Images play a crucial role in so many aspects of your website’s performance and overall experience. They have the ability to trigger emotions, create trust and even modify our behavior. Studies show that people remember 80% what they see and only 20% what they read. The imagery used on your website can have a direct impact on conversion rates – the use of human faces in web design have been shown to double conversion rates in some cases.
It’s important to use smart file names, proper alt attributes and title attributes, make use of captions, optimise your images for web use, and use the Open Graph protocol for better discoverability.
In addition to that, imagery is also important from a usability point of view. A good web page should contain relevant images that aid the user journey by acting as signposts to help users navigate to the page they are interested in quickly and easily.
There are many types of website imagery that can be used to make a website stand out. Here are some examples of good website imagery:
– Stock photos
– Custom photos
– User-generated content (UGC)
– Video
– Infographics
– Animation
– Overlays
– Vector graphics
Stock photos are existing images that can be licensed for business or creative purposes, and are usually sourced through online image libraries, such as Unsplash or Pexels.
Custom photos are unique images that are created specifically for your website.
User-generated content (UGC) is content created by users of a product or service.
Video can be used to showcase products or services, provide tutorials, or simply add visual interest.
Infographics are visual representations of data or information.
Animation can be used to add visual interest and interactivity to a website.
Overlays are semi-transparent layers that can be added over images to create visual interest.
Vector graphics are images created using mathematical equations rather than pixels, which means they can be scaled up or down without losing quality.
Here are some tips for choosing the right imagery for your website:
* Keep it relevant to your business and brand.
* Stay on brand by using images that match your brand’s style and tone.
* Choose quality over quantity.
* Be as authentic as possible.
* Don’t be afraid to use stock images.
* Consider your audience when selecting images.
* Choose images that provoke action.
* Make an emotional connection with your audience.
Hopefully this gives you a better insight into the importance on website imagery, and will guide you in your design journey!
