How to make a killer website with marginal assets

Imagine you’re walking down a bustling high street:

One storefront has peeling paint and half-faded signage, while the next has a beautifully arranged window display that practically invites you to step inside. The second storefront catches your eye, even if you’re just window-shopping. A well-designed website has the same effect: it compels visitors to stay, explore, and—ideally—convert into customers.

In the outdoor industry, visuals serve as powerful storytelling tools. They capture epic mountain sunsets, serene lakeside views, and adrenaline-fueled ski laps, helping visitors imagine themselves living that moment. If your images are low-resolution or missing altogether, you risk losing that emotional connection. Quality visuals build trust in your brand, convey professionalism, and encourage people to stay engaged rather than bounce away.

Tip one: Conduct an asset audit

Before scrambling for new visuals, take inventory of what you already have. You might find gems in unexpected places:

• Archived campaigns: Dig into past marketing folders or old promotional materials. Perhaps there’s a stunning hero image from a seasonal campaign you ran last year or clips from a video shoot that never made the final cut.
• Social media libraries: Scroll through your Instagram or Facebook feeds. You may have an entire gallery of authentic, on-brand imagery taken in real-life outdoor settings. Those photos could be repurposed for your website’s homepage or product pages.
• User-generated content (UGC): The outdoor community is generally highly engaged. If customers are tagging your brand in their personal trip photos, reach out to see if you can repost or license those images. Bonus: UGC adds credibility and helps potential customers envision themselves as part of your brand story.

Tip two: Finding high-quality assets quickly

If your audit falls short of the type of visuals you really need, here are a few strategies:

• Local photographers and videographers: Outdoor hotspots, ski towns, surf cities, and mountain regions often have photographers and videographers eager to work with brands that align with their interests. Tap into local networks, community forums, or tourism boards to find professionals who know the terrain.
• Destination partnerships: Resorts, adventure companies, and tourism boards usually maintain an archive of high-quality photos and videos. You might be able to license these or collaborate through “contra” deals. For instance, you promote their destination on your website, and they grant you access to select images for a limited time.
• Professional stock libraries: Stock images and videos can serve as a solid temporary solution when you’re short on time or budget. The key is curating content that fits your brand’s style. Overuse of generic stock can dilute your brand’s authenticity, so plan to replace these images with more unique, on-brand shots as soon as you can.

Tip three: Launch now, fix later

It’s tempting to wait for every photo to be painstakingly edited or every video to be perfectly color-graded before launching. But websites aren’t static brochures—they’re dynamic platforms that can (and should) evolve. Here’s how a phased approach can help:

• Stage 1: MVP (Minimum Viable Presence)
  Start with a clean, user-friendly layout and use placeholders or well-selected stock images where necessary. Ensure your site’s copy is clear, concise, and aligned with your brand voice. Even with minimal visuals, a solid user experience can keep people engaged.
• Stage 2: The Asset Upgrade
  Once you’ve secured the rights to new photos or produced custom videos, integrate them into your site. Focus on the most visited pages first, like your homepage hero banner and high-traffic product or service pages.
• Stage 3: Continuous Optimization
  After you’ve populated your site with stronger visuals, analyze user engagement metrics. Are people spending more time on the homepage? Are product pages seeing better conversion rates now that you’ve added high-quality action shots? Refine and adjust accordingly.

Tip four: Maintain a cohesive “storefront”

Remember how that appealing storefront had a cohesive, inviting look? Your website can achieve the same through a few basic techniques:

• Color consistency: Use tools like Photoshop (or simpler apps like Canva) to maintain uniform color correction across all images. For instance, if your brand has warm, earthy tones, ensure every photo has a slightly warmed-up palette. This creates a sense of continuity, even if the images were originally shot in different lighting conditions.
• Simple editing and filters: A slight filter or preset can unify a batch of photos. Be careful not to overdo it; subtle consistency is key. If you’re featuring multiple photographers’ work, adding the same preset can make your assets feel more branded.

Move forward, then evolve

Don’t let a lack of perfect images or videos paralyze your website launch. By auditing your existing assets, seeking out local creatives or destination partners, and adopting a phased approach, you can confidently unveil a site that’s both functional and visually appealing. From there, it’s all about refinement, swapping in new assets, polishing your design, and testing what resonates best with your audience.

Remember that your website is a living, breathing extension of your brand. Treat it like a storefront you’re constantly refreshing with fresh visuals and engaging narratives. With the right partnerships, a cohesive editing strategy, and a willingness to iterate, you’ll transform your site from a work in progress into a captivating online experience—one that keeps visitors coming back for more.

And if you need a hand finding or creating the right assets (or with any other aspects of your digital presence), please don’t hesitate to reach out.