Golden Rules To Use Images For Web Design
Demand for websites and its standards keeps rising and so is its expectations. We are habituated to search for quick information on the web, be it, socializing, entertainment, information, etc. So, the media plays an important role in any website design. Media could be in the form of audio, video, images, etc. Using these on the website could increase the user experience. But you should ensure that the media included in the website matches the target audience. Also, the media should match the device of the audience. Sometime, playing a video on a website might not be possible if a user browses the website on their mobile due to poor connectivity. So would be the case with an audio file. Images for web design increases the user experience. Hence, images, when placed, should be placed properly to get the users to catch in it. Every care must be taken to optimize the images on the website for its effective use. A professional Content Marketing Agency India is aware of the image’s importance together with solid layouts and relevant design to attract and engage the users. But you should provide the right image relevant for each page. The images for web design are best-taken care by the frontend designers who craft the User Interface, perform UX testing, and take care of the entire colour of the web pages along with its look and feel. In short, website design images for the following reasons: ● Draw the attention of the users ● Triggers emotion of the users
● It is a visual representation ● Representation of an idea or feeling ● Users can interpret faster than text Images For Web Design should follow certain guidelines. The following points list a few of them:
1. Get An Ideal Background Image Placing a background image for web design promotes your brand to get more visitors. The background image for web design is usually big. It is also called a hero image. It mostly has text on top of the image. Placing this image has a huge impact on website images. Based on its procedure, a banner image is represented as a graphic or advertising image.
Get-An-Ideal-Banner-Image A graphic image usually spreads alongside the web page and publishes the website name. It could also be advertising its brand as advertisers would at times count on the banner views or its download.
2. Reflect On Images With Diverse Crop Sizes And
Ratios When the right image for web design is placed, it should be cropped. Image cropping is a design skill. While cropping, the image originality and clarity should be maintained. Also, using images for web design should get the user’s attention. A fully responsive website can be put down if the images are not planned and placed properly and those that do not fit to the exact screen formats and aspect ratios.
3. Get Appropriate Images From Clients The banner images could be created based out of your imagery, while the main images on the web pages that support the content should be from the client. The best images for web design should be studio-shot photos where there is consistency in size, lighting, and angle.
Get-Appropriate-Images-From-Clients Image Source: My Simple Show A professional photographer would take images from several angles where the macro details are well-taken care of. Sidestep magnified images that would affect the page’s load time.
4. Make Use Of The Right File Types An image can be stored with Multiple file types, where each file type has a different purpose. You should choose the right file that would be the best fit for your requirement and that matches the displayed content as well. The following file types are ideal for a website: ● JPEG Format – This format can be best used when there are many pictures containing many colours, shading, and gradients. ● PNG Format – This format can be best used when you have a logo to be placed on the web page. It can also be used when you have an image with many solid colours and involve transparency. ● GIF Format – This format can be best used when there is an animation.
Make-Use-Of-The-Right-File-Types (Image Source: Color Experts International) Your web page content is well supported when the right image is displayed beside it. Many businesses capitalize on image optimization so that their website gives an aesthetic appeal.
5. Have A Consistent image Style And Size Images for web design look beautiful when all images maintain a constant size and style. It also helps to arrange the columns, text, and other information displayed on the
web page. For example, the images and their associated content are neatly displayed and easily readable as well. This would provide a neat look for a web page. It would increase user experience. As the images are of the same size and are oriented properly, it fits in one column.
6. Include Image File Names To Help SEO To Rank Better Ensure that your website design image file names are proper for SEO to search better. Before you upload it to the website, check for the file name and then upload it. This is because it becomes easy to manage the images. It would increase the SEO ran k. To maintain consistency, make use of lowercase alphabets and numeric. Avoid having any punctuation or spaces in the image file name.
Include-Image-File-Names-To-Help-SEO-To-Rank-Better (Image Source: WPBeginner) For example, an ideal image file name can be, honda-car.jpg, Hyundai-car.jpg, and so one.
7. Ensure That Captions And Alternative Text Are Placed Once you upload the image to your web page, ensure that the additional information like captions and the alt text are in place. Like the file name, this information gives a boost to SEO. Alternative text also called Alt tags, though not visible to the user, it gives an idea for a search engine that explains the image. Hence the alternative text should be filled once the images are added to each web page. The alternative text should describe the image with a targeted keyword.
Ensure-That-Captions-And-Alternative-Text-Are-Placed-1 (Image Source: 3Play media)
8. Image And Its Applicable Text Should Be Placed Next To Each Other Select images that support the text. When an image is surrounded by its related data, it ranks better in SEO. For example, when your website is about travel, placing images of cars would not fetch a better rank in SEO. You need to place an image of different places, hotels, etc. and make the website more relevant and interesting for users to read.
Image-And-Its-Applicable-Text-Should-Be-Placed-Next-To-Each-Other Image Source: Epic Media Inc
9. Check Image License If you are taking images from the internet or from other sources you need to check its copyright as well. If it is not to be shared, then you cannot use it on your website as it might act as per the law. Hence, you need to take images that can be shared or to be on the safe side, it is always better to make use of a professional photographer to take images of your products. This way, the image would be yours. So, there could not be any chance of copying in it.
Check-Image-License (Image Source: Advertisement)
10. Image Represents Branding Create images that represent your brand. Keep your brand in mind when you frame each image of your website. An image can be branded using the following ways: ● Find out the main business goals ● Define your brand personality ● Progress main messaging ● Recognize the main audience
Image-Represents-Branding (Image Source: Eco & Vegan Graphic Design)
11 . Try For Original Images Images should be unique. Customers will be aware of each image that they see on many websites. They will be aware of stock photos when they happen to see it on your website. Stock photos can be used on a website, but it would not provide the actual impact that should convey the users. Having a stock photo would be effective and would cost a bit more. But to have a holistic feel while choosing images for web design, it is ideal that you get a professional photographer who would help to get images that would best fit your business and its products or services.
12. Induce An Emotional Touch For any website design images, emotions always play a vital part in conversions. Images for web design that induct a response would guide viewers to make a purchase
decision. You can think of an image that looks clearly pleased by using your product or services. This would provide a positive feel for the customers to purchase.
Conclusion The internet world is being supported by many varied media with the sole purpose to increase the website’s user experience. Placing an image in website design is considered common and widespread media as well. Images are preferred by users as it is convenient and easy to interpret and recall. When images are used with a purpose and effective way, it can attract your users and guide them properly. It is also used to activate the emotions of users and help to gain trust. As the day goes, ‘Am image speaks a thousand words’, so include the right image at the right place and gain more users to your website and increase the user experience. Source - Golden Rules To Use Images For Web Design