Getting the Best Images

The Golden Rules

It’s all about images. Anyone who spends any time on social media can see it. We like and share the best images, ignoring the bland and boring.

Everyone has an excellent camera in their pocket now: there is no excuse for poor imagery on the web.

Just think: bad images stop people buying.

So stop and think about how you want to portray your business. Clear, high quality photos or too small, pixelated monsters?

Customer experience is utterly crucial to the success of your website, so take time to think it through. You need to make sure that your site has a unified feel. Consistency is key!

Remember:

Use your brand identity – you want this to be felt across your website
Either use lifestyle images or cut outs – don’t mix and match
High pixel counts are essential – aim for 2000px square
Think about the background colours – make them match the site

Where to Find Them

To get the very best results, you’re going to need to know how to get your images. First off, always contact your suppliers. Many suppliers have excellent photo libraries and are only too happy to share! Just take a look at their site. If it looks good, ask if you can use them.

Asking is essential.

Almost all images online are protected by copyright. That means you can not just use the first image you find: there are clear guidelines on how this works. Although there are exceptions, the key rule is this:

If you use an image on your website for commercial purposes, you need to have the permission of the author.

So, talk to the manufacturers directly. That’s the safest way. Never take images from competitors websites, as they may well be within their rights to ask you to take those images down immediately.

If you’re looking for generic images, websites like www.shutterstock.com and www.istockphoto.com are a great source.

But, what if your suppliers can’t help? What if no photos exist of your images?

Get out your camera!

Taking your own photos is a sure fire way to sidestep those pesky copyrighting issues: you also have complete control over how they’ll come out.

It’s worth doing some research, but it’s entirely possible to set up low cost photographic studios that let you take superb product photos. If you use your smart phone, it’ll come with a variety of apps that make image editing a cinch.

Having your own photos means:

Freedom to use them wherever and whenever you like
As many angles as you need
Editorial control to ensure they always fit with your brand
No need to rely on third parties to provide your images

The Next Generation

If you really want to up your game, why not add 360 images to your website?

There are a lot of complicated ways to do this, but our image was created using a Foldio 360 Turntable. It links to a smartphone and allows you to easily and quickly create 360 images.

These are then automatically uploaded to their servers for you to link to your site.

It really couldn’t be easier!

If you want one, you can pick one up from these lovely people!

25th July 2018