Having a strong local identity is a big advantage for any business in Perth. Using local landmarks on their website is a common way for businesses to do this online. But there is a big difference between a real local connection and a postcard picture that looks like it came from a stock photo. A bad picture of the Bell Tower or a clichéd sunset over Cottesloe can do more harm than good. This guide is for the smart business owner in WA who wants to go beyond the obvious. We’ll look at smart, strategic ways to make your online presence feel like it’s really and proudly local.
Why a True Local Identity Matters More Than Ever
Your local roots are a strong way to stand out in a digital market that is becoming more global. When someone from Perth visits your website, small things that show you are part of the community can make them feel at home right away. This shows them that you understand the local market, care about the economy, and are always there when they need you. National competitors can’t really say that the Swan River is their backyard or understand what makes Fremantle’s West End so special. When you carefully add elements of Perth’s identity to your website, you’re not just decorating it; you’re using a powerful branding technique that will attract the customers you want on a subconscious level.
Beyond the Postcard: Sophisticated Ways to Integrate Perth’s Identity
Don’t take the obvious hero shot. To be truly professional, you need to be creative and subtle. Here are four ways to include Perth in your design.
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Make the Landmark less clear
Instead of taking a picture, use the shapes, colours, and textures of Perth’s famous buildings as inspiration. You can use the Matagarup Bridge’s graceful, sweeping curves as inspiration for your patterns and graphics. The plants in Kings Park have deep terracotta and earthy colours that can be used to make your brand’s colour scheme. You can use the geometric shapes from Yagan Square or Elizabeth Quay to make unique, abstract images that will look familiar to a local without being too obvious.
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Get Custom Icons and Drawings
Getting a set of custom drawings or icons made is a great way to create a unique brand asset that you can own. Think of a simple, stylised icon of the famous Blue Boat House in Crawley, the black swans on the river, or even the unique cranes at the Fremantle Port. You can use these in your services section, as list icons, or in the footer of your website to give it a personal touch that is all your own.
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Take pictures with a purpose and in a subtle way
If you do use photography, make sure it looks good and is planned. Instead of a generic city skyline, how about a well-composed shot looking through the Elizabeth Quay arches or a well-lit detail of the WA Museum Boola Bardip’s architecture? You can use these pictures as subtle background textures, faded overlays, or as high-quality, thoughtful additions to your “About Us” page to help people connect your story to a real, recognisable place.
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Add it to Your Story
The text on your website is a very important part of its design. You can use the scenery around you to tell the story of your brand and what it stands for. For example, a financial company might talk about “Providing the stability of the Darling Scarp,” while a tech company might talk about “Creating connections as elegantly as the Matagarup Bridge.” This connects your business story to how everyone feels about living in Perth. Our professional Perth Website Design service is all about making these custom elements work together perfectly, where our strategic thinking meets local identity.
Are You Making These Local Branding Mistakes?
If you don’t do it right, you might not look professional or local. Be careful of these traps:
- This is the worst thing you can do: Use cheesy, low-quality stock photos. A blurry, pixelated, or generic picture of the city skyline makes your brand look cheap and screams “amateur.” If you have to, hire a professional photographer or buy high-quality, curated stock photos and use them in a subtle way.
- Landmark Choices That Don’t Matter: One of the most important rules for local branding is that the landmark should make sense for both your business and its location. A corporate law firm in the CBD that uses a rustic picture of a vineyard in Margaret River doesn’t fit. The solution is to choose landmarks that are geographically appropriate and reflect your brand’s values, such as community, innovation, and stability.
- Application that isn’t always the same: Don’t just put a random picture of Cottesloe on your contact page. The local part of your brand’s look should fit in with the rest of it, whether it’s through colours, shapes, or a consistent way of taking pictures. The solution is to make a simple plan for how to use local elements consistently throughout your site.
Your Strategic Takeaway: From Decoration to Connection
Using Perth’s scenery in your web design isn’t just for looks; it’s for connection. It’s about letting your audience know that you are a part of their world, that you understand their situation, and that you love being a local business. You can build a strong, real brand identity that the people of Perth will really respond to by going beyond tired images and using more advanced methods of integration, like abstraction, illustration, and narrative. Your website is no longer just a business tool; it becomes a landmark in your area.
Call our local design experts today to set up a free consultation if you’re ready to make a website that really represents Perth and has a plan.
