A picture says a thousand words, or does it? We’ve all heard the expression, “Less is more”, right? Well let’s think about that for a moment and review the factors we consider when we design or choose design layouts for our blogs and websites. In previous articles, such as Content Vs. Images, we’ve discussed the importance of keeping a good balance between the intensity of the images we post as well as the content flow. As marketing professionals, the creative process can be a very interesting one. Brainstorming about important ideas can be a great thing, but we become so passionate about the topics that when we begin to write we must go back and edit to make sure we are appealing to our readers. Editing content is something we know is a definite imperative action we must take before positing anything relevant to our websites (as far as information is concerned). Now let’s consider image sources and design factors.

Images

If your business takes its own photographic images or designs originals images, this is a great advantage when it comes to posting! The reason why we say this is, because you set yourself apart from other companies that may search for images to compliment their content online. Now, if you do not take your own images or perhaps you may (as well as offering your own designs) and would like to use an occasional online resource from time to time… Where do you go? When browsing the internet for image sources it is important to utilize a source that is proven to legally offer and distribute images that will not infringe or violate the rights of those individuals who originally shot or created the design. It is very important to make sure that the quality of the image is of high standard when choosing photographic pieces to reflect your content. Depending on the nature of the topic, and the information being provided, you should decide whether less is more. This means if your content is short and brief, you have a simple piece, and would like to quickly capture the reader’s attention. A vivid and/or striking image may be best in this case.

Design

Let’s continue to go into design, shall we. Design can have a tendency to get pretty tricky due to the fact that these are not photographic images usually. Therefore, when we are referring to graphic art or illustration being applied to your web pages you must consider many other factors some of which include:

-          Tone of content

-          Business or industry background

-          Company reputation and/or niche representation

-          Brand/Logo components should agree with your style of choice

-          Audience appeal (what your targets are mostly drawn to)

The list continues, and from a marketing prospective experience with online and social media will give you a better understanding of which direction you should take when you are choosing your designs. I would recommend viewing and researching online blogs and companies that offer information regarding image hosting so that you can get an idea of which source is best for you. I would also recommend that whenever you choose an online source that you prefer, have fun with the images you select/purchase and draw an assumption of which approach you should take when matching  these designs and images to your content. After using this knowledge based upon your experience and the nature of your business, deciding which method works best (as a result of your feedback and responses) will then be up to your discretion.

What are your thoughts? Have you already chosen an online resource for your images and designs? If so we would like to know how you arrived at your decision, and what distinguishes these images from each other after they are applied to sites?