Images play a vital role in web design. And by images, we don’t just mean photographs. The kingdom of images also covers other visual assets like drawings, icons, vector images, logos, infographics, and so much more. Website development is indeed a strenuous task. The backend developers and the frontend developers put a lot of effort into creating a website that works effectively and looks great overall. But when it comes to selecting the right images for the website, the job is often taken lightly, and images are merely taken as decorative items. The use of metaphorical images to demonstrate qualities like strength or ambition is quite common. But there is more to images than that. If you select your images smartly and consider them a major part of your web design process, you can keep your customers hooked to your website. Let’s have a look at some tips for using images in web design to ensure the customer remains interested throughout:
Table of Contents
1. Place An Awesome Hero Image On The Landing Page
The landing page is the first thing that catches your attention. Be sure to make it count. How? For starters, source the best hero image for the homepage. As screen layouts and displays get sharper, image quality has become more critical. Whatever image you are going to choose, remember its quality comes first. You can use image upscaling tools to enhance the quality of an image that you plan on using as the hero image. Next comes relevance. Generic illustrations and photographs are a big no-no. Your hero image should be relevant to your brand’s core. People should be able to see your business’s individuality through your landing page. An image that seems too cliche will only make your website look unauthentic, which will impact the credibility of your brand.
2. Optimize Your Images
Your web design is going to have a lot of images, ranging from small logos to multiple product photos. These visual elements will weigh down your website if you don’t optimize them beforehand. People are not a fan of websites that take ages to load. 47% of users expect a website to load within 2 seconds. If your website takes more than a couple of seconds to load, people will simply abandon it and try another website, your competitor maybe. To avoid this inconvenience, it is essential that you optimize every image on your website. By optimizing, we mean choosing the correct format and compressing each file to reduce its size without affecting its quality. Optimized images will also help to drive more organic traffic to your website.
3. Use Original Photos
While the worldwide web has a lot of good stuff to offer, people also come across scams and frauds all the time, making it hard for them to trust a brand. If they are not sure about the ingenuity of the website they are visiting, chances are they will navigate out of it. It is your job to make your business seem truthful and trustworthy. Using original photos on your web platform is one way to win the confidence of your customers. It is not only product advertisement that requires the use of original images. You can also give an inside look of your business to your clients. Show them what the office looks like with candid pictures of your staff working. You can give brief introductions of your team members, telling your customers who is who. Knowing who is making the products they might be buying helps people connect with your brand on a personal level.
4. Stock Images Also Come In Handy!
Let’s admit it; not everyone can afford a commissioned photoshoot for their business. But a tight pocket should not be the reason to compromise on quality content. While original photos are the sole option for product advertising, they definitely are not the end of the world. Stock images are a budget-friendly option to get some fantastic images for web design. These images include fascinating illustrations, logos, icons, you name it! You can use these visual assets to enhance your website’s outlook and feel. Let’s take the example of a hero image. While a paid original photo would have been the ideal option for the purpose, you can also source fantastic images from these repository websites. All you have to do is put some careful effort into your research. And you must ensure the image you choose is not already in use by your competitors.
5. Make Your Images Responsive
A great web design can turn into a disaster if the images cannot adjust to different screen layouts and resolutions. From tiny icons to large header or background images, every visual asset should be responsive. If your images are not responsive, they may appear all right on some screens, but they will automatically distort or contort others. Such images will leave a bad impression on users’ minds, and they will exit your website immediately. So, you must ensure that the images you use for your website will respond to different screen sizes.
6. Logo Placement Is Important!
Logos have always been there, even before web design was a thing. A logo is an image that is a sign or visual representative of a company. They are a great way of leaving a lasting impression of your business on people’s minds. Not only that, but logos also give people the confidence and assurance of being in the right place. Positioning the logo at the right place on your website is an important decision. Make sure your logo is placed at the most visible point on the screen to help users orientate while they navigate through your website. Whether customers access your website on a smartphone, a desktop computer, or any other mobile device, your logo should be placed on the exact same spot on the screen to help them locate it easily.
7. Illustrations can be a Game-Changer
It is time to move on from metaphorical pictures that give your website a strictly-business look. Illustrations are a great way of giving your website an aesthetic and warm feel. You can either hire a digital illustrator to design a complete illustration-themed website for you or dust your web design with illustrative elements here and there. Stock image websites are full of countless illustrative images that will surely up your web design game.
Conclusion
There are many other ways to improve your web design game, but using images to enhance your website experience is the easiest. This is because pictures are easy to memorize, and we comprehend them better and faster than mere words. By following these tips and adding your own creativity, you can develop a great web design that will surely garner user attention and build trust.
0 Comments