Having unparalleled high-quality imagery is a requirement for any memorable website in the modern age. This article examines the importance of stunning visuals for all online businesses and provides top tips for using high-quality photos and graphics to stand out in an increasingly crowded cyberspace.
Why High-Quality Imagery Matters
Statistics show that visual content is consumed by browsers at an incredible rate. 90% of all information that is processed by the brain is visual, with humans understanding visual content 60,000 times faster that text.
High-quality imagery can be the difference between a customer making a purchase or not, and it can also be a deciding factor the way in which your website is ranked in search engine results pages (SERPs). When it comes to social media, content which contains visuals is shared six times more than content which is text-based.
Benefits of Using High-Quality Imagery
Not only does visually appealing content statistically perform better than text-based content, it also creates a professional online presence for your business. High-quality imagery can make all the difference when it comes to making a good first impression. A website that contains a collection of stunning visuals is more likely to be seen as professional than one which contains a basic collection of stock photos.
In addition to professionalism, good imagery can also help to make your website stand out from the crowd. With ever-increasing competition, this is an essential part of online success. A website that is visually appealing and engaging can help to keep users on the site for longer, reducing bounce rate and increasing the likelihood of a conversion.
Choosing High-Quality Imagery
When selecting images for your website, it is important to remember that relevance and quality are key. All images on your website should look professional, and all graphics should be clear, well-designed and well-resolved. Strive to make your website look tailored and unique rather than generic.
Remember that it’s not just the image itself that is important. The format and the quality of the image file is essential to its performance as well. For best results when using high-quality imagery, consider file type, resolution and compression.
File type: For high-quality imagery, it is generally best to use JPEG files as these offer the best quality and balance of colour detail and size.
Resolution: Image resolution is the amount of detail of the image. Higher resolution images look sharper in comparison to low resolution images. It’s important to choose the right resolution for the device(s) that your website is being viewed on. Choose the highest resolution that will retain good quality but not slow down the website. Generally, between 72 and 150 pixels per inch is a good resolution for website images.
Compression: Another important factor for high-quality images is image compression. This process involves reducing the file size and overall quality of the image to help reduce load times. Choose the right compression for the image type as images with good quality are generally larger files. Strive to find the right balance where the image is still good quality but as small as possible.
Ways to Use High-Quality Imagery
There are many different ways to use high-quality imagery to enhance a website. Large headers and background images are a common and effective method to catch the eye of a user and keep their attention. Product or service shots can help to increase sales and client trust, while infographics and other visual content can be used to aid in understanding or interacting with the content of your site.
An often overlooked way of using high-quality imagery is through search engine optimization (SEO). High-quality imagery can be a strategically powerful tool in optimizing a website as they can sometimes make a website stand out from the crowd in search results.
Conclusion
The modern Internet user expects websites to range from acceptable to fabulous, and this simply cannot be achieved with low-quality imagery. Stand out from the competition, increase engagement, boost conversions and create a professional online presence by using high-quality imagery on your website.