What Makes Your Website Stand Out - Photos

Part 4: Photos That Actually Build Trust (Not Just Fill Space)

Photos on your website shouldn’t just “fill space.” They should create connection, reinforce your brand, and help people feel confident about choosing you. If your images are outdated, too generic, or just there to take up room, you’re missing a huge opportunity.

While building a homepage for a fictional local electrical business, I paid extra attention to the photos. Not just what they showed, but how they showed it. This isn’t a stock-filled, cold, faceless utility brand—it’s a team of real people doing real work in your community. That’s what the photos had to communicate.

Here’s what I kept in mind—and what you should too.

Choose Photos That Reflect the Actual Business

Every photo used on the site feels local, grounded, and personal. You see a real service van, a real team member, real hands flipping a panel or wiring a light—not polished stock models standing in a showroom.

Even if the site is fictional, the goal was to make it feel real. That meant avoiding cliché: no generic smiling tech in a hard hat giving a thumbs up (see image right). Instead, I built the site around moments that reflect the actual work and the trust it requires.

Real builds trust. But real also needs to be high-quality and intentional.

Quality Matters—Even If You're DIY-ing

You don’t need a professional photographer to get good images. But you do need:

• Natural lighting (no overhead fluorescents)

• Clean framing and backgrounds

• Sharp focus, especially on hands and tools

• Consistency in tone and style across the site

Even simple phone photos can look great if you’re thoughtful. I always recommend scheduling a day to get new team photos, action shots, vehicle images, and a few environmental details. These can go a long way in making your site feel alive and authentic.

And if DIY feels like too much? I can help with sourcing, coaching, or connecting you with a brand photographer who gets it.

Use Photos With a Job, Not Just to "Look Good"

Every image on this homepage does something:

• One photo highlights a technician interacting with a client at their door (trust)

• One shows a close-up of installing a CCTV (precision)

• Another places the team vehicle in a real driveway (local presence)

These aren’t random fillers. They’re visual cues to reinforce credibility, care, and capability.

If you can remove the photo and nothing about the message changes, it’s probably not doing enough.

Keep Visuals Consistent

Even great photos can clash if they don’t look like they belong on the same site. I kept all the homepage images in the same style:

• Warm, natural lighting

• Neutral, real-life backgrounds (no fake-white studio shots)

• Similar editing tones and aspect ratios

This makes the site feel polished without being overproduced. Whether it’s a group shot of the crew or a close-up of a job in progress, everything fits together visually and supports the same brand experience.

Optimize Every Image for Speed and SEO

Here’s where most people mess up: uploading giant, uncompressed photos straight from a phone or camera. Even beautiful sites fall flat if they load slow.

Every image on this homepage was:

• Resized to its actual display size (no oversized files)

• Compressed before upload (tools like TinyPNG and Squoosh work wonders)

• Renamed descriptively for SEO (example: electrical-panel-upgrade-ct.jpg)

• Given alt text that describes the image clearly and accessibly

Want an example of how I write alt text? I’ll include a few when this blog is published.

If you send me your images, I’ll handle all of this for you—it’s part of how I make sure your website not only looks good but works well, too.

Need Help Choosing or Cleaning Up Your Site Photos?

If your site images are feeling outdated, cluttered, or off-brand—or if you don’t even know where to start—I can help. Whether you're planning a photoshoot or curating what you already have, let’s make sure your photos actually build trust (and don’t slow your site down). And if you’re looking for a photographer, I have a handful of trusted contacts I’d be happy to refer you to—especially if you’re local.