“Doing business without advertising (or marketing) is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you’re doing, but nobody else does” – Stuart H. Britt

Whether a business is small, medium or large, having an online presence is important. Your website is a must-have because it allows users to search for your business and learn about your services or products offering.

We all know the challenge of sourcing image assets for your website. Many companies resort to using royalty-free stock images, and while that’s not necessarily a bad option, it’s important to know where, when and how to use those images in a way that won’t discredit the business’s brand trust. This is where original images become an investment since they better recognize the uniqueness of your brand.

Users today scan content before diving in for deeper reading. A balance of both image and text elements creates visual interest to help keep users engaged for longer.

Custom Images for Website

Depending on the business type, having original images on websites helps build brand trust because they are simply more authentic!

OSF website mockup

Example of GMD custom photography images uses on a website.

Brand Trust

Imagine if a restaurant website features a stock image of a dish and that image is also used by their competitors—that would surely discredit the brand. For businesses that offer a service, such as law firms or dentists, using a stock image that isn’t of their actual office space or staff member may be confusing and portrays a lack of transparency. 

Image Control

Being able to control the look and feel of original images to fit the brand promotes consistency, which is very important in building strong brand awareness. Consistency helps build brand recognition, making the brand unique and helping it to stand out among competitors.

Stock Images for Website

When used appropriately, stock images can work well for websites. However, it’s important to be mindful of small details, such as the background signage or the tech equipment used in the image. Choose images that fit your brand colour and style, and when you find an image you resonate with, take note of the photographer/author because they might have more images with the same look and feel.

 

GuidedBy website mockup

Example of stock image uses on GuidedBy website.

Close-up Images

A microbrewery may use a close-up image of a glass of beer as a background of their menu section to help entice the appetite. As a designer, you can really have fun with close-up images to convey relevancy and connection to the business service or products. 

Pattern & Textures

There are many geometrical pattern and texture images out there, and these types of images are great as decorative background patterns for your call-to-action section, page header background or testimonials background.

Conceptual

gmd branded rockstar cleaner man

Humorous images beside relevant copy can help add personality, create a positive feeling or simply put a smile on your audience’s faces. One potential option is to cut out the foreground objects or people and place the image on a solid colour background to fit with your brand. This treatment is great for the hero section. You can also add an overlay in brand colour to customize the image.

 

Are you looking at building a website or rebranding your old one? Whether you decide to go for custom images or stock, Get in touch with the GMD team to chat about your website.