The use of images in web design is no less important than use of textual content. Images cause visual appeal to the users visiting the web pages. Instead of viewing a dull or boring page crammed with only information, it will be a user’s pleasure to visit a web site that offers graphical representation and attractive images. The intelligent use of relevant and attractive images on web pages creates a great influence on the mind of the readers.
The images are able to generate memorable impression on the mind of the users long after visiting the particular site. In case of commercial web sites the proper use of images help the users to gather some idea about the products and services offered by a company. The methodical use of images can also influence their buying habit.
Images some times speak more than a thousand words. Visitors of a web site often prefer an image that is descriptive enough to form a fair idea about some thing instead of going through a long passage of text. Thus images can be a good medium of communication with the readers or the target audience of the sites.
In web designing, both dynamic and static images are used. Recently Web 2.0 design supports dynamic images on web pages. But prior to Web 2.0, the static web pages designed with Web 1.0 supported only static images. With the use of Web 2.0 for web designing, the course of using graphics and content changed drastically. Though it is a heated debate whether content is superior to images or vice versa in case of web design, it has been found that both are complementary to each other.
For web designing different kind of images are used. The mostly used image formats in web designing are jpeg and gif as well as animated and interlacing images. With the advent of Web 2.0 it has been observed that the use of images on sites had decreased compared to Web 1.0. Earlier flat images composed of single color were used for sites. Images used with Web 2.0 are not only dynamic in nature but also utilize multiple color display. With modern web design trend, images are also used as background of web pages.
The images on web sites are often used for promotional purpose. For purpose of advertising, it is a recent trend to use pop up images on web sites. But use of those images that causes visual irritation to users should preferably be not done. Images can also be used to link other relevant pages on the site.
Image optimization is another recent trend of marketing. To get easily noticed by visitors, the web pages must be search engine friendly. For this purpose the content including the images on web pages are optimized for search engines. Since web crawlers can not read the images, Alternative (ALT) texts are to be added with images to assist the content used on web sites to achieve a noticeable position in the Search Engine Result Pages.
Images have become an integral part of designing web sites. As it is often said, a first impression can mar or make a lot of things. In case of commercial web sites it is extremely necessary to draw users to a site and ensure they stay for a longer period of time. Attractive images are sure to increase web traffic to a site. But unwise and derogative use of images will hardly bring back the first time visitors.
