08 Mar 2017 Tools of the trade

Choosing the right images for your website should be easy

Yes, in theory, but in practise? Not at all.

So, in this post, the Digital Bridge team will guide you through the process of choosing website images that:

  1. Reflect your brand
  2. Create a consistent theme
  3. Help you avoid legal action
  4. Keep your costs down, or
  5. Take the weight off your shoulders

1. Website images should reflect your brand

They should appeal to, and resonate with, your target customers.

It’s surprising how frequently business owners forget this vital point. That’s why it’s number one on our list. Getting it wrong can be costly in both time and money, and you won’t realise how much, until it’s too late.  

Here are a few easy ways to choose website images that accurately reflect your brand:

2. Create a consistent theme

This sounds simple. You choose a consistent theme like product shots, people in action or your locale (like us), pop them on your website and… it looks wrong.

You scroll down the page, across the menu and, it still looks wrong. SO frustrating. Unfortunately, you don’t realise how wrong until you see them together, on your website.

So, consider these points:

Look for website images that share a similar light or shade.

You might have read about applying filters, cropping and so on, to help you create a consistent theme, and that’s all doable. But, if the background is light in one photo and dark in the other, you’ll still have inconsistent images, no matter which filter you apply.

Even the same filter can still look different

Filters are often touted as the easy solution to solving your photo consistency challenges. The easiest filter to apply is black and white, sepia and the like, but even they aren’t foolproof (including for the reasons above).  

If you decide to use colour, and apply the same overlay to all images, you might still have inconsistencies. So, make a note of the shade but be prepared to tweak to get it just right.

3. Avoid legal action

These days everything can be found on the Internet, including misuse of website images. Rather than delve deep into the confusing world of copyright laws let’s talk about the easy, headache-free way to find images for your website.   

Buy ‘royalty free’ stock photos.

Here, your chosen photo is a once-only purchase but you can use the image multiple times. Be sure to check the license information about how and where it can be used. Some licenses differ slightly, so don’t assume they’re all the same.If you’re buying a lot, it can get costly but if you’re sensible you can save $$. 

Try this: Create a gallery to view images side-by-side. 

Most stock photo websites offer a lightbox facility (or similar). Scroll the images, click the like box icon (or heart) and save chosen photos to your lightbox gallery. You can add or delete until your collection is just right.

Source images with a ‘creative commons license’:

There are many sites offering amazing photos and images, free, so you won’t infringe copyright. Still, don’t be lulled into a false sense of security. Check the licenses on each site.

A couple of points about this:

Some sites offer more choice and better quality, so look around.

You will discover amazing images so if you decide to use them, do the right thing:

It’s the least you can do.

4. Keep your costs down

Armed with the information above you should still be able to control the cost of choosing your website images. However, don’t underestimate the amount research and time it can take to get right. 

If you own a decent camera you can take your own shots. Needless to say, a creative eye helps enormously, but depending on your business, it’s possible to do a pretty decent job.  Depending on your business, you can even use it to your advantage.

5. Take the weight off your shoulders

You can always hire a professional photographer.  

If you’re organising this yourself remember:

Like everything in life, not every photographer is the same. Some specialise in portrait photography while others in streetscapes, architecture or pets!  If you’re going to invest in amazing photography make sure you choose the right expertise for your needs. Remember, prices vary considerably as does quality.

If you’re working with a web designer:

See what we mean? 

Choosing the right images for your website isn’t easy

Still, it doesn’t need to be painful either. Just be sure to invest enough time upfront to think (really think) about your needs and research your options.

Digital Bridge is a Melbourne-based web development agency that is big on ideas and low on jargon. We specialise in designing, developing, and managing websites for people like you and, businesses like yours.