When you’re designing a website, there are so many things you need to consider, and one thing you can’t underestimate is the importance of images.
Can you remember the last time you visited a website that didn’t have any images on it? If you can, how did you feel about it? Images serve many purposes on a website, they:
- Are the first thing people see and your audience expects them
- Tell your audience more about your business – remember images are worth a thousand words – you can sum up an article, your business or your brand in just one image
- Can increase clicks – images tend to get twice as many clicks as text links
- Can be used to break up text or different sections of the page
How do I know what image to use?
The right image will be different for everyone; it will depend on where and how it is being used and what your brand stands for. A couple of consistent things you need to think about are:
- The image needs to be relevant to your company
- It needs to look trustworthy, so make sure it isn’t watermarked or plastered with brand names or logos
- If you are buying a stock image try and avoid anything too generic – your audience will see right through it
- Think about composition and always buy the right size – a pixelated or out of focus image doesn’t make your business look great
Where do I get the images from?
When it comes to sourcing the image you have a few options, but whatever you decide you need to make sure you have permission to use them. If you don’t, you could end up with legal issues down the line.
- The most obvious option is to take the images yourself. The upside of this is you can represent your business and products exactly as they are. The downside, if you’re not a professional photographer it can get expensive to hire someone.
- Google is another option if you don’t want to take the images yourself, but you do need to be careful if you choose this option. The majority of these images won’t be copyright free, so you can’t legally use them without permission from the copyright holder. The size and quality of these images will also vary hugely.
- Stock photo agencies are the perfect place to find images for your website. Although it means you have to pay a small fee, it does mean you are legally allowed to use the images. The images will also be well shot and unwatermarked, which means they’ll look professional and help your site look more trustworthy. Use a stock library like 64ÌåÓýand you could save money by only buying what you need and not having to sign up to a subscription or credit package.
Other blogs you might like
Choosing an image for your presentation
Buying one stock photo
How misusing images can impact your business