When it comes to website design, the images you use could either enrich the website or devalue it. It’s simply a make or break situation. High quality images are quite useful in passing and conveying a message visually, subconsciously and instantly.

As we all know that choosing the right images for the right audience is a key to success. The importance of using high-quality images on a website cannot be over emphasized. How do you actually know if an image is of high quality? Here are some factors to consider when choosing images for your business website:

Relevance to content

It is important that the selected images are relevant and describes the text they accompany. For example, you would want to use images that are ideal for kids where you are trying to target them. Using an elderly image in this situation might not work. Also, the image should also portray the brand message and the tone of the website. A relevant image will always give a clue on what is next to follow ‘text’.

Resolution

Low-resolution images will only come out unclear, unprofessional and untidy. The devices used nowadays have high-resolution displays which will immediately expose a low-quality image, and deter people away from your website instantly. I will personally not use an image than to use a low resolution image, as I see it as an easy way to create a bad first impression. Well optimized high-resolution image will clearly attract the human eye quietly saying “I’m gorgeous, don’t you think so?”

File Format

Using the right file format to target different audiences is very necessary. In a business environment, graphical presentations and infographics tend to engage its users without a need for an accompanying text. You need to determine if your image will be a .jpeg, .png or an animated .gif. If you have an entertainment blog, using animated images .gif will attract attention immediately, which will have better interaction and engagement than .png and .jpeg images. Both .jpeg and .png images work well for corporate and ecommerce website.

Professional

Professional images make sure that lighting, composition, exposure, sharpness and colour balance are perfect. All these factors cannot be overlooked if a high-quality image is required. While most people cannot ordinarily pinpoint what makes an image look professional, but they can often tell when an image is unprofessional.

Uniqueness

Uniqueness means that the images used are not readily available everywhere on the internet. Even if an image is popular over the internet, try to make it unique by changing opacity, adding text, adding blur or merging with another image. Ensuring that images used on your website are unique also means that they cannot be easily replicated.

Now that we have highlighted the factors to consider when choosing high quality images for your website, we also need to look at the few ways or means to obtain high-quality images:

Do it yourself

This option is very budget friendly, but not necessarily the best in all situations, especially when your requirements are very advanced.  You can decide to take photographs yourself and you sincerely don’t require the best gadget to take the most stunning images. Your smartphone can also take clear, crisp and professional images that will wow your audience. To improve the quality of your images, you can edit using filter apps or free photo editing software like Gimp, or learn some basic photography skills.

Hire a professional

For example, if you are a fashion designer, and you are looking to showcase your clothing line professionally on your website, you can hire a professional commercial photographer who can translate your images into sales. Peradventure, you are a corporate organization looking to take professional headshots of your board members, an experienced corporate photography agency is all you need.

Stock photography

There are a lot of free and paid stock photography websites. The only setback on using stock images is that you might not find images that exactly suit your needs and will be forced to compromise. Also stock photographs might not be unique as other people could have used the exact images on their website.

Design and Edit images

As part of do-it-yourself, if you are skilled enough, you could go the route of creating and designing your own images using software like Adobe Photoshop or CorelDraw. If you feel you haven’t got the time or need an expert touch at an affordable cost, you will need a creative graphics designer.

In conclusion, high-quality images can help your website stand out in your niche and amongst your competitors. A website design is incomplete without quality images. The pictures have to be used strategically to promote and complement the website’s content. Often, the major factor that keeps visitors glued to a website scrolling and clicking pages is the quality of the images on the website.

If you need further assistance on quality branding and design, or require help on implementing the tips provided here, do contact us and one of our experts will be in contact.