How to use graphics efficiently on your blog or website

Adding powerful visual images to your blog or website can have a strong impact on your overall communication and connect with your audience on a deeper level. Graphics and photos can make your website more memorable and the reading experience more exciting. Pictures can also be informative teaching tools through the use of visual charts, diagrams, or tables. As with all communication, it is important to be clear about what you are trying to say. Graphics should be supportive and help hold your readers’ attention.

What are visual images? Visual images can include photos, illustrations, clip art, line drawings, diagrams, video clips, or any other form of art. When looking for descriptive images, think of analogies, metaphors, or specific language that you used in your message. Begin by pointing out which areas of your article you would like to emphasize with an image. Think of a list of associated ideas and then look for relative charts.

For example, if your article is about a big business boom, you might consider using an image of an explosion. Or, if you’re talking about lack of sleep, instead of showing someone in bed, how about a picture of a tired marathon runner? There are powerful ways to get your point across by being creative with visual images.

Where can I find visual images? You can find endless images on the internet, but knowing how to fine-tune your search will help you collect dynamic images that speak to your reader, as well as reduce your search time. There are many websites that can do this for you by adding an extensive list of search options. Corbis is an excellent resource for searching for images. They have detailed search options, provide all kinds of graphics (from photos to illustrations), and have royalty-free and copyrighted images.

When using images from the Internet, it is important to know your copyright responsibilities. If you are using someone else’s photo or art, you must have their permission granted to use it. Royalty-free, on the other hand, means that the buyer is free to use it in perpetuity without paying additional royalties. There are royalty-free graphic resources available like iClipArt that allow you to download images for just pennies with no further obligation.

Where should I post visual images? Once you have collected supporting images, you will need to upload the graphics and place them within your text. Make sure to check the size of the images first. Not only will graphics that are too large take over what you’re trying to say, but larger images also use more memory and take longer to load. Using an image hosting website like Photo Bucket can be incredibly helpful. Not only do they host your images for free, but they also have tools that allow you to resize your graphics, add text, and a host of other enhancements.

Insert your images where they will be most effective within your article. If you find that the images need to be placed at a distance from the relative text, consider tagging each image so that the reader will remember what they belong to within the article.

Once you’ve enhanced your article with images, stop to put yourself in the reader’s shoes and see them through their eyes. Make sure you are clear on what you are trying to say and choose graphics that support it.