By Rebecca Swift - iStockphoto's Head of Creative Planning

Know your brand before you begin

Before attempting to design a website, businesses must first identify their core brand values. It is essential that these values are reflected in their online presence while ensuring they are meeting the demands of their target audience. As a business, everything you do or say must send the correct message to your audience.

One way to achieve results is to invest in market research where you can ask your target audience what they like to look at. Also, by viewing your competitors' pictures and their visual language you can start to improve your own, and see what works and what doesn't.

Sourcing the best images (and ensuring copyright compliance!)

It is understandably difficult to select an image from a collection of thousands. To make it simpler, consider these five aspects when making your selection:

·        Purpose - what is the image for?

·        Tone - how do you say it?

·        Relevance - is the image relevant to the audience?

·        Timeliness - how new is the image?

·        Uniqueness - is your image one of a kind?

Continued here:  http://www.smbnow.com/articles/iStockphoto-Expert-Tips-For-SMB-Websites" rel="nofollow - iStockphoto Expert Tips For SMB Websites