Translated from our Japanese archive. Dates, product names and examples reflect the original article; this is not an updated product or service recommendation.
Why website images matter
Images on a website are easy to overlook, but choosing them carefully makes a difference. Selecting the right photographs can take considerable time. It is worth the effort.
When someone visits a website, visual information helps convey a shop’s atmosphere and the flavours it offers. Choose photographs that evoke the colours, tastes, smells and mood you want to communicate.
For example, on a recruitment agency website aimed at young people, you might deliberately choose a photograph of a young person with dyed brown hair.
Adapt the choices to the situation and refine them with feedback from others. This can make the site more engaging and help communicate trust.
Show the people behind the work
Trust is especially important when visitors are relying on what they see online. Think of vegetables sold with the grower’s name attached. Knowing who grew them adds a sense of warmth.
The same idea works on a website. Use photographs to show the workplace and the people who make the products or do the work. Sharing these details can gradually build confidence.
Can we take the photographs ourselves?
Cameras have become increasingly capable, and even an amateur can take attractive photographs. Even so, I strongly recommend hiring a professional photographer.
There is a cost involved, but I believe image quality matters that much. The aim is not simply to make things look good. It is to obtain photographs that fulfil the brief and communicate reassurance and quality as part of your strategy.
