# What images does your website actually need? > Build a website image strategy by purpose, rights, credibility, placement, crop, accessibility, and maintenance, not by the empty space in a layout. Source: https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/website-image-strategy/ ![A camera lens resting on its side against a plain background.](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/sg-resources-146794-hero.webp) In a website image strategy, an image earns its place when it helps visitors understand the work, people, or context, and when you have the right to use it. [Talk to a Specialist](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/talk-to-a-specialist/?form=book) [Every resource](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/) **Format** [Guide](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/type/guide/) **In this format** 92 ## Give every image a job. A page does not need a hero photograph simply because its template has space for one. Decide how each image behaves when the page changes size, because an image without a purpose can dilute the message and create more work for editors. A team photograph can help visitors see who they may work with. A real project image can illustrate a design or implementation decision, if you have permission to show it. A diagram can explain how services connect. A product image can show what is being sold. Write the purpose beside each proposed placement. If the purpose is only “make this section less empty,” reconsider the layout or content. Do not use an invented dashboard, staged customer, or fabricated result as evidence. Atmospheric art can support a mood, but it should not look like a real client outcome. Be especially careful when the page discusses regulated or sensitive work. The image should not imply a relationship or result that the copy cannot verify. ## Track rights and source context. Record who owns the asset, where it came from, which uses are permitted, whether a person or client consented, and when a license needs review. A file sitting in a shared drive is not proof of publication permission. The same image may be approved for a private proposal but not for a public case study or advertisement. Keep a fallback for assets that cannot be used. A page should still work if an image is removed during review. This avoids pressuring the team to keep questionable media simply because the layout depends on it. ## Plan crop and alternative text together. Mark the subject and focal point so responsive crops do not remove the important part. If text appears inside an image, decide how that information remains available as real text. For accessibility, the correct alternative depends on the image’s role. The [W3C image decision tree](https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/decision-tree/) distinguishes informative, functional, redundant, and decorative uses. Write the alt decision for the placement, not just the file, because one asset can serve different purposes in different contexts. Check file size and display behavior on real devices. A large decorative image can delay the answer. A tightly cropped image may lose its meaning on mobile. Do not choose a single asset in isolation from the page where people will see it. ## Make the website image strategy maintainable. Give editors clear filenames, approved variants, placement notes, and a person to contact when an asset expires or changes. If the site uses many service and industry pages, avoid assigning the same generic image everywhere. A distinct visual is worthwhile only when it adds genuine context, not when it creates a large set of interchangeable decoration. What would the visitor misunderstand if this image disappeared? If nothing changes, the image may be optional. If the meaning collapses, give it a stronger text explanation and an accessibility plan. ## List your assets and their permissions. [Web design](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/services/design/web-design/) can place approved media in a coherent page system. [Talk to a Specialist](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/talk-to-a-specialist/) with a list of available assets and their permission status before planning imagery around them. [Back to website decisions](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/). Guides ## Guides beside What images does your website actually need?. 1. ### [Should you redesign your site or improve it?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/redesign-or-improve/) Website decisions · 3 min read 2. ### [How do you build a website page inventory?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/website-page-inventory/) 3. ### [Which website pages should you build first?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/website-page-priorities/) 4. ### [What belongs inside a website project scope?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/website-scope-boundaries/) 5. ### [Do you need a one-page or multipage website?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/one-page-or-multipage-website/) 6. ### [How do you pick a primary website conversion?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/primary-website-conversion/) 7. ### [Which navigation labels will visitors understand?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/navigation-labels/) 8. ### [How should you organize your service pages?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/organizing-service-pages/) 9. ### [When should you merge two website pages?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/when-to-merge-website-pages/) 10. ### [Who should own the content on your website?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/website-content-ownership/) 11. ### [Do you need wireframes before designing a website?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/wireframes-before-design/) 12. ### [How do you choose a website's visual direction?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/choosing-website-visual-direction/) 13. ### [How do you turn a brand into a website system?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/website-brand-system/) 14. ### [How do you evaluate a homepage design?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/evaluating-homepage-design/) 15. ### [How do you plan a page's visual hierarchy?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/page-visual-hierarchy/) 16. ### [Which mobile navigation pattern fits your site?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/mobile-navigation-patterns/) 17. ### [What content should stay prominent on mobile?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/responsive-content-priorities/) 18. ### [Where does accessibility fit in a redesign?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/accessibility-in-redesign-scope/) 19. ### [How do you choose readable website typography?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/website-typography-decisions/) 20. ### [Which fields should your contact form ask for?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/contact-form-fields/) 21. ### [What should a useful contact page include?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/contact-page-planning/) 22. ### [How should you structure a service page?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/service-page-structure/) Website decisions · 4 min read 23. ### [What should your homepage say first?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/homepage-message-architecture/) 24. ### [How many calls to action does your website need?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/website-cta-hierarchy/) 25. ### [How can a website build trust without testimonials?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/trust-without-testimonials/) 26. ### [Where should motion belong on a website?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/website-motion-decisions/) 27. ### [Which website pages should use a shared template?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/reusable-page-templates/) 28. ### [When is a website design ready to approve?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/website-design-acceptance-criteria/) 29. ### [How should stakeholders review a website prototype?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-decisions/stakeholder-prototype-review/) No other guides in this group yet. Keep reading ## Read after What images does your website actually need?. The rest of the resources, newest first. - [2 July 2026 Customer Persona Worksheet](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/customer-persona-worksheet/) - [2 July 2026 The Social Content Sprint Playbook](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/the-social-content-sprint-playbook/) - [2 July 2026 AI Prompt Pack for Blog Post Outlines](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/ai-prompt-pack-for-blog-post-outlines/) - [2 July 2026 Email Welcome Sequence Template](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/email-welcome-sequence-template/) - [2 July 2026 Website Pre Handoff QA Checklist](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-pre-handoff-qa-checklist/) - [2 July 2026 The SEO Content Audit Guide](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/the-seo-content-audit-guide/) - [2 July 2026 Positioning Statement Worksheet](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/positioning-statement-worksheet/) - [2 July 2026 The Client Onboarding Playbook](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/the-client-onboarding-playbook/) - [2 July 2026 AI Prompt Pack for Ad Headline Variations](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/ai-prompt-pack-for-ad-headline-variations/) - [2 July 2026 The One Page Creative Brief Template](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/the-one-page-creative-brief-template/) - [2 July 2026 Brand Launch Readiness Checklist](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/brand-launch-readiness-checklist/) - [2 July 2026 The Landing Page Teardown Guide](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/the-landing-page-teardown-guide/)