Our Guide To Website Images

Are images important? Should I add more photos to my website? Do I need to invest in graphics for my website? All very valid questions that small business owners ask when discussing website images. This blog will discuss everything you need to know about website images and why you need to take your time and put more effort into them than you might think.

Why Are Website Images Important? 

Humans are visual beings - we respond more to visual elements such as videos, images, and graphics than any other part of a website. If your website is just full of large blocks of text, chances are most people will click away. Equally, if your images are not up to scratch, this could negatively affect how users perceive your website and business.

Should I Use Stock Images On My Website?

Stock images are a fantastic way to add imagery to your website if you do not have the budget for custom photography or a graphic designer to make custom images. However, they have drawbacks in that they are what they say on the tin - stock images, so they won't be personalised to your business, nor will they be unique - anyone can download and use them. 

How To Choose Images For Your Website

Images on your website should always be relevant to your business. In fact, any content, be it written, photos, videos or graphics, should always be relevant to your brand. For example, if you run a coffee shop - and have images of a joiner fitting shelves to a random house - you are leaving questions in the minds of any website visitor about what it is that your business does. When choosing an image, ensure that:

• They are relevant to your business or industry. 
• They are high quality and can be resized (mobile photos are not always suitable). 
• They are converted to the correct format for website performance (PNG or WEBp is usually best).
• The proper resolution to help with website loading speeds. 
• Critically - you have the right permissions to use them. 

SEO Tips For Website Images

If you are conscious about what impact your images are having on your chances of ranking in the search engines, then here are a few more tips to consider: 

• File names: Not always a significant factor, but it is best practice to name your image files to the purpose of the image - for instance, if it is a blog image, it is best practice to call the image the name of the blog. 
• Alt Tags: DO NOT add the blog name as part of the alt tag - the alt tags describe the image and what it displays for accessibility factors - not trying to rank higher by keyword stuffing them. 
• Mobile-Friendly: Ensure that the image is scalable and have the dimensions defined to allow for responsive rendering for mobile devices. 
• File size: Keep them as low as possible without lowering the quality too much - the larger the file, the slower it loads and affects your SEO efforts. 

Quick-fire Top Tips: Website Images

1. Keep them relevant.
2. Keep them small in size.
3. Use the proper format.
4. Only use files you have permission to do so.
5. Use custom image where possible. 
6. Add relevant file names and alt tags.
7. Add images in the proper file types. 

Here at E2E, we are experts in small businesses and how they operate and here to take the strain from your shoulders when it comes to getting an online presence that works for you. We are a team of dedicated small business specialists who know precisely what it takes and have the tools, the skills and the passion for helping your business succeed online.