Exactly what book without pictures, asked Alice

Exactly what book without pictures, asked Alice in Wonderland - and we may ask the same question of internet sites. Copy-heavy web pages with no graphics may kill the visitor's attention very quickly. A web page with too many artwork, on the other hand, can get in the way of clear interaction and cause the typical visitor to switch off just as fast. The challenge? To discover a happy balance that will enhance the individual experience, support your written content and encourage visitors to stay on your site very long to absorb your message or, even better, buy your product or service.

So where to start? Well, knowing which type of graphics will add value to your site is as great a place as any. Here are five complications you should recognise and avoid:

Ah, of which all-too-familiar problem. You click to a web page only to watch the images loading with all the pace of a perishing snail. Sometimes we just go onto read the copy. But on various other occasions, the graphic itself will be integral soulband hessen to the meaning - flowcharts, for example - and it's easy to reduce patience if it doesn't appear rapidly enough. And file size isn't the only real problem. Even a fast-loading image could get in the way if it fills up a lot of page and distracts attention away from story itself.

You wouldn't expect a blue-chip consultancy website to be able to feature random images of rabbits or burlesque dancers - unless of course those images were very obviously related to the kind of consultancy work and also or the values and principles that will drive the way it does business. The situation here is one of appropriateness. Your website is one of the most visible manifestations of your manufacturer, and the graphics you choose must make impression in that context. So choose thoroughly. Inappropriate images can lose your audience, cloud your message and even misrepresent your purpose.

We're referring to quality in two senses below. The first is physical quality - the type of low resolution and grainy pictures that look as though they've been sought from an old print brochure. The second is the quality of the image's content. If you are going to use cheap stock photos, pick them really carefully. Avoid those corny images of men in business suits leaping over hurdles plus smiling models giving each other high-fives (admit it, you've probably been enticed to use them! ) The reality is that simply no images are better than poor images. They will just tell the world that you're amateurish and just couldn't be bothered to make anything better.

If you see the best image on the Internet, you might just be convinced to right-click on it and use it by yourself website. Don't. That image is someone else and - unless you have their express permission to use it simple you could face a charge involving copyright infringements faster than you ever truly imagined. The Internet is still a wild place, nevertheless the law is there to keep bad conduct of all types in check. And pinching someone else's property is very bad behaviour indeed.

ALT-what? Those are the penned descriptions you see when you hover your mouse over an image on the web. In the event that you where visually impaired and using 'speak it' software, those tags would be your simply way of knowing what images the page contained. But ALT tags in addition play an important role in your Search Motor Optimisation: Google and other search engines really like them and use them to rank your internet site in search results. So always add ALT tags to your graphics (and if you don't know how, ask your warm and friendly web designer). The will not only make your site compliant with international design standards; they will give it added visibility in addition to influence in what is a very crowded on the net space.

Not exactly rocket science, would it be? But knowing how graphics can help or even hinder your website is an essential step in making sure that your investment of time and even money in the website is put to the best possible use.