Guide to Choosing and Using Images and Video on Your Recruitment Website

Guide to Choosing and Using Images and Video on Your Recruitment Website

Visuals play a crucial role in making your recruitment website engaging, professional, and user-friendly. This guide will help you understand how to choose and use images, icons, and videos effectively, ensuring they enhance your site’s appeal without slowing it down.

Why Quality Visuals Matter

• First Impressions: High-quality images and videos make your site look professional and trustworthy.

• Engagement: Relevant visuals capture attention and encourage users to explore further.

• Branding: Consistent visuals reinforce your brand identity.

• Performance: Optimised visuals improve site speed and user experience.

Types of Visuals to Use

1. Images

• Photo-Based Images: Use professional photos to showcase your team, offices, or workplace culture.

• Stock Images: Choose realistic and relatable stock photos that match your agency's tone. Avoid overly generic or staged images.

• Client Logos: Display client logos (with permission) to build credibility.

2. Icons and Illustrations

• Icons can help guide users and break up text-heavy content.

• Flat illustrations are a great way to add personality and make your site stand out.

3. Videos

• Short videos about your agency’s services or success stories can increase engagement.

• Include captions so videos are accessible to all users.

Optimising Images and Videos for the Web

File Types

• Photos: Use JPEG (JPG) for photo-based images – they provide a good balance of quality and file size.

• Icons and Illustrations: Use PNG or WebP, especially for images with transparent backgrounds or flat graphics.

• Logos: PNG or SVG (if supported by your CMS) are ideal for crisp, scalable logos.

File Size and Dimensions

• Resize images to the exact dimensions needed for your site (e.g., 1200px wide for banners).

• Compress files to reduce size without losing quality. Tools like TinyPNG, ImageOptim, or Squoosh are great for this.

• Keep individual image files under 300KB and videos under 5MB for faster loading.

Web-Ready Settings

• Export images using “Save for Web” settings in design tools like Photoshop.

• Use responsive images so they look good on all devices (e.g., desktop, tablet, and mobile).

Best Practices for Using Visuals

Choosing the Right Visuals

1. Relevance: Make sure visuals align with your brand and content. For example:

   • Use images of professionals in work settings rather than abstract graphics for a corporate audience.

   • Highlight diversity in your visuals to appeal to a broader audience.

2. Consistency: Use similar tones, filters, or treatments across all images to create a cohesive look.

3. Permission: If using logos or team photos from clients, always get written permission first.

Image Treatments

• Stick to a consistent filter or colour scheme.

• Use overlays sparingly to ensure text remains readable over images.

• Avoid stretching or distorting images.

Using Videos

• Add videos strategically, such as on the Home or About page, or as testimonials.

• Ensure autoplay is off and add play buttons for user control.

• Host videos on platforms like YouTube or Vimeo for faster streaming.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Oversized Files: Large files can slow down your site and frustrate users.

• Low-Quality Visuals: Pixelated or blurry visuals can harm your professional image.

• Clashing Styles: Mixing unrelated styles (e.g., flat icons with photo-realistic images) can create a disjointed look.

• Too Many Visuals: Overloading a page with visuals can overwhelm visitors and slow loading times.

Customisation with Recsites

If you’ve opted for customisation with us, we can handle your images and videos professionally. This includes:

• Sourcing high-quality visuals tailored to your brand.

• Covering up to £100 in licensing fees for premium stock images or videos on your behalf.

• Optimising every file for web performance.

Next Steps

1. Choose a few high-quality images and videos that reflect your agency’s brand and goals.

2. Optimise your files for the web before uploading them.

3. If you need help or want us to handle it for you, let us know!

By using the right visuals, optimising them for the web, and following this guide, you’ll ensure your recruitment website not only looks fantastic but also performs flawlessly.