Barking Dog Website Design

Appropriate images are vital to the overall look and feel of your website.  They also communicate things about your business that can be hard to convey in writing, so it really is true that “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

Some businesses naturally lend themselves to great images for a website.  But others… can be a little tougher to figure out.

For example, The Vintage Butterfly offers a huge variety of beautiful items for sale.  In addition to this, they also restore furniture which makes for some great before-and-after pictures.  The also rent out a festive and colorful party room, lead crafting parties, maintain a beautifully arranged sales floor… You get the idea: lots of stuff to photograph here.

Another client, The Voland Group is an organization leadership consultant.  Scott does not sell a tangible product but instead does group presentations, leads workshops, presents webinars, etc.  Scott had video of some of his presentations and workshops and was able to lift some wonderful still from these recordings.  These image present a dynamic and engaging sense of what he does and how he interacts with a group.

Two completely different business models; two completely different ways of showing this with images.  (And look at those people… They’re actually having a good time!  Now don’t you want to attend a Voland Group seminar??)

Below are some ideas to get you thinking about the types of image you may want to incorporate into your website design.  Keep in mind that collecting the “right” images can take a while, especially if your business is seasonal.  Having good ideas in mind will help you seize opportunities to capture great images that will speak to your customers.

• Products and Services
  • Products you offer
  • Samples of your work
  • Before-and-after shots
  • Service oriented
    • What your work on (cars, landscapes, etc.)
    • Tools of the trade
    • You or your staff “in action”
• Places
  • Storefront
  • Reception area
  • Patient rooms (dentist, veterinarians)
  • “Behind the scenes” photo-tour
  • Sales floor
  • Your business environment/location (fishing/hunting guides, tourism)
• People
  • Your staff
  • Owner/manager
  • Customers – happy, browsing (be sure to get their permission if they are identifiable)
• You In Action!
  • Interacting with customers
  • Participating in community events
  • Behind the scenes

Sometimes an image can be used in unexpected ways through cropping or creative processing.  Experiment with abstract photographs related to your business.  When I work with a client, I will look at everything they have and make recommendations on what I think will work best.  I also do some digital editing/processing to enhance photos where appropriate.

I think original images are best (i.e., pictures of YOU and YOUR business), but if you’re interested in using stock photos, check out Pexels or Pixabay.  They’re both free and offer images that can be used for both personal and commercial purposes!