Types of Photos You Need on Your Website

Choosing photos for your website is one of the biggest decisions you have to make. Website photos can completely shape the story that your site tells to visitors, their impression of your business and your brand, and even a buying decision, so you have to consider every photo carefully.

In this article, we’ll outline what photos you should include on your website that will help you strengthen your brand and put your best possible foot forward, whether you’re launching a new website or you’re trying to improve your existing site.

We recommend professional websites include:

  • Team photos and headshots
  • Product photography
  • Office or workspace photos
  • Action shots
  • Graphics
  • A hero image

Team Photos and Headshots

People like being able to put a face and a name to a business. Adding team photos and individual headshots to your website can help build trust and make your company more approachable. While you don’t necessarily need to include headshots of every single member of your team, it’s important to have photos of your senior team members and the business owner. Ideally, you’d have photos of customer-facing team members and management.

Team photos we took for accounting firm Hardwickes.

Product Photography

If you sell physical items, product photos are a must-have. They show customers exactly what you’re selling. Good product images can make the difference between a sale and a missed opportunity. They let people see the details and quality of your products, which helps them decide to buy.

A website we designed for local hair salon Curly Cuts.

Office or Workspace Photos

Photos of your office or workspace give visitors a peek into your company’s world. For potential clients, these images can build confidence in your professionalism. For job seekers, they offer a glimpse of what it might be like to work with you.

Action Shots

Action shots of your team at work or with clients are valuable because they show your business in motion. They demonstrate to website visitors that you’re active and experienced in your field. Action shots can also help potential customers picture what it would be like to work with you, making your services more tangible.

Our team in action, as seen on our homepage.

Graphics

Graphics are a great tool for explaining complex ideas in a simple way. If your product or service is non-physical or complicated, graphics are the way to go.

A person holding a tablet displaying website traffic analytics charts and graphs, with a space shuttle and upward arrow symbols in the background, exemplifies the impact of selecting website photos that engage users and drive interaction.
A graphic from Small Business SEO service.

Selectively Chosen Stock Photos

Original photos are almost always better, but sometimes stock photos are just necessary.  They can help illustrate concepts or scenarios that you can’t capture with your own photography, or fill visual gaps. 

It’s important to be selective when choosing stock images. They can vary a lot in quality. Pick the ones that seem the most natural. You should also make sure they fit well with your brand’s style and message, otherwise, they’ll seem out of place with the other photos on your website.

A stock photo we customised to match our branding.

Hero Image

A hero image is an eye-catching picture that usually sits at the top of your home page and takes up the width of the screen. It’s often the first impression visitors get of your business and it can set the mood for your whole website. A good hero image should be carefully chosen and high-quality. It needs to instantly capture attention and show what your business is about.

The hero images from our studio’s website, Offshoot.

Final Thoughts

The photos on your website play a big role in how visitors see your business. Each type of image we’ve talked about helps tell your company’s story in a different way. Good quality, relevant images can make your website more effective at turning visitors into customers. Take time to choose the right photos for your site – it’s worth the effort.

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  • Futuretheory combines data with design to launch solutions that help clients realise their growth potential. We are committed to growth and transformation for clients across industries, stages of business and geographies.
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