How to choose the best illustrations for your website

I once had a publication about the best free photobanks and photo stocks in which the question was raised where to look for images for site. Today I want to touch on the topic how best to do it… All the more focused on the development of the site and its design. This post was written with the support of the Wix website development service (or rather, it is a translation of an article from their blog), so this platform for website development will be mentioned quite often in the text. By the way, on the pages of Design Mania you could already read a detailed overview of the Wix service.

So, you already have an awesome Wix site, and now you want to wow your visitors with vibrant, eye-catching illustrations. Visual content is an incredibly important element in building a great website. Even if you are not an artist or a photographer, you should think carefully about which images to use in order to be sure of success.

With such a huge selection, you probably had to wonder more than once which images help to achieve the greatest impact. Here are some tips to help you choose images that will make your site stand out from the competition.

Pixster Photobooth use funny, catchy shots on their Wix homepage

Inform

The homepage image is the first thing that visitors see when they visit your site. What does it say about your company? It s a good idea to use large, eye-catching pictures here, as they help form the first impression of your business.

* Tip: With Wix, you can create animated galleries that can convey all the information you need in full without taking up a lot of page space. The step-by-step instructions on the Wix site show you how to do this.

Spotlight 3d use this stylish picture as a background

Get interested

The images you use on your site should nudge your visitors to take action. Parris Whittingham, founder of Parris Whittingham Studio, says that his favorite illustrations are those that “give” something, ie. those that are capable of awakening certain emotions. This is the real value of images.

* Tip: Think about what action is targeted for your site – leave a donation, share an article, register, buy, bookmark, etc. – and try to pick up a picture that can induce exactly this action.

Keys Of Change Use Beautiful And Emotional Pictures To Promote Their Charitable Foundation

Energize

Give preference to dynamic over static images, i.e. those that can energize your product, message or personality and inspire your visitors. Such pictures, as a rule, have high definition, rather than blurry, saturated, and have a wide color scheme. By using dynamic images, you can grab the attention of visitors and make them want to see more.

* Tip: If you re hosting an album, slides, or gallery, don t use all the images you have at once. Filter them so that only the most dynamic ones remain.

Beach Chic Photography showcases one of their most inspiring works

Faces or objects?

People are social creatures, so you can always attract them through the image of a human face. At the same time, do not be afraid to trim the picture or emphasize some individual details to indicate the most important thing. Items can also be used to convey information and make your site visually appealing.

Of course, if you are promoting products or design items, one of the main tasks at the stage of website development will be to present these products in the most attractive way. This does not mean that you should completely avoid using images of people. Emotions conveyed by the expression of a human face can help you where you would like to evoke them yourself or give something a certain meaning.

* Tip: If you are working on an online store and want to present your products in the best possible way, try using more than one photo. You can showcase the product from different angles, or add an image showing how it is used.

Jermaine Mcneal on an unforgettable photo for an unforgettable site

Adapt

Let s say you ve found the perfect photo for your site, but found it doesn t look as good on this page as you d expect. No problems! You can use the Image Editor on the Wix site to edit and modify your photos.

Cropping, editing, adding mirroring, boosting brightness and many other functions can help you optimize images and give them the look you want. Learn more about the Image Editor on Wix in the following article.

Appetizing image of Mexican food at Enrique Morales Catering

The most important

• Don t be afraid to evoke emotion and attract attention! Resist the urge to use standard, “proven” images. Whatever your site is about, it shouldn t be devoid of individuality.
• On pages full of text, use images to break it up. Readers will appreciate these visual pauses.
• Periodically adding new images will add life to your site.

Thanks to Elizabeth Lap, Representative Shutterstock, Keith Lord, photo editor Wall street journal, and Paris Whittingham, founder Parris Whittingham Studio, for expert opinion.