Finding pictures to use on your website is not as easy as it sounds. There are multiple factors you have to consider and certain steps that you have to go through to optimise them for online use.
When I am designing your website, I am able to find pictures for you as part of the service. However, many people choose to organise their own if it is perhaps in an industry which requires specialist knowledge.
Moreover, if you are planning on adding blog posts yourself then it is crucial you have the capabilities to arrange your own pictures; Google will boost your site up its ranking for including pictures as well as text within your content.
If you would like to talk to me about my web services, give me a call today on 01501 797 061.
Alternatively, fill in my contact form, and I’ll be in touch as soon as possible.
Stock Images
Stock images are high-quality readymade images which are licensed for specific uses. By browsing a stock image library online, you can search for precise terms and find an image which is in line with what you need for your website.
For example, you could make a general search such as “garden” in a stock library and find multiple images of gardens, such as this:
However, you can take this further, and search for something more specific such as “children and dog in garden” and get the following:
By paying a small license fee, you can receive fantastic pictures which look professional and compliment your product/service and content.
Taking Your Own Pictures
As fantastic as stock images can be, it may be the case that your product or service cannot be reflected through pre-made stock photos.
For example, I did a website for a client who made cupcakes and celebration cakes. Although stock images could be used in places throughout the site, she needed to hire a photographer to shoot her work in order to show the specific products she supplied.
It may also be the case that you are an integral part of your business. For example, if you are an integral part of your business, it might be the case that pictures of you will be important. In these cases, professional photos of you at work might benefit the site.
Another reason may be because your business exists in a location of note. Stock photos of a restaurant, for example, will not work – the website needs to show your site. The same goes for hotels, shops, anything really where your premises is an integral part of the business.
Although hiring a photographer is more expensive than stock photos, it can pay serious dividends.
Optimising a Photo for Online
There are a few things you have to consider when adding pictures to your web content. Again, if I am designing your website, you can leave this to me. However, for blog posts which you may be adding yourself, you will have to do a couple of simple things to do beforehand.
Firstly, internet images should generally be a specific size for being added to blog posts. For all of the sites I design, this should be around 700 pixels in length across the image. You can do this quite easily in programmes like Photoshop or GIMP, which will allow the picture to fit seamlessly on the page.
Secondly, after the image has been sized, it is vital that you make sure that the picture is of the smallest file size possible. This is because the amount of ‘stuff’ on your website that a visitor has to load up on their device affects how long it takes for the site to display correctly.
For example, if you have an image that is 10mb in size, this will make the webpage very sluggish in its loading time.
By running all images which are going to be put on your webpage through a programme like Tiny PNG, you can minimise their file size while maintaining their quality. Don’t ask how they do it (because it is beyond me!), but it is a vital aspect of web development.
Get in Touch
Again, if I am responsible for designing your website, then I will make sure that all of the images are entirely fit for purpose. Additionally, I can advise on whether or not it is worth organising your own custom photos rather than allowing me to choose appropriate stock photos.
To arrange your new bespoke website today, give me a call now on 01501 797 061.
Alternatively, fill in my contact form, and I will be in touch as soon as possible.