28 Jan 2008 |
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I have picked out some of the best websites I have found that use pictures particularly well and some of the lessons that can be learned from them. Here are just a few examples I found of websites that I believe (and of course perception is entirely subjective) have excellent use of images within their websites. I stress the use of images as a great image poorly positioned within a site is limited. I have used the bed and breakfast industry specifically as this is where my current work has focused. Of course the lessons learned from these examples can be applied to any business and I hope you find these examples of the usage of images a useful guideline for your own website. Flash Animation Gallery
Hedgefield House bed and breakfast has chosen to use a Flash animation to showcase some of the photographs of their property and its surrounding attractions. The advantage of Flash in this case is that it enables the user to see a slideshow of images that are seen on the front page. With the beautiful gardens and house, these images are a great selling point and the slideshow ensures the user sees many features of the accommodation, not just a standard front of house picture. I also think the clickable polariod photos of the gardens are a nice functional design touch, which contributes well to the overall impression of the site. Full Page Image
Willowbeck Lodge has chosen to use a large image on the landing page to show off the architectural design of their accommodation, although this means there is a loading time for slower connections, having such an impressive photo in this case works well. The building itself is a unique selling point for the business. The rooms also have excellent photos which show of a great sense of space within the property, accentuated by the wide angle shot of the dining area at the bottom of the rooms page. The images are also neatly presented with a drop shadow and javascript pop up. Abstract Images
Ambleside Lodge accommodation website has chosen to use flash animation as a banner across the top of the landing page, again highlighting the different parts of the property and its facilities. This site shows another approach to image use - it has chosen often to give glimpses of particular parts of rooms, experimenting with different depth of fields, focuses and angles instead of looking to give an overall view of the layout of the rooms. These photos have been well taken and certainly have an heir of professionalism which enhances the perception of the accommodation. Front of House Photo
I have included Crolinnhe bed and breakfast in the list for its impressive side profile photo of the house on the landing page. Given that users quickly jump between sites when searching for accommodation, having such a commanding image is sure to increase the likelihood of a visitor further exploring the site. The contrast between the beautiful house, gardens and blue sky is very successful and shows the importance of choosing a day with good weather to take your photos. Having limited text on the first page also ensures that the image of the house remains the focus and the main selling point to draw the user in. Photos of Local Attractions
Tantallon House bed and breakfast was a site I recently helped to develop. A professional photographer was used to fully capture the feel of the Victorian rooms, using wide angle lenses to show off the space that the rooms have. He also took photos of the view out of the window, arguably one of the good selling points of the bed and breakfast. The advantage of using a professional photographer in this case was that he gave permission to use his beautiful photos of the Hadrian s Wall trail. This site, like others in this list, uses the lighbox script so when you click on images a slideshow effect occurs on your screen. Food Photography
Carrow bed and breakfast s website has been chosen to highlight their use of excellent food photography. Again the well organised and presented collection of high quality photos is a real drawing point for visitors. Although of course the actual accommodation itself is important, having excellent food on offer maybe be another reason for someone to stay. This is especially apparent in areas where lots of walking is done (such as the Hadrian s Wall area in this case). The photos used here really show off the breakfast and evening meals on offer. Generic Stock Photos can be purchased cheaply online to achieve a similar effect for your own website. Worth Investing?
Given that your website and the images you present may be the only contact point your user has before making a booking with your accommodation, it makes sense to invest in good quality images and to present them well. With almost every site having a near perfect description of their facilities, images can be a great way to differentiate your business from the competition. This may mean investing in a professional photographer (and gaining the rights to his other photos may be a big benefit), or just taking the time to experiment with different approaches to photography, editing and presentation. Hopefully this article has shown that there is no one correct way to do present you property online and that alternative approaches can often be very successful and ultimately lead to increased occupancy rates... Comments (5)
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The price as with most 'creative' industries really depends on how demanding you are of the photographer and your negotiation skills! It would be unfair for me to try and guess at a blanket price...
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Nice article on the benefits of great photo's to draw people into the site.
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Hi Hummerbie, great to have your insight on this post! :-) Welcome to Good web practices, it's great to have you here!
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Hi Alex, thank you for the kind words on Willowbeck lodge. We put a lot of time into the image work and it was a pleasant surprise to read your post.We have recently started to use presentations similar to Hedgefield House and with strap lines changing throughout the presentation ( an example being brampton skips). |
With increasing competition between accommodation businesses on the internet, it is important to do everything you can to increase the likelihood of your website s visitors making a booking. Having ensured your website design and layout as well as your SEO are done well, a key selling point is the quality of the images and photographs you have.
