Stock photos have been around for quite a while now and are benefited from in many ways, especially when you want to make your website come in the spotlight. And the reason for their popularity is mainly that they are easy to search and inexpensive. Also, you get to have high quality pictures and that too, available in so many different types of genres and a wide range of subjects.
But the problem comes when stock photos are not made use of at their full and designers stick to just a common few, ignoring the limits they can try with sock photos. And so it happens that the look of their designed website is nothing out of the pack and looks ordinary. You know that there is an easy way out of this situation if web designers can only think a little bit creatively and choosing the photos that sets them apart from everyone else. So let’s take a look at the aspects you need to keep in mind when choosing and applying stock photos.
Say No to Clichés:
The first thing that you need to keep in mind is to avoid clichés. We don’t need statistics to count how many times the picture of spick and spam businessman shaking hands have appeared on websites. The number is certainly formidable. If you use clichéd photos, you are hurting your image by telling your users that you are not innovative and don’t want to keep yourself updated. Moreover, it also tells that you don’t care for the opinion of your users.
The best way to avoid clichés is that you stay away from photos that are tried and have exhausted over time. Such common types of photos include a lady smiling at the camera on a website of a call center or live help, families laughing together at a picnic, a lady drinking water or a bunch of fruits and vegetables on a food website. All these and much more are the examples of tired imagery and should be avoided with something creative and different.
Keep the User in the Spotlight:
Your user is the one you are designing the website for so always remember to choose the pictures which your user will like to see. For this, you will need to have a complete knowledge of your audience – how are they like, what their preferences are and what are they looking for. This is the best way that you will be able to connect to your users. If it is not taken care of, that is the way where clichés arise.
Customers want a website that tells them that this is the best way place to do business and they want imagery that reflects that. But this is what every website shows. You would want to show something that speaks the best of your business and prove a resonation of your image so that customers know what you are saying. Your website should be visually speaking to your users.
Use Abstract with Confidence:
It is seen that using people in the photos gives the best message. Designers use this as it easily draws people’s attention. A photo containing the site’s demographics is also a good way to visually attract and engage your audience.
However, the point is, there is creativity and scope beyond people too. If you choose a high resolution abstract photo, it will give your site a modern feel and is also a wonderful way to engage the emotions of your users or audience. The only thing that you have to make sure is that your photo should be related to the thing you are aiming and is not just a random one just for the sake of making it abstract.
Test Your Imagination with Videos and Vectors:
Vector elements have gained a high popularity among web designers recently who love to work with vectors not only because the y make good website buttons but also because they engage the visitors well. Stock photos provide web designers with a diverse collection of vector photos from where they can choose a photo ranging from an interesting background to characters that are compelling and also site mascots.
You can also use stock footage to create something which has a lush field in it or a road going far away till the eye reaches. And that’s not all as you can also have looped videos and display of lights that are totally abstract. These are the videos and clips that you can use on a homepage to give a good starting to engage the visitors. Moreover, these can also be placed on a site to make it a part of the theme.
When visitors see a ‘play’ button on a site, it automatically enhances the curiosity of the visitor and they want to know what the video holds in it.
Keep It Modern and Updated:
Website trends keep on changing very rapidly and developing and designing a website takes a long time. It also occupies a lot of resources so recognizing that you are embarking on the bandwagon of trends will come as useful to you as it is a way to stay up to date. Such a website can come across as cutting-edge and impressive. But you also need to know that these trends change faster than a developer can create a code.
Take a view how far the world of website designing has come since the past decade. The stock photos that are modern today can quickly change now. You have to make sure that you keep a track of these trends and update your designs as soon as these changes come to effect.
Simple is Also Good:
It is not always flashy and hefty content that looks impressive. Just like in many other aspects of life, a simple content can also look highly impressive and can get across the message more effectively than from many other complex writing. In the same way, a simple yet iconic picture in the background can give a powerful feel. Agreed that fireworks and bright catchy images can grab the attention but a simple picture can incite thoughtfulness and curiosity among the readers. In some cases, it forms a more powerful bond between the website and the reader than anything else.
Final Words:
It is as simple as that; if you want to make your website stand out from the rest, choose the photos which ‘makes’ you stand out from the rest. For that, you will have to think out of the box and employ all of your creativity in finding the best photo from the bunch which makes your website a remarkable one. No matter what approach you adopt for your website (simple of complex), you should chose pictures from the stock photos that gets the idea of your website across the most effectively. Stock photos are there in a large quantity for you to choose the most unique one for your design and not to kill the aim itself. With these few techniques, you can not only have a chance to explore your creativity but also can unleash it on your website to get that maximum feel.
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