Using images effectively on your website and social media can drastically increase the amount of engagement—likes, comments, and reshares—on your content. One study found that adding an image to a Facebook post could increase engagement by 2.3 times, more than doubling the number of individuals who interacted with the post.
The imagery on your website and socials can leave a lasting impression on your visitors. Here’s what you can do to find and create great images for your webpage.
Consider the Appearance of Your Website
Before picking images for your website, you need to think about the impression you will leave on your visitors. How can you convert them into a customer? What are they looking for when they travel? What matters to them? To help assemble the layout of your website, try creating a list or a page outline to visualize what it will look like.
When putting together your webpage, think also about relevant images. If you’re advertising a tropical beach vacation, keep your images specific—focus on the white sands of the beach rather than showing a more generic image that doesn’t convey what makes the destination special.
The best pictures demonstrate your expertise as a travel advisor. Use your images to exhibit places you’ve sent previous clients and showcase activities you know future clients will love.
Find Images That Fit Your Business
In an ideal world, all the images on your website would be beautiful photos that you’ve taken yourself. But practical constraints mean that this can't always happen. There are many images that are available for commercial use online, but it's important to keep in mind copyright laws—that is, who owns the image and if you have license to use it.
Websites like Unsplash (license), Envato, and Canva are a few places online where photographers and artists can submit images for anyone to use under open licenses for commercial use. Take advantage of these websites and use them to find images that best fit the overall theme you want to establish for your webpage.
Keep a Clean Design
Images, of course, are customizable. You can change their size, or, if you want to get creative, add overlay text. Customizing graphics can make your images more relevant to your webpage. Identify the areas you’ll want to include text, and consider how your website’s visitors will take them in.
If you want to turn an image into a graphic, you’ll also need to consider how the text is presented. Think about the information you’re conveying and how it will best be read. You could have the main message of your graphic in bold, with a sentence or two of smaller body text that explains your idea further. You should also ensure that all your text is readable when placed over a photo—choose colors that contrast well with your text.
Though it might seem like a lot to keep in mind, the impression you leave on those who come across your business and the effort you make to make it a good one is worth the investment. Before you put your skills as a travel professional to work, be sure you have a clear message and effective website to show everyone who comes across your agency that you are open for business and ready to help them book their next trip.