Owning a website means having to post high-quality content to keep your viewers coming back. But it isn’t just about the well-written articles and words; you also have to convey the message through media, such as photos. Take note that 90% of information transmitted to our brains is visual, so we process imagery quicker than text, conveying messages better with it!
That’s why it’s important to add a few professional photos that speak levels about your posts. However, where can you find free vector art, royalty-free photos you can use, which saves you money and effort in the long run?
Fortunately, there are ways to find the best royalty-free images for your website! Read on as I show you how to find them.
How to Find Royalty-Free Images for Your Website
No matter what kind of website you own, images are a necessity to boost your engagement. Unfortunately, it can get tough producing your own quality photos to convey a message. But that’s where the Internet comes, with many websites offering professional-looking and royalty-free images you can use.
But with the many different websites to look into, which is best? I’ll be showing you quick tips on choosing a website and a shortlist of trusted image sources.
Choosing The Ideal Image Source
Finding royalty-free images is pretty easy since they’re all based online. Simply do a quick Google search and you’ll find dozens of advertising images free from copyright.
However, there are a few factors to consider when choosing the ideal image source, such as:
Your Budget
Some websites offer FREE royalty-free images, though it may be a limited selection. If you’re willing to pay, many websites offer paid plans or premium subscriptions, or you can purchase images at a low price. Consider what your budget is and if you’re willing to pay, or if you’d rather stick with free royalty-free images first.
Photo Quality and Selection
As mentioned, cheaper royalty-free images aren’t as higher-quality compared to paid ones, nor will you find a vast selection. Consider your niche and what type of photos you need to convey the message, choosing a website that offers a wide selection of photos that cater to your posts. This can help you save time and effort searching for the perfect images for your readers to view.
Ease of Use and Accessibility
Lastly, you’ll want an accessible platform without the hassle to navigate, pay, and download your chosen photos. I prefer simply-designed websites with a search bar and only some of the necessary options. This makes my job in selecting and saving royalty-free images easier, as such websites perform quicker and without the frills.
Websites That Offer Royalty-Free Images
Now you’re familiar with the different ways to choose image sources, below are trusted websites you can choose from:
Unsplash
Unsplash is probably my favorite platform because of its many beautiful and creative photos, which entices readers. Many photographers submit their photos for FREE downloading, all royalty-free and usable immediately. The website owns its own license so you have the ability to use the images for whatever purpose.
Burst
Burst is a website from Shopify, which is made for entrepreneurs that need photos for specific niches. You can also find general photos you can use for website design, all for free without the copyright. Besides the free images, they also offer a lot of business ideas and tips for starting your online business!
Pexels
Pexels is another FREE royalty-free image source, which offers a lot of photos according to what you need. They have a vast selection and with their own license, stating what you’re able to do with the chosen images. Fortunately, you can download and modify the images for personal or commercial use.
Pixabay
All images you find on Pixabay are licensed under the Creative Commons Zero. This means you’re able to use any image without the need to ask permission or to give credit to whoever took it. But, you’ll need to check if the content in the images doesn’t infringe rights.
Free Images
As the name suggests, Free Images offer hundreds, thousands of stock images without the need to pay. They have their own license which allows you to use the photos in many ways, though there are some restrictions. Fortunately, such restrictions are limited and common for almost all free-image websites.
Canva
Canva isn’t just a graphic design tool, but they also have free stock photos you can use for your projects. What’s great about this platform is that you have access to free stock photos and can modify them to custom graphics for your website content. That way, you can hit two birds with one stone and have unique images or graphics without exerting too much effort.
Flickr
Flickr is a popular photography and image hosting platform, a place where you can find, use, and modify images for any commercial purpose. Just filter the search with “commercial use and mods allowed” under any license to find the images you can use!
Getty Images
You’ll be surprised that you can actually use Getty Images on non-commercial websites without paying. Just embed them, as you can’t download the image and upload it to a site. While a bit tedious, it’s still a great option with the website’s thousands of photos.
Wrapping It Up
Images are just as crucial as text when it comes to website content. You can even find free vector art and other software to amp up your website design with personalized content. With high-quality royalty-free images and arts, you won’t have to worry about the hassle of taking photos or risk copyright infringement.
Hopefully, my tips on finding royalty-free images for your website helped you loads! So try out any of these websites and follow my advice for your content.
Do you have any questions or more advice on how to find royalty-free images? If so, do share your comments below. I appreciate all your thoughts!
