Choosing Website Images

Selecting the right images for your website is a huge component of both its design and marketing impact. Whether you go with photographs, vectors or illustrations, the images need to be high quality and related to your product, service or audience. Your images have a few seconds to capture the viewer’s attention and convince them your website is high quality.

Depending on the focus and tone of your site, consider the following images:

• Large, high-quality banner shots
• Individual product photos
• Photos of your team, business or product in action
• Photographs of the team
• Miscellaneous related images, such as offices, business people, different demographics

Images create a connection with the viewer, especially if you have a product or service that you’re selling online.

There are a few ways to source high quality images for your website, according to your budget and resources.

• DIY. If you feel confident in producing your own high-quality pictures, then this is certainly the most cost-effective way to go. However, low quality or badly shot images risk down-grading your brand and reputation. One solution is to use professional photos for your banners and main pages, and then have a separate image gallery that can be more “handmade”.
• Professional photographers. If you have a lot of products to feature, enlisting a professional photographer can be a huge help. They provide a studio and lighting, and know how to get the best shot. Give them a clear brief and instructions on what you want.
• Online image libraries. Providing a range of high quality photos, vectors and illustrations, these websites allow you to pick and choose appropriate images for your site. Some of our regular go to libraries are PhotoDune, iStockPhoto, Fotolia and Shutter Stock.

Quality images make a good impression – and low quality, unrelated images make a bad one. If you’re building a website with Avatar, you can provide your own images or we’ll source them for you.