{"id":1004,"date":"2020-11-28T00:49:33","date_gmt":"2020-11-28T00:49:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brontobytes.com\/blog\/?p=1004"},"modified":"2020-11-28T00:49:33","modified_gmt":"2020-11-28T00:49:33","slug":"the-value-of-using-professional-images-on-your-homepage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brontobytes.com\/blog\/the-value-of-using-professional-images-on-your-homepage\/","title":{"rendered":"The Value of Using Professional Images on Your Homepage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your website\u2019s homepage is your digital calling card and certainly one of the most important touchpoints a lead can have with your brand. It\u2019s only natural that you\u2019ll need to invest as much of the resources you have at your disposal to make it look top-notch.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, images are one of the most important aspects of every homepage. Humans are incredibly visual creatures, and images often speak louder than your homepage copy (no matter how well-written it might be), so the images you choose can determine your entire relationship with a visitor. Naturally, you want the odds always to be in your favor.<\/p>\n

In this post, we\u2019ll look at the value of using professional images on your homepage and how to choose them.<\/p>\n

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The Downside of Stock Images<\/h2>\n

A lot of websites, especially smaller ones, reach for stock images to feature on their homepage, as this is often the most affordable option.<\/p>\n

Stock images can certainly be of very high quality and look incredibly professional. They can be sharp and perfectly in line with what you are trying to convey. Nevertheless, they still won\u2019t be good enough.<\/p>\n

Stock images pale in comparison with professional images because they can be used by anyone, which means there is a somewhat high likelihood that the images you use will be featured on another website. There goes your unique homepage.<\/p>\n

Secondly, stock photos are made to appeal to a wider audience and to serve more than one purpose. This also makes them a poorer choice than original, professional images.<\/p>\n

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Professional Images Will Reflect Your Brand<\/h2>\n

Whatever it is you do as a business, your homepage needs to reflect your values and beliefs and what your brand stands for. The simplest and most straightforward way to do this is with your images.<\/p>\n

They will be noticed first and will be able to convey emotions more completely than your homepage copy.<\/p>\n

Not to mention, your images can show your products in action. The brand Runners Athletics<\/a>, for example, uses a simple yet effective image on their homepage. It\u2019s a photo of a person wearing their sunglasses. Making this photo won\u2019t have taken up an insane amount of resources, yet the effect is spot on \u2013 it helps the brand stand out and etch itself in the minds of visitors.<\/p>\n

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Source: runnersathletics.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Consistency and Lack Thereof<\/h2>\n

Another important aspect of homepage and website visuals to bear in mind is consistency. You want the images throughout your pages to be cohesive and tied together in some way. This can be the style of photography, the color story, the hues and shades you use, the illustrations you add. Think in terms of any element that provides some sense of uniformity and tells the user they are still on your <\/em>website.<\/p>\n

Best of all, this cohesion will help you stand out even further. Ahrefs<\/a> does this exceptionally well \u2013 they\u2019ve tied their entire online presence together with their choice of blue and their authentic illustrations.<\/p>\n

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Source: <\/span>ahrefs.com<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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Personality and Personability<\/h2>\n

We\u2019ve touched upon branding and standing out a fair bit, but it\u2019s worth reinforcing the issue a little bit further.<\/p>\n

By choosing to use branded professional images that are tailored to your website, you can express your personality much better than you ever could with a stock image or a poorly shot image from your phone.<\/p>\n

For example, Somnifix<\/a> has managed to convey all the personality and uniqueness of their product with a single image on their homepage. If you are able to achieve something similar, chances are you are going to stick in the minds of your visitors for longer than a mere couple of seconds.<\/p>\n

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Source: <\/span>somnifix.com<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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How to Choose Your Homepage Images<\/h2>\n

Now that you understand the value of using professional images, let\u2019s take a quick look at a couple of best practices:<\/p>\n