Sit down, we have to talk. It's about the images on your website. Do they really reflect your business or did you just throw them up there to appease the internet gods? Honestly, if jumping into a raging volcano - or in this instance, the World Wide Web without a visual identity - doesn't sound like a revenue bonanza, I'm here to bail you out.
Every day we are bombarded by images. Between the internet and social media, the deluge of images seeping into our daily lives is overwhelming. So how do you, as a business, not get lost in the melee? How do you elevate your brand's visual identity?
In order to create your business' identity, there are a few items to check off your to-do list:
- Define your target market
- Decide how you want your business to be perceived in the marketplace
- Establish a visual style that represents your business
Target market
A recent client, a massage therapist, wanted to redesign her website to reflect her target market: larger clients. As a larger person herself, the therapist realized that few LMTs were well-equipped to work with overweight and obese clients. As an under-represented market, larger clients were eager to book massages but had a hard time finding a massage therapist they felt comfortable seeing. A perfect target market was defined.
Marketplace perception
After an intensive internet search turned up very few size-inclusive photos; most images were of thin women or muscular men and included very few people of color. Marketplace perception of the massage industry would have you believe that no larger people are seeking treatments. Discouraged, my client hired a photographer to create the images needed to accurately depict her target clientele. Now she has a great selection of images to use.
Visual style
Armed with great images that included photos of all shapes, sizes and genders, a visually impactful site was created that not only reflected her current clientele but also clearly showcased her business' identity. Bright colors and a friendly atmosphere depicted through the images encourage clients to relax and reassure them that they are in a safe place.
Over the next few weeks, I'll do a deeper dive into each topic but in the meantime, feel free to send me blog topics and/or website questions to marcyb@bluesttercreative.com.