5 Key Tips for Using Images on Your Website That Suit Your Brand

A website without images is unhelpful, but one with poorly chosen visual elements can be even more of an issue for up and coming brands.

With that in mind, here are some tips that will ensure the images you add to your own site are fit for purpose and primed to engage prospective customers immediately.

Avoid Blurry Photos (Use an AI Tool to Sharpen)

One of the cardinal sins in web design is using blurry images. Clear, sharp images not only enhance your overall aesthetic but also resonate more with audiences who appreciate attention to detail. And since you can unblur images online using AI-powered tools, it doesn't have to be a chore.

Using crisp, high-quality visuals reflects well on your brand's professionalism and meticulousness. There's no brand out there that won't benefit from this strategy.

Highlight Your Brand's Story (Use Relevant Images)

Telling your brand story is a powerful way to connect with your audience. But instead of relying solely on words, why not use imagery? Here are some tips for doing so:

• Use photos taken during company events or behind-the-scenes shots. Nothing tells a story better than authentic experiences.
• Let the images tell their own stories. For example, if you're selling environmentally-friendly products, use pictures showing how these items positively impact the environment.
• Include testimonial pics from satisfied customers or employees engrossed in work. Such snapshots evoke authenticity and trustworthiness, and we'll touch on this in more detail later.
• Thematic cohesion matters too, so make sure all images align seamlessly with your brand's narrative thread. If there are any outliers, they'll stick out like a sore thumb, so should be trimmed out altogether.

Keep Colors Consistent (Think About Brand Identity)

Visual psychology suggests that colors affect perception and behavior. Maintaining consistency in your images' color schemes aligns with your brand's identity. Here's how:

• Stick to a defined color palette which aligns with your brand's tone and messaging. If you've got a set of corporate colors or a logo, you can use this as your basis for decision-making at this stage.
• In multiple shots, retain similar lighting conditions for consistent visual impact.
• Use image editing tools to adjust colors, ensuring unity across every image you add to your site.
• Apply filters carefully, as overuse can lead to skewed hues or unnatural saturation.

Engage Customers Effectively (Use Original and Authentic Pictures)

Stock photos can be a quick fix when you're first getting your site up and running, but they aren't ideal for long-term use. This comes down to their unavoidably generic look, which isn't likely to engage the audiences you're targeting.

Because of this, capturing original pictures and putting them on your site enhances authenticity, and is of course easier to manage from a brand appropriateness perspective. Here's what you should capture and include:

• Display real images of your products or working environment, bringing an unfiltered view to customers.
• Show actual team members engaged in tasks instead of sourced models. This garners trust more effectively as it presents the human side of your brand.
• Have user-generated content alongside your own photos. You could encourage satisfied customers to share their own pictures taken while interacting with your services or products, for example. This will require some vetting, but is worth it for the engagement it will earn.

Consider the Minimalistic Approach (Keep Visuals Simple)

In the world of web design, minimalism reins supreme, and this also applies to content creation. It's a trend that pairs down content to essential elements only, leading to cleaner and more focused websites. This philosophy applies directly to imagery as well, so here are some steps to implement on your own site:

• Select images with simple backgrounds, as they keep the focus on your product or service. Again you can use AI tools to automatically remove background elements if they're too busy.
• Lean towards pictures with fewer colors. This creates harmony and reduces visual tension.
• Pick visuals centered around one statement-making object, rather than multiple ones vying for the viewer's attention. It might be tempting to cram everything into the frame, but this is more likely to overwhelm than engage.
• Limit patterns, as chaotic designs can create confusion, whereas smooth textures gently guide the eye where it matters most.

Final Thoughts

The best lessons you can learn about using images on your website can come from looking at rival sites, so don't be afraid to visit competing pages and see what they're getting right, and where they're going wrong as well.