Images take up more of a site than it seems. They catch the eye first, set the mood, and are also what slows loading most often. And they are almost always gathered at the last moment, when the layout is done and every block urgently needs “something suitable.”
Below is where to get images, what to check about rights, and how to prepare the files so the site looks tidy and opens fast.
Your own photos, stock, or AI
Your own photos work best: the team, the office, the work process, finished projects. People trust them more because they cannot be seen on other sites. Even neat shots on a good phone in decent light often beat beautiful stock.
- Your own photos suit the team, your work, products, and anything that should build trust
- Stock photos are fine for backgrounds and general illustrations, but not for “our staff”
- AI-generated images are handy for covers and abstract illustrations, but should not pose as real products or people
Image rights
An image from a search engine does not become free because it is easy to download. Every image has an author, and using it without permission can end in a claim. Take images only where the license plainly allows commercial use, and keep a link to the source.
If a photographer shot the photos on commission, agree in writing that you can use them on the site and in advertising.
Format and file weight
An original from a camera or phone is far too heavy for a site. Before publishing, an image is scaled down to the size it will actually be shown at and saved in a modern format such as WebP or AVIF. Usually there is no visible difference, and the page opens noticeably faster.
- Photos go in WebP or AVIF, not PNG
- Logos and icons are better as SVG
- Phones and computers can get different sizes of the same image
- Images below the first screen load as the visitor scrolls
Why heavy images hurt so much on a phone is covered in the note on site speed on a phone.
Captions and alt text
Every meaningful image needs an alt attribute: a short description of what it shows. Screen readers for blind people read it, search engines see it, and it appears when the image fails to load. Decorative images get an empty alt so they do not get in the way.
One consistent style
A site looks polished not because of individual beautiful photos but because they resemble each other: the same proportions, similar light and colour, one illustration manner. Agree on the style before collecting images, and every new one will be easy to fit in.
Images, like copy, are best gathered before the layout. More on that in the note on website copy. If you need help preparing images, use the contact form.