Images such as photos, clip art and logos are important for giving your business website the professionalism and comfortable feel you want for your clients. They can convey valuable messages about the emotional and physical benefits that your business has to offer. So why cut corners when it comes to putting images on your web site?
Image Overload
However, there is a fine line with images: too many can have a negative impact on a web site’s performance. Image files are big and can take a lot of time to download onto a computer screen. This can make your business website heavy, slow and cumbersome to navigate through. Most people will probably give up and move on to another site.
For a business, you want a quick and agile site that people can move through quickly and gather as much information as possible. To achieve this, try to pick images that convey the most information possible; make them smaller with the option of clicking them to enlarge for further viewing, and of course, make sure that an expert is formatting them!
One great option for putting images on your web site and keeping pages loading quickly, is to use thumbnails. Thumbnails are generated smaller versions of the original images. You can use just the small images or you can create a pop up window where the larger image can be viewed on request. Just like regular images, these thumbnails should be cropped, optimized, color corrected, and formatted to fit the website’s needs
When creating a pop-up window with a larger version of a thumbnail take the necessary extra time and effort. If done in a sloppy fashion it could give an unprofessional feel to your site. Using the latest technologies a pop up window can be created with the same look and feel as your website, including image titles and descriptions. This gives you the opportunity to provide your clients with more information, which is always a good thing.
Attention to detail
Because images can play such a vital role in your web site, there needs to be extra care and attention to detail when formatting them for placement. Several things need to be considered and executed.
1. Image Size vs Quality: This is not necessarily about the amount of space that an image takes up on the screen but how detailed it is. An image should be optimized (reduce image detail) so that it loads quickly. However, there needs to be enough detail left so that the viewer sees a clear picture.
2. Physical Size: Most photographs need to be cropped before putting them onto a web site and resized to fit the format of the page.
3. Color Correction: Most photos need to have small color corrections to appear warm and inviting on the screen. For example, too many blue tones and your site could look cold and uninviting.
4. Integration: To make a photo, clip art or logo look like it belongs on your website you need to integrate it with the existing layout. That could mean giving it a drop shadow or border.
The most important image of all
The logo is the most important image on your web site. It should appear on every page. The page layout should support the logo in its color, feel and style. Therefore, the integration and possible clean up of an existing logo is vital for a clean professional look. There should not be a border or an edge where the logo ends and the page begins. Instead they should flow together and support the company identity and philosophy.
Images are a great way of creating new interest in your business website. Regular visitors will appreciate your efforts to keep your site up-to-date and interesting. Images alone can convince a prospect to call for a quote, an appointment, or to purchase a product. If you have chosen to invest in a high performance, professional website that will help your business grow, images are not something you should cut corners on!
Melanie Moore and John Moore or owners of SonicSpider LLC, Marketing and Design the high performance web development company that is "with you every step of the way!" Contact them by calling their office at (760) 631-3085 or visit their website www.esonicspider.com.
Image Overload
However, there is a fine line with images: too many can have a negative impact on a web site’s performance. Image files are big and can take a lot of time to download onto a computer screen. This can make your business website heavy, slow and cumbersome to navigate through. Most people will probably give up and move on to another site.
For a business, you want a quick and agile site that people can move through quickly and gather as much information as possible. To achieve this, try to pick images that convey the most information possible; make them smaller with the option of clicking them to enlarge for further viewing, and of course, make sure that an expert is formatting them!
One great option for putting images on your web site and keeping pages loading quickly, is to use thumbnails. Thumbnails are generated smaller versions of the original images. You can use just the small images or you can create a pop up window where the larger image can be viewed on request. Just like regular images, these thumbnails should be cropped, optimized, color corrected, and formatted to fit the website’s needs
When creating a pop-up window with a larger version of a thumbnail take the necessary extra time and effort. If done in a sloppy fashion it could give an unprofessional feel to your site. Using the latest technologies a pop up window can be created with the same look and feel as your website, including image titles and descriptions. This gives you the opportunity to provide your clients with more information, which is always a good thing.
Attention to detail
Because images can play such a vital role in your web site, there needs to be extra care and attention to detail when formatting them for placement. Several things need to be considered and executed.
1. Image Size vs Quality: This is not necessarily about the amount of space that an image takes up on the screen but how detailed it is. An image should be optimized (reduce image detail) so that it loads quickly. However, there needs to be enough detail left so that the viewer sees a clear picture.
2. Physical Size: Most photographs need to be cropped before putting them onto a web site and resized to fit the format of the page.
3. Color Correction: Most photos need to have small color corrections to appear warm and inviting on the screen. For example, too many blue tones and your site could look cold and uninviting.
4. Integration: To make a photo, clip art or logo look like it belongs on your website you need to integrate it with the existing layout. That could mean giving it a drop shadow or border.
The most important image of all
The logo is the most important image on your web site. It should appear on every page. The page layout should support the logo in its color, feel and style. Therefore, the integration and possible clean up of an existing logo is vital for a clean professional look. There should not be a border or an edge where the logo ends and the page begins. Instead they should flow together and support the company identity and philosophy.
Images are a great way of creating new interest in your business website. Regular visitors will appreciate your efforts to keep your site up-to-date and interesting. Images alone can convince a prospect to call for a quote, an appointment, or to purchase a product. If you have chosen to invest in a high performance, professional website that will help your business grow, images are not something you should cut corners on!
Melanie Moore and John Moore or owners of SonicSpider LLC, Marketing and Design the high performance web development company that is "with you every step of the way!" Contact them by calling their office at (760) 631-3085 or visit their website www.esonicspider.com.