12 Tips for choosing photos for your website design

After my wedding, I was looking forward to a bit of a break from all the decision-making madness—you know, choosing motifs, caterers, flowers, and all that jazz. But my peace and quiet were short-lived.

Guess what? The wedding photos finally arrived, and I had to face the daunting task of picking just 30 shots for our precious wedding album.

Let me tell you, it wasn’t a walk in the park. Our photographer was seriously talented, and every single shot was fantastic! 

Oh, and did I mention that the whole wedding, from start to finish, lasted a whopping 12 hours? Yeah, imagine how many photos I had to sift through. In the end, I had to make do with a measly 3% of the over 1,000 photos he sent me.

Now, let me give you a little perspective. If you’re getting a website made and your photographer only gives you 20 photos to choose from, consider yourself one lucky duck! 

Seriously, you’ve hit the jackpot. That is, of course, if you can manage to fit a photographer into your budget.

Fingers crossed for you!

12 handy tips to help you pick the perfect photos for your website

Selecting the right photos for your website design is key as they can significantly impact the overall aesthetics and user experience. Here are some tips to help you choose the best photos for your website:

High Quality: Use high-resolution images that are clear, sharp, and visually appealing. Blurry or pixelated images can create a negative impression and reduce the perceived professionalism of your website.

Relevance: Ensure that the photos you choose are directly related to your website’s content, message, or purpose. They should align with your brand and support the overall theme of your site.

Authenticity: Use authentic and original photos whenever possible. Stock photos can sometimes feel generic and impersonal, whereas authentic images can build trust with your audience and make your website feel more genuine.

Consistency: Aim for a consistent style across your photos. Whether it’s the color palette, tone, or composition, maintaining a cohesive look will create a more unified and professional appearance.

Emotion: Photos that evoke emotions can make a powerful impact on your visitors. Consider the feelings you want to convey and choose images that elicit those emotions effectively.

People: Including images of real people can add a human touch to your website and make it more relatable. If your website involves testimonials or showcases a team, real photos of people can be particularly valuable.

White Space: Be mindful of the space around the subject in your photos. Having some white space (empty space) around the focal point can enhance the visual appeal and draw attention to the subject.

Optimized File Size: While high-quality images are essential, be mindful of file sizes to avoid slowing down your website’s loading speed (especially in mobile). Compress images without compromising on quality to achieve the best balance.

Accessibility: Ensure that your images are accessible to all users, including those with visual impairments. Use descriptive alt text to provide a textual description of the image’s content.

Testimonials and Case Studies: If you have customer testimonials or case studies, consider using images of your satisfied clients or successful projects to accompany the relevant content.

Branding: If your brand has specific colors or visual elements, try to incorporate them into your photos to complement your brand’s identity.

A/B Testing: If you’re unsure about which images work best, consider A/B testing different variations on your site to see which ones resonate with the audience.

Photo alternatives

If these images are important milestones of your company, you should include them. Our good news is, aside from making your website design, we can also retouch the photos you want and apply them to your website.

Deer Designer is a one-stop on-demand design company that covers almost all of your design needs. If you’re iffy about using photos, we can create illustrations for you and so many other options. 

Remember that design in general play a crucial role in engaging visitors and conveying your brand’s personality and message. Taking the time to choose the right images will help you create a more impactful and visually appealing website.