Photographs are one of the best ways of creating an impression of your business and this page gives guidance on how they are used and the requirements for best effect.

This screen shot show the three places where images are used on a member's web page.

1. Up to 4 pictures can be loaded onto each web page and here they are shown as a picture strip.  If you click on any image in the strip it will be shown as part of the picture gallery (see below).
2. If you click on Picture Gallery, the 4 different images will be displayed as a screen show in a much larger format.
3. We recommend that you provide a further different picture for the header image.  If you don't supply a picture for the header, it will be automatically derived from the first picture in the strip by taking a horizontal section from the middle third of the picture.  Not all images work well for the header and some trial and error may be needed to get the best effect.

Picture 1 is also used in full for the image on the summary block when searching for a business by category. 

Technical requirements

The pictures work best if they are provided in a landscape, rather than portrait or square format, ie they should be longer in the horizontal direction than the vertical.  Ideally we like pictures to be supplied as digital images; we can work from printed material but the final quality will be much lower.  We can also usually copy pictures from a member's own website but often these are too small (see below).

The header image is displayed as 637 x 182 pixels and the images in the picture gallery are about 600 x 400.  So that the picture quality is not compromised we require images to be supplied that are at least 600 x 400 pixels but in general we recommend that you supply the best quality pictures available.  We will often crop images to achieve the best effect.  We display pictures as jpg files and it helps us if they can be supplied in this format.  However, if you do not understand picture formats or they are in some other format, send what you have and we will make the necessary changes.  In some cases will will crop pictures to get the best effect.

If you are unsure about your pictures, contact us and we can help.

Make your pictures relevant

It may seem obvious but you should choose pictures that are relevant to the business that you are advertising.  Here are a few tips.

• For accommodation and eateries, a mixture of inside and outside shots works well.
• Most accommodation providers have an external shot as their main image.  However if this is not flattering, don't use it and chose an alternative inside picture.
• For accommodation, choose pictures showing different parts of your property.
• For activities, try to include pictures of people participating.
• For eateries, pictures of food work well.
• For shops, why not include images of some of your best selling products.
• For weddings, a bride is essential!

Advertise in more than one category

Some members advertise in more than one category, eg many hotels advertise under accommodation and eating.  You will have a separate page for each category and you should ensure you derive the maximum benefit.  You will have 4 pictures on each page so make them all different changing the slant to reflect the category.  Similarly don't simply repeat the text on the page but use the extra space to highlight different parts of your business.

The screen shot above is a good example of a business advertising in three categories that has made good use of the text and pictures.