INTRODUCTION
Images are what set an excellent website apart from an average website. While resolutions have grown over the years, the fundamentals of image use online are constant.
IMAGE PRINCIPLES
Copy will help you get ranked in search engines, but images are for the people! Knock their socks off with pro shots!
SIZES
- Make your web images only as large as they need to be.
- The average raw digital image is 2-3x bigger than needed for the web.
- If your images stretch, test how they react to large and small screens.
- Big images will increase website load time – this is bad!
QUALITY NOT QUANTITY
- Users don’t stick around for more than 2-3 slides, make them count!
- Your photo gallery or portfolio should only contain your best work.
- Good product photography is essential to making a sale.
YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR
- Professional photographers will give you the best result.
- If you can’t afford a pro, take the time to do it right yourself.
- If you must, purchase high quality professional stock images.
- Don’t steal images online! You will be caught, and sued!
ACCESSIBLE AND INDEX ABLE
- Make sure to tag all images with ALT and TITLE descriptions.
- Search engines and users with disabilities use ALT and TITLE tags.
FINAL THOUGHT
Spend the time and the money to produce great photos and imagery for your company – your customers will notice.