What do most award-winning websites have in common? Is it a logo? Is it a certain color scheme? Is it a certain font family? What if I told you it was none of those things?

In fact, the number one thing that makes for a stunning web design is GOOD PHOTOGRAPHY. It goes back to two old and overused clichés “a picture is worth a thousand words” and “you only get 1 shot at a first impression.”

Why is good photography so important? Well, it’s important because it makes up most of your website. Without good photos, your website will be some boring mashup of content containers on a white background. And, that doesn’t make for a very engaging website. Your website is there to sell a product, whether that’s a consumer product or a service, you’re selling something with it. Great images help to give people a good visual of what it is you are selling.

If you have an online store, do you really think you will sell a lot of your product if the images aren’t great? My guess is no. If you are a service based business then you want people to understand what differentiates you from your competition. This can be accomplished through great photos of past jobs and the obligatory photo of the entire company. If you are selling a product, the photo could be the thing that pushes the consumer to pull the trigger and purchase it at the end of the day.

What are my options for getting great photography? For the most part, great photos come from 2 places, either from someone you hire or a stock photography library (like iStock photo). Both of these are great resources for filling up your website with high quality imagery. For areas of your site where a lifestyle or scenery photo will do the trick, stock photo resources are your best bet. If you need product photography done, we highly recommend hiring a professional, as it will make a world of difference.

I know, you’re probably thinking “Why can’t I just take photos with my phone?” Taking images with your cellphone usually doesn’t work out from a quality standpoint; however, if your web designer has good Photoshop skills, these images can work in a pinch. The reason this isn’t the best is because even the iPhone which has a good camera still sometimes isn’t high enough resolution.

So, next time you are looking to get a new website built and compiling the content for the project, don’t forget about the photography. It could make all the difference, especially since a potential customer gets their first impression of you and your business when they land on your website.