Use images that reinforce the actual agency story and preserve trust. Real staff and office photography is useful when available; licensed stock or generated images can serve as illustrative editorial visuals.
Recommended approach
Choose a small number of calm, relevant images instead of decorating every section. Record licensing or generation provenance. Use descriptive alternative text where the image conveys information, keep decorative images unobtrusive and optimize delivery for the display size.
Action checklist
- Use honest image captions
- Do not fabricate staff or clients
- Retain license or generation records
- Compress and size assets appropriately
Example in practice
A realistic desk scene can illustrate an article about recording preparation. It should not be labeled a Medicare Marketing office or a client consultation if it was generated or purchased as stock. Genuine team portraits belong with verified identities.
Mistakes to avoid
Visual polish does not justify invented proof. Do not create fake testimonials, conference appearances or results dashboards merely to fill a design.
An image brief that serves the story
Write the job of each image before selecting it. A genuine team portrait identifies staff. A real office image helps with arrival or credibility. An editorial desk scene can illustrate a recording or planning article. A diagram may explain a handoff better than photography. When an image has no job beyond filling a gap in the layout, remove it or choose a simpler visual. A calm site can use fewer assets with stronger purpose.
For stock or generated images, keep the provenance and permitted usage record. Describe the image honestly and avoid labels that imply an actual customer or staff member. Highly realistic imagery can still mislead when captions or context create a false relationship. Check for odd documents, invented logos or visible private information. Use the real business’s approved identity rather than fabricated seals or credentials. Photographic quality and truthful representation should be evaluated together.
- Assign a practical role to each image.
- Keep license or generation provenance.
- Use honest illustrative labels.
- Prefer real identity evidence for staff and offices.
Delivery and accessibility checks
Serve images in sizes suited to their actual use and inspect the live mobile page. Reserve their dimensions to reduce disruptive layout movement. Keep meaningful editorial images discoverable through appropriate page markup, with nearby text explaining the context. Use alternative text to describe information that matters to someone who cannot see the image. Decorative visuals should not produce a distracting stream of redundant spoken labels.
Do not place essential text only inside a photograph or generated graphic when a plain-text explanation is needed. A tool or checklist should remain understandable without downloading a large asset. Check the social preview image for honest relevance to the page rather than using the same unrelated image everywhere. When the page is updated, review whether the image still matches its subject. Image work should improve understanding and delivery, not serve as a cosmetic substitute for useful guidance.
- Check display size and file weight.
- Keep essential instructions readable as text.
- Use useful alternative text where needed.
- Review social previews and subject consistency.
Questions agents ask
Do images need to be on every page?
No. Use a photograph, diagram or screenshot when it adds meaning; a clear text guide can be the better format.
Sources & further reading
Primary references for the rules and platform mechanics discussed here. Templates and recommendations are Medicare Marketing’s planning guidance. Examples are illustrative unless explicitly sourced.
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