Choosing a Cover Image

Make a great first impression before visitors ever click.

Your cover image is the single most visible thing about your listing. Paired with your business name, it’s often the whole reason someone clicks — or keeps scrolling. A strong cover image gives visitors a preview of the experience, and a little intentionality goes a long way.

Lead with your experience

The best cover images don’t just show a place — they hint at what it feels like to be there. Think about what you’re most known for, and lead with that.

  • Restaurants and bars: Your signature dish, a signature drink, or the atmosphere you’re known for. Pizza in a biergarten. Tiki drinks on a party boat. A big slab of ribs served on brown paper. Show us the thing.
  • Shops and services: If you’re a gift shop, arrange some of your best-selling products and make them look good. If you’re a fishing guide, show yourself in your element — out on the water, doing what you do.
  • Landmarks and destinations: Help visitors know what they’re looking for. An exterior shot, a recognizable feature, something that says “this is the place” when they pull up.

A few things that make images work

One clear focal point. The strongest cover images tend to focus on a single subject — a person, a product, a dish. Resist the urge to show everything at once. One compelling thing beats five competing things.

Balanced composition. A well-composed image feels natural and pleasing without the viewer knowing exactly why. If you’re not sure where to start, look up the Rule of Thirds — it’s a simple guide for placing your subject that makes a noticeable difference.

A focal color. Beyond your subject, a dominant color sets a mood. Warm reds and oranges feel exciting and appetizing. Blues and purples are calm and inviting. Greens feel natural and outdoorsy. Most phones have built-in editing tools that let you dial color in without much effort.

What to avoid

Full-size logo shots. A logo doesn’t tell a visitor much about what they’re walking into. Save the logo for your profile picture.

Heavy text on the image. Depending on how the image gets cropped or displayed, text can easily get cut off or become hard to read. Let the photo do the talking.

Ideal dimensions

For best results, use an image sized at 1600 x 800 pixels or a ratio of 2:1. This ensures your cover displays cleanly across the website and app without cropping in unexpected places.

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