Image websites are undoubtedly the bread and butter of any self-respecting web development company . But what makes a special, high-quality, and above all representative website? We have written for you our seven tips for building a winning image website – And finally, we added a twist to the plot.
The best tips for building a perfect image website
1. Impressive design is just the beginning
So it's true, your customers buy with their eyes; And it's true, every impressive design is a work of art created by the best professionals in the field. But the main emphasis in an impressive design is one – the branding. The fine line between an impressive design and a winning design is spread throughout all the different parts of the site and is expressed in the small details that brand the buttons, content, colors and shapes on the site according to your brand language.
Large companies create a brand book, in which all the colors, graphics, elements and shapes related to the brand are found and accompany it in the various areas of the digital and printed media.
But what happens if you don't have a brand book?
Our tip:
Use the logo – Lean on the colors, shapes and graphics of your logo to project into the website design. This way you will create an impressive and professional website design that will make your customer recognize your brand even if they forget the company name.
Our example:
As you can notice in the design of our client's website, we used colors derived from the logo.
2. User experience is the starting dish
Much has been said in recent years about user experience, but what differentiates a basic and amateur site created by artificial intelligence from a site where the user experience is the opening course the poet intended? In one word: psychology, or more precisely, behavioral psychology.
The artificial intelligence that comes to us quickly and comfortably in recent years knows how to create websites, but it does not have the psychological understanding of the surfer on which the best professionals in the field are based.
So what is the psychology behind the popular field UX after all is User Experience?
We sometimes experience sites that speak to us, that stimulate our thinking, that challenge the dopamine and serotonin centers and even satisfy our need to experience the site to the full extent (to the end).
Our tip:
Base your user experience on the action you want the surfer to perform on the site. what do you mean If you want the surfer to leave details in the form, direct him to it in the different areas of the site, challenge him to read in order to reach the final point and even set leaving the details for him as a desired goal in completing his task.
Our example:
Our home page includes an interactive presentation that allows you to leave details when the presentation is finished.
3. Compatibility with search engines and artificial intelligence engines
So what's new? Search engines are still the best way to bring quality traffic to your website. But what has changed? Artificial intelligence engines. It is no longer a secret that each of us consults ChatGPT regarding all areas of life; And not only that, the search engine Google has put artificial intelligence in the center by getting an answer from AI to every query you enter in the results.
But here is the central question – How do I do it on my website too? How do I screw up the generative results that are given to surfers in artificial intelligence engines and at the same time also in Google?
Here is your answer – quality.
Quality of content, quality of proper code, quality of information and innovation that you won't see anywhere else.
Our tip:
renew! Update the surfer, update the customer, update everyone else who reads your site. Share your insights, share the information you have collected and update the surfer that you are the best in your field by sharing professional knowledge.
And here is the question that arises! If I share my unique content I'm not shooting myself in the foot (actually transferring the information that is only mine to the surfer). And the answer is, yes! As funny as it is, knowledge is worth money, and in the world of search engines and generative intelligence, positioning on Google also costs money – That's why you exchange your unique knowledge in a higher position that will lead the surfer to eventually buy your product.
Our example:
current article. If you have read this far, it means that there is a lot of information here that you did not know about building an image website and this is the best example of providing quality information in exchange for a higher position in search results.
4. Stable management system with discounted maintenance
Well then, there is no doubt that we are biased in this aspect. It's not something we like to hide but Digital ST builds websites with a unique system called Whoopix or DigitalCMS. But this does not mean that our experience is only in this system. We also know how to develop in Wordpress, Joomla, Drupal and many other systems.
But why do we recommend to all our customers to go for our system? What is the interest?
With an understanding of the process of building a quality website, we developed our system to be stable, fast, with unlimited dynamism and development possibilities.
We know the customer will want updates in the future, upgrades, maybe another language – And in order to reduce costs and maintain a solution at the highest level, we push to use a system that has proven itself in large and stable organizations as a leading system.
So it is true that you will be charged to store with us – But why would you want to move? Why would you want to switch from a web site construction company that has been in existence since 2005 and has served the best large companies in the Israeli and global economy and switch to another provider that will probably require you to rebuild the entire site, update plugins, maintain the site at a high cost and above all deal with countless bugs?
So the choice is yours!
Our tip:
You will take the site as an investment for 4 to 6 years thinking that in the future you will have to upgrade it. It's true that with a stable system you can stay on the site for over 10 years (we have such clients), but if you limit yourself during the investment, you can stay at the forefront and not ask us in a phone call, wait, so the monthly storage is paying you for life?
Our example:
The Daniel jewelry chain built its third website with us and has been working with us for over 10 years.
5. Inquiries management that places the customer at the center of
Well, I certainly appreciate your resourcefulness to read so much information, but the following topic must be very important to you, so without further ado we will move on to the part that will make you convert your service into money – Reference management – or in the professional language CRM - customer relationship management.
Similar to my ideology, your customer relationship management system should also place the customer in the center and give him the multitude of options, so it is possible to integrate into your existing system or use a built-in system as part of the management system.
Our tip:
Choose a content management system that includes a customer relationship management system – This will save you a lot of unnecessary integrations and allow your team to access information about this customer at any time.
Our example:
Customer relations moduleIn the DigitalCMS system, which includes searching, archiving and managing the inquiries of every customer referred from the website.
6. Different languages for global audiences
Addressing a global audience? Do you also market abroad? Do you have that customer from China or America who wants to know who you are? This is the part for you. Different languages on websites may seem like a trivial topic, but in my career I have counted 1000 websites (at least) that mess up a lot. A good image site knows our audience and integrates the management system with the different languages. It is important that you take into account that not in every language you will have to add the content you have in Hebrew and it is even possible to create a different hierarchy in every language.
Our tip:
Language transition from page to page – what do you mean You know the sites where you switch languages and return to the home page in the requested language? Not with you! Give the surfer the experience that you understand him, transfer him to the same page in a different language without him having to return to the home page and understand where he was.
Our example:
Our client website Scarlet-Shanker - allows you to navigate in the same language to every page you are on
7. Our twist
Our twist crosses platforms and places the customer in the center and we based it on the basic idea that customers are mesmerized by graphics and since the revolution of social networks also video.
So what is he?
Video background! No less than the most important element of your website; An interactive background that includes a visual presentation in video graphics with all the most important things you want your customer to see.
Our example:
A video we made for our company with all the newest sites of our clients and explanations of each and every service.
By the way, we know how to produce that for you too.
So don't forget, an image site may seem basic – But as with everything in life, a quality website is also a matter of acquired taste.