There is a bigger picture that website designers need to see too whenever they are busy deciding on which layout to use and that is which image to use. Gone are the days when visitors would forgive you for willy-nilly just adding the first picture that you have found. So, to ensure that your website does not disappear out of the picture use these three top tips for selecting the right image for your website.
Get the right hero image
Nowadays we are blessed with state-of-the-art monitors! It would be a shame if your website fails to take complete advantage of the current technology. So, be sure to include a big hero image that is closely connected to the content of your website.
Luckily you really do not have to spend a fortune on sourcing an image that was created specifically for your website as there are high-quality stock photos that you can use without any guilt or shame whatsoever. Though, just make sure that you do not select a stock image that is too unoriginal. Ultimately your image should help to portray that your brand is the real deal.
Pay attention to ratio
Right, you have picked the perfect image and now you will simply need to crop it a bit here and there. It sounds easy, right? Well, there is some skill involved in this step. The trick is to guide the eye of the visitor to the photo’s main focal point. Though, you do not want too much dead space around the focal point either.
You will also have to take into account designing for responsive websites. According to Adobe, on average 80% of users will leave a website when its content does not display correctly on a mobile device. When you forget about the different aspect ratios, that focal point can change drastically when a visitor browses your website via a mobile device.
You can find more detailed info here about web design statics that you cannot ignore when you design your new website.
Consider the context
Picking the correct image requires that you consider the context above all else. It would be wonderful if you could add photos that were specifically taken for a particular blog post or page, but once again there is nothing wrong with relying on stock photography to get the job done. If you do opt to use stock imagery, just make sure that the image that you have selected is indeed suitable for the content.
While stock images can be used effectively in your web design, if it is for an ecommerce website, you will have to find more bespoke imagery. If you are selling your own unique products, you will have to enlist the services of a professional photographer who has access to a studio where the products can be photographed from various angles.
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