Photography That Matters: Why You Should Use Custom Photography for Your Website
It’s oh-so-tempting to peruse Getty images for the perfect shot for your new website—or worse, Google “Free Stock Photos” and await your site’s fate. Images are expensive, yet so is a failed campaign. Stock photos may be ideal for a few aspects of your company’s marketing efforts, but step away from the stock photo search for one minute and read our case for custom photography for your website.
Just Because the Cool Kids Are Doing It…
Think you found the perfect image on a stock photo website? Unfortunately, there are probably 15 (at least) other marketers or web developers thinking the same thing about that photo. The damage done to your company due to the lack of individuality from a stock photo could far outweigh any initial convenience.
Been There, Done That
You type “teamwork” in a stock photo library and up pops hundreds—maybe even thousands—of images of handshaking at various angles, in various lighting, and with various combinations of workers. If you think I overused “various,” imagine how overused a shaking hands picture is to represent teamwork. Custom photography allows you to let your creative juices flow and break the norm when it comes to a particular topic such as teamwork.
Don’t Catfish Your Customers
Images open the door for your audience to see the real you, be it a comforting doctor’s office or a truly unique product. Your imagery is where you get to show off, but none of that will matter if your customer feels betrayed by a supposed bait-and-switch. While a more extravagant stock photo may be tempting to use, do not sacrifice your credibility in the name of aesthetics. And you shouldn’t have to, because the right photographer will know how to play up your strengths in the perfect shot.
Still Not Convinced?
This all may make perfect sense, but none of it matters if you cannot afford a custom photographer. That’s understandable, but consider this:
Researching the perfect stock image, even if it’s free stock imagery—i.e. combing through thousands of images until you find one that fits the tone, creative goals, and budget of a website—is very time-consuming. So time-consuming, in fact, that other responsibilities may be pushed aside until the image-search is complete. Now, work is piling up, and you have an unoriginal campaign to show for it.
We all have deadlines, and you don’t want to miss yours by spending hours trying to force a stock photo to fit your needs. The money spent on a custom photo shoot allows you to get the images you need without wasting time looking at countless stock pictures that were never going to truly fit anyway.
Arm Your Arsenal
One you have a custom photography shoot, you have images to use for years to come (assuming contracts allow for it). A custom shoot means not only saving time for your website, but also for social media and other marketing techniques. Arm your arsenal with brand-specific images, so you are prepared for all aspects of a campaign.
Don’t Stress
Now that you’re on board with custom photography, it’s time to consider the best photographers to use, the type of contract you’ll want to sign, the type of models you’ll need—but don’t stress. Agencies like Kraus Marketing are here to assist in custom photo shoot coordination. We have established relationships with photographers and know what to look for when arranging a photo shoot. Plus, our experienced web designers can bring your vision to life.
From cameras to clicks, Kraus Marketing is here to help. Contact us today to learn how we can give your website new life with custom photography.