Great quality images are extremely powerful as an engagement tool. This is perhaps unsurprising and has been proven in a number of studies.<\/p>\n
Whether on a website, blog or social media post, using good images will grab your user’s attention far better than a few simple lines of text.<\/p>\n
So when developing a new dental website<\/a>, what are the key things you need to consider when it comes to image selection?<\/p>\n The first interaction a new patient has with you is often via your practice website. As such, you must present a professional, user-friendly image and much of this will come via the photographs you display. Remember that old adage “an image paints a thousand words”? Well that holds for websites too. So ideally if budget allows, try to secure the services of a professional photographer to shoot a selection of images for your website to include the team, facilities and, where appropriate, to support patient testimonials.<\/p>\n If your budget does not run to the services of a professional photographer, please try find someone in the team who has decent camera equipment and can use it. Be consistent with the backgrounds and lighting and ensure that there is no clutter in the shot.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n At Dental Media we make a point of speaking to the photographer before the shoot commences. This way we can discuss exactly what is needed and ensure that nothing is missed.<\/p>\n If required, we also offer the services of our own dental photographer who has many years of experience in capturing the best shots of your team and practice.<\/p>\n Whilst it is possible to build a good-looking dental website just using stock images, it is much better to balance it with the inclusion of practice related imagery too. The general public empathise with “normal” people far more than if you just use lots of smiley models.<\/p>\n Your website designer should have a large library of dental related images and will be able to advise which to use to complement your personal shots of the team and practice.<\/p>\n Whilst your designer will be able to advise in detail, it is sensible to have a working knowledge of image licensing. Many people still think that you can grab an image from the internet and just use it in your own work – however, in the vast majority of cases this is not true and could land you in big trouble with the image distributors. You *must* hold an appropriate licence to use a stock image to avoid being caught and issued with a hefty bill – or court order.<\/p>\n To give you peace of mind, a reputable designer such as Dental Media should have appropriate licences for images to be used on your project, but please check to be sure.<\/p>\n This is a sneaky marketing ploy to watch out for and question. What is typically happening here is that the designer is saying they will not use the image more than once in *their* projects – however, it doesn’t stop anyone else buying it from the same stock site. So all you are gaining is a big bill and no real exclusivity. Please don’t fall for this one!<\/p>\n Even if you don’t upgrade your full website regularly, you can still freshen the appearance by periodically switching your images out – we even have a couple of clients who like to do this to reflect seasonality. It’s an inexpensive way to a quick makeover.<\/p>\n A gallery of ‘before\/after’ shots is a great way to showcase your best work as are selected treatment images interspersed with your descriptive text. However, unless you are trying to illustrate specific clinical techniques, perhaps on a referral site, it is prudent to avoid showing anything “gory”.<\/p>\n Good quality, well-balanced photography will really help a website stand out from the norm and it pays to invest in a professional suite of shots if budget allows. Don’t rely too heavily on stock images and try to balance these with more personal shots of the practice and team – this is much more attractive to potential new patients.<\/p>\n Try to have a working knowledge of image licensing so that you can validate what your web designer tells you and finally, be careful not to fall for “exclusive, single use” image claims as these are often misleading.<\/p>\n If you would like to discuss dental photography and the best way to use it on your website, please call the Dental Media marketing team<\/a> on 01332 672548<\/strong> and we’ll be pleased to advise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What works and what doesn’t, image licensing and more…. Great quality images are extremely powerful as an engagement tool. This is perhaps unsurprising and has been proven in a number of studies. Whether on a website, blog or social media …<\/p>\nGood quality pays<\/h3>\n
Put your designer in touch with your photographer<\/h3>\n
Don’t rely solely on stock images<\/h3>\n
Understand image licensing<\/h3>\n
My designer said my images were “single use” but I’ve seen them on lots of websites – what’s going on there?<\/h3>\n
Switch your images periodically to freshen up the website<\/h3>\n
A word on treatment cases<\/h3>\n
Summary<\/h3>\n