Website Design Image Sourcing For Optimal Performance
Website design uses images to attract attention, build brand recognition and improve SEO. By finding the right balance between image size, resolution, quality and relevancy, web pages can use images for optimal website performance.
Unless you do your own photography and can produce the images you need you must find other sources. There are many images available to download online, however, some are protected by copyright. Under certain circumstances, your right to use a copyrighted image may be permitted under fair use. Public domain images are not subject to copyright, and there are many resources for free images so in most cases you won’t need to use copyrighted photos.
The quality of your images depends on a combination of how relevant they are to your brand, size, appearance and resolution. In addition to choosing photos that look good, you must also determine the aspect ratio, which is the proportional relationship between the width and height of the image. Changing the aspect ratio allows you to change the image’s shape. In other words, set the orientation of the image to either portrait view (taller) or landscape view (wider). Also of significance, while some images may look great, when the resolution is set too high they can slow down the loading speed. This can cause users to leave your page, having a profound impact on your search engine rank – especially for mobile users. This can be avoided with website design knowledge and expertise.
Web designers have their own language and most people won’t understand what we’re talking about when we use terms like bytes, kilobytes, megabytes and the like. To give a better understanding, in terms of image size as part of website design, optimal file size means the number of ‘bytes’ the file takes up. Actual image size is the dimensions, measured in pixels, and resolution is the quality or density of an image, measured in dots per inch (dpi). Very large images can slow your website down but can be made smaller; however, small sizes can’t be made larger without losing resolution. An option to “save for web” enables you to save an image at a resolution that won’t impede performance. The best formats for improving loading speed are JPEG/JPG or PNG. JPGs are a smaller, more efficient file size that is best for most purposes. Large JPGs are versatile and can be reduced, then smaller versions uploaded. PNG, a much larger format, is best used for backgrounds.
For the best results, choose relevant, high-quality, legible images that fit into the allotted space. Further, images must not obstruct any other element on the page and stylizing and borders must be chosen carefully. In addition, name your downloaded photos correctly, using lowercase letters and numbers 0-9. Avoid using punctuation or spaces, and use hyphens rather than underscores. Once the image is uploaded to your website, fill in alt tags, names and captions to describe what the image is showing. When used correctly, images can add an element of interest that attracts more users (and potential customers) to your website.
If your website isn’t showing up in Google searches, visitor’s can’t see what you’re offering, and your business will suffer. KC Web Specialists are area experts with the solutions you need. Our professional website design team can evaluate your website and issue an SEO report outlining areas that need improvement. To learn more about our services, or schedule a FREE website evaluation, visit us online.
Our expert website design can help grow your online presence. Our specialized services are available throughout the metro, including the Jackson County, Missouri cities of Kansas City, Grandview, Independence, Blue Springs, Lees Summit, Belton and more. We serve the Johnson County, Kansas, cities of Kansas City, Overland Park, Leawood, Olathe, Lenexa, Shawnee, and others, as well as Wyandotte County, Platte County, Cass County, and Clay County.
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(913) 489-7866, ext. 107
5876 Edgewater Drive, Overland Park, Kansas 66223
We are a local Kansas City Google Partner, with more than a decade of web design and development experience.
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