Picking the Right Website Images
A picture speaks a thousand words and that's why a website needs perfect images that convey the right things about your brand. Choosing the best webpage images helps ensure that your website is engaging, professional and it makes a great first impression. A common mistake is to pick out random stock photos vaguely associated with your brand. Instead, invest time and attention in finding the right images and transform your virtual address into a powerful digital marketing tool. Here are some tips you can use.
1. Pick the right match
Don't begin the search for your website pictures before deciding where they’ll go on your page. You could end up choose images that do not exactly fit the website location that they are meant for. For example, you pick a vertically oriented image. When you realize it has to go into a square box, you just crop it to size. But cropping a picture to force fit into a different size or shape often destroys the aesthetics of the picture and reduces its impact drastically.
The right sequence is to first assess the website location you need an image for. Next step, start looking for suitable images. This way, the image can be used with minimal changes to deliver maximum impact.
2. Avoid cliched images
Pictures of ecstatic customers, or images of impeccably dressed employees at pristine desks are tempting. But they also look fake! Your image should convince customers that they are actual representations of your brand/ team/ product. Avoid cliched 'picture perfect' stock photos to ensure that your customer doesn’t end up skeptical of your brand!
The most cliched stock photos are also the ones used very commonly. You don’t want a customer browsing through your site and spotting the exact picture here that he’s seen elsewhere. Consider hiring a professional photographer to click quality photos of your actual office, product lines, teams to use on your website.
3. Opt for relatable images
Your website doubles up as a great digital marketing tool. The right design elements grab the audience’s attention and encourage engagement at a deeper level. The perfect images to drive this are those that are relatable to the audience. Authentic, real images that people can relate to instantly click with visitors, make them halt and explore further.
Wherever you can, use pictures of real customers and team members (with their permission) onsite. Add pictures of your product in use at a customer site or at a demo site to communicate exactly how it looks and works. The authenticity and credibility of such images is impossible to match with stock images.
4. Backup your brand message
The images on your web page serve a clear purpose. They support the message conveyed through the webpages and through your very brand. The images you choose must sync perfectly with your ideology as well. That’s why, make sure the image you pick is not in direct contrast with what your business/ brand/ ideology is.
Start by clearly delineating your website theme in the design stage. Next, follow this theme and choose images. This is a simple way to sync your images with your brand.
5. Understand licensing
Don’t use images without the right license and permission. It's unethical and also, getting sued for using someone’s pictures without their consent is the kind of publicity your brand can do without.
Use images from sites that clearly lay out licensing requirements. Make sure that you have the right permissions before your post it on your website. Be extra careful when you use pictures with famous personalities or brands. Read the terms of use for the image thoroughly before you use it.
6. Let the image do the talking
Too much text bores people. Use your images instead to communicate with your audience. A combination of text plus visual can communicate more efficiently than plain text. For example, a restaurant can use pictures of its special dish and add a short two- liner note describing it instead of using just words to describe it. The visual has greater appeal. It puts the appetizing dish right in front of the target's eyes.
7. Picture quality matters
A highly pixelated image disrupts the experience of the visitor to your website. Poor quality images instantly irritate the viewer, making them want to quickly scroll away. As they move past the image, they also miss all the other content there on that page location. Invest in high resolution images. Remember, large files sizes can be compressed if needed without loss of image quality.
8. Be consistent
Make sure that all the images on your page look like they have been designed just for you. Picking up pictures from a variety of sources often creates a hotch- potch of pictures in different styles, tones, shapes and sizes. While the last two are not completely avoidable, making sure the first two are consistent is very important. Too much variety here makes your site look unprofessional, like it’s been put together overnight.
9. Determine your focal point
A common mistake is to choose a picture whose focal point cannot be positioned in a text free area. You'll find this in banners usually where the image's main focus area is hidden under the page heading. First, think about the text that will appear over the image and factor in text size too. Then start looking for pictures that will accommodate both within its non- critical area.
If all of this is too overwhelming and you are not sure if you can pull it off well, just leave it to the experts. At CodeMasters, we deliver high quality digital services that take brands up a notch in their respective fields. Let us build your customized website with carefully curated images that suit your brand, tone and ideology. Just give us your inputs and tell us what you are looking for. We will give you an effective website that powers up your digital marketing initiatives. Talk to us today for customized solutions that ‘speak’ to your audience in the right way.