) and Photo Content (photography).
It is often said a photo is worth a thousand words. With the current trend of visual site design, minimal copy (although relevant to search terms) and high bounce rates of websites, it’s crucial that your website pleases the eye on the initial view. Photography, good photography that is, can do just that. Visual appeal retains the viewer longer than written content.
With that knowledge in mind there are some general rules you should follow to enhance your site:
- Edge to Edge Imagery is hot. My previous article about logo design stated that logos are getting smaller, with fewer colors and cleaner designs. However, photos are trending in the exact opposite direction. They are getting larger in size and complexity with richer colors and contrast. That said, do not bust out your iPhone 6, take a few shots, and expect your site to look rich and full. Photography is best suited to photographers. Achieving a rich photo that can expand edge to edge on your monitor requires a professional-class camera lens, proper lighting and carefully arranged and framed subject matter. Not to mention the camera’s pixel resolution quality has to be high. Trust me, camera phones do not apply…neither does a Coolpix (sorry Ashton).
- Brand Equity is hot. Photos aren’t just photos, meaning you can’t just grab a stock image and expect that to relay your brand message. People nowadays are wise to stock images. If a client comes to your site and it’s smattered with images of “business suit guy high five” and the same “customer service headphone girl” that they saw on the last site they visited, they will think you are no different from your competitors. In that, if you visit getty.com, you can actually download images of Vince Vaughn posing in signature “business” stock photography. (http://www.gettyimages.com/gi-resources/ub/unfinishedbusiness/index.html). This wasn’t an act of endearment, it’s pointing out that stock images are generic and corny. Photos should reflect upon your products, services and/or facilities. Customers should learn and see enough about your company through your site to feel like they already know you and their core beliefs and expectations align with yours. That’s what brand should be – your personality resonating through written, graphic and photo content.
- Focal points are hot. Sure you have a lot to say, but wouldn’t you rather have your potential clients doing something on your site? You need to be clear of your intentions, position yourself and support it. Keep in mind, not all clients are going to align with your brand or services. So it’s best to focus on your strengths, whether that’s customer service, high-quality products or lowest cost. If your site is screaming with loud graphics, too much copy or photo overload, a client won’t know what you want them to do next. Focus on what you want to initially say…like a quick elevator speech about your company and a complimentary image that supports that statement. Put that front and center, along with a link that takes them further into your site. From there you should be generating more solid and properly aligned leads.
Overall, digital photography is coming into its own. Professional photography was laying low for many years due to incompatibility issues on web browsers (thanks internet explorer), slow download speeds (big images require faster internet connections) and very modular box design constrictions like photos and text can’t overlay rules…which all designers hated. Now, new technology in web programming, access to high-quality digital images and fast fiber optic internet connections are changing the game. Professionally setup and taken photos are coming onto the scene again, ushering in a new era of web design and development.
If you are interested is talking about how photography and your site can work together, please don’t hesitate to call for a meeting to discuss your website. Absolute Marketing Group’s Creative, Video and Photography team is ready to make you look good.