As the saying goes: a picture is worth a thousand words. Any website editor or owner knows very well that an article is not limited to words alone, but also to images that are in place to support the written content. Using images for a website is not as easy as it seems to be. For this reason, we have compiled several guidelines to help you through the process.
Some tips for using images on your website
Choose your images based on the content
It can be tempting to choose an image based purely on aesthetics. Of course, the beauty of a photo is essential to supporting the image of professionalism your business must maintain by way of your web content. Nevertheless, the image you choose must have a close link with the content to which it relates and acts as an added value to it. An unclear link between written and visual content will be perceived as a serious lack of coherence.
Choose original images
While keeping in mind the aforementioned point, do not hesitate to be bold in the choice of your illustrations. There may be no specific image that is perfectly equivalent to your written text. For example, if one of your articles refers to the speed of downloading on a website, there are several options for you to refer to the concept of speed: a fast-paced motorcycle, a rider who rushes, a close-up on a speedometer and many more.
Just try to make links from the concepts that emanate from the subject and you’re on the right track to getting your hands on an original idea. Remember the common saying "think outside the box!"
Make sure your images are readable on various platforms
The days when the only contact we had with computers was limited to an old traditional desktop are over. Most of us read articles on our smartphones, on tablets or on laptops. It should be noted that each of these devices has their own specifications for displaying images. So, it is important to take these aspects into consideration and be aware that your images should retain their aesthetic qualities when they are displayed on mobile devices or otherwise.
Adapt the number of images to the length of your article
We must recognize that a very long text without images will discourage some. To avoid losing readers and to air out your text sufficiently, make sure to take its length into consideration. For a shorter article (say 500 to 600 words), only one photo will fit. If your article has 1000 or 1500 words, the integration of two or three photos would be much more appropriate.
Searching for a web designer to improve your website's layout?
Contact us so we can refer you to specialists in our network
Reduce the weight of images on your website
Far be it from us to tell you that you have to be content with poor quality images on your website. However, it is good to know that images that have a high level of quality and have a weight that exceeds 500 KB will considerably slow down your website.
To avoid compressing image quality, use JPEG images. These have an ideal weight to be displayed on a website while being of good quality. If you plan to use PNG or GIF images, compress them. The Bitmap format (.bmp) should be avoided because of its slow download.
Personalize your images
If you are unable to get your hands on the gem image you're searching for, you can always select an image that is as close as possible to what you want and edit it. Several tools will allow you to do this, such as Photoshop, Pixlr, and many others. It is only necessary to choose the one with which you have the most ease as well as the one which allows you to make the desired modifications.
Pictures on the internet; avoid copyright issues
To avoid copyright issues, there are several options available to you including:
- The selection of images via Google. Once you are in the “images” category, go to “tools” and select “labelled for reuse with modification";
- The selection of your images from a royalty-free image bank such as Pexels, Pixabay, Wikimedia Commons or Flickr;
- The production of a photo of your own initiative;
- The use of a professional photographer for the production of your images;
- The use of paid photo banks.
The use of images with a Creative Commons license
This category of images may be used, subject to certain restrictions on the sharing of images. For this reason, it is advisable to be well informed before undertaking any publication process. Indeed, the rights relating to these photos are not all the same; four figures of cases that can occur are as follows:
- No modification: the reproduction of the image must be in all respects identical to the original version;
- Sharing under the same conditions: changes to the image are allowed provided that the original is also published;
- Attribution: the obligation to indicate the name of the author under the original word;
- No commercial use: reproduction is permitted under certain circumstances but never for commercial use;
Did you know that a free image is not necessarily royalty-free? Indeed, a nuance is required between the two. A photo can be free, but restrictions can still apply to its use.
