The internet is a complete goldmine for images and is saturated with so many great options that naturally begs the question: Why should I have to pay for images when I can just Google one?
Well, actually, without the consent of use and proper credits provided, using an image that is not yours or rightfully purchased by you, can become a matter of legal issues – especially for business owners using images on their website. So spending $1 or $2 for an image is not a bad idea.
In fact, every website I build, I buy all of my images for it.
Listed below are some great (and safe) options for you to acquire images that are both professional as well as cost effective:
My Go-To Place For Website Images….
Fotolia.com
As one of the top leading image banks, Fotolia provides instant access to over 47 million images, vectors, illustrations as well as video clips to meet the growing needs of your website. What we love most about Fotolia is that they are truly affordable and royalty-free images so you don’t have to worry about any legal issues of purchasing and using the images for personal or commercial use. For pricing and monthly package information, you’ll find that at the site.
However, I do not use their subscription based model and I simply buy credits as needed. This way I never need to spend more than I need on images for any given project.
It’s as simple as typing a search term in the search box and then adding the image to your cart.
Next, Image Site….
istockphoto.com
Think of it as an ever expansive picture library that enlists the work of talented artists, photographers and designers to bring you some of the most appealing and visually stunning pictures you’ve ever seen. For as low as $40 per month, you can subscribe to get 10 images, click here for more information on various packages.
This is really similar to Fotolia but they do have some different images and packages.
Finally, One More Place…
If you’re looking for vector icons for your website, flaticon.com is a great resource for free vectors. With over 97 thousand vector icons to choose from, the site is full of great options.
Product Images Of Your Own Products
If you need to take good product pictures to show products on your website you’re going to need some help.
Personally, I outsource this because I am not a patient person.
However, if you’re patient and you like to take your own pictures (and you want to save money!) you can do this. The guy I follow for any camera related advice is this guy (havecamerawilltravel.com). He reviews cameras and techniques so you’ll want to follow him too.