Picture perfect: Tippity top tips when choosing images for your website
March 1, 2023
A picture speaks a thousand words, even on the interwebs. Ugh, we’ve heard it before. But whether you love or loathe that overused cliché, it is true that one image can deliver something in an instant that words… well, words just can’t.
Thing is, there’s a real need for speed. It takes users 0.05 seconds to decide whether to stick around and look around your website (Sweor). There’s no time for reading. Humans process images quicker. Fact. 13 milliseconds of fact, to be precise. (Science ABC).
Therefore (as the pundits would say), visual content is vital on your website.
Because it’s not just about getting users to STAY, it’s also about getting them to DO something.
Brace for IMPACT.
An eye-catching image on the homepage of a website is not just placed there as a cosy welcome. There’s nothing willy-nilly about it. It was carefully selected and cleverly placed to make you DO something.
Posts that include images produce 650% higher engagement than text-only posts (Medium)
So?
So when choosing images for your website, consider the call to action. Will it encourage users to donate, to subscribe, to share, to shop?
Otherwise – why do you have a website at all? Asking for a friend.
4 Do’s and a don’t
Do edit images to get them aligned with your branding.
Do use images to break up screeds of text because 40% of people will respond better to visual information than plain text (LinkedIn)
Do switch it up! Keep up to date and remember to refresh and replace your images.
Don’t forget that image size and complexity heavily impact site performance (Content Marketing Institute). Resizing and saving your images correctly will help overcome this.
Note: The quality of the images you use will impact how they appear across various devices. It pays to look good from every angle.
But, where do I find suitable (ahem) images on the Internet?
We’ve plucked the top 3 places web designers and their friends go to source their images, to save you the task of sifting through the good, the bad and the ugly…
- Pexels – A treasure trove ready for delving in…
- Canva – Design for dummies (hey!)
- Humaaans – For Trendy Wendy and all her friends
Be bold. Be brave. Be brand.
You’ve got the power to grab attention. Look for images of humans that look like the #RealDeal, not the false smiley office worker no-one can relate to. Cookiecutter stock images don’t fool anyone. Sad but true.
Last thing: While that one carefully selected, highly edited image you drop on your homepage might speak a thousand words, make sure it’s a message worth hearing.