How To Choose the Perfect Images for Your Website

Best Practices for Website Images

“I need to use an image for my website/marketing piece. Where do I go?”

Whether you’re putting together your content for an email campaign, a blog post, or your website in general, you will want to pair it with an image or two. Most of the time when an image is needed, people head on over to Google Images, type in their query, and pick the best image that suits their needs. However, this is a HUGE no-no!

“Why can’t I use images from Google?”

Well, they’re not yours to use. What many people don’t realize is that Google Images is simply an aggregator of images, and the majority of them are copyright-protected.

So what are your options?

01. Use Your Own Photos

Either take the photos yourself or invest in a photo shoot. I know some talented photographers that I highly recommend!

• Katherine Elyse Photography
• Christina Best Photography
• Studio Fiscus
• Webinet Photography

02. Use Free Stock Photos

Free stock photo sites are great for website images because they take the hassle out of having to worry about whether or not you can use the image. Plus the images are high-quality AND high res making them versatile. There are a ton of free stock photo sites out there, but I usually go between these three:

• Unsplash. Not only are they built into Squarespace, but they even have a WordPress plugin that makes it easier to use images from their site.
• Pexels. They’re built into WordPress.com, so if you have Jetpack installed it’s one of the options when adding an image from the media library.
• Kaboompics
• Pixabay

And for many more options, visit AllTheFreeStock.com!

03. Invest in Paid Stock Photos

Sometimes the images available on free stock photo sites just won’t cut it. That’s where paid stock photos come into play. Paid stock photo sites are useful when you’re looking for something very specific, especially when you’re in a niche industry, or when you want to have a more cohesive look. Most of these sites have monthly/annual subscriptions, so if you find yourself regularly producing content then a paid subscription might be worth investing in.

• Styled Stock Society – This is my favorite resource for on-brand stock photos as well as stock videos. Not only do they have website images and videos, but they have social media templates and prompts truly making it a one-stop-shop for your marketing needs. You can get a free sample of what’s inside their amazing membership by visiting this link to download your FREE bundle of 25 stock photos.
• Social Squares – This is another favorite resource of mine. One of the features I love is that you can set your brand colors and curate images that work together to best elevate your brand.
• Creative Market – This is an excellent resource for fonts and other design assets in addition to photos.
• Getty Images – They’re also built into Squarespace, but you still have to pay for them.
• iStockphoto
• Adobe Stock

So the next time you need an image for your marketing piece, don’t head to Google Images (or Pinterest or anywhere else that aggregates imagery). Instead know you have plenty of other options!

Additional Resources

• Understanding Image Copyright
• Copyright Fair Use and How it Works for Online Images
• Why You Should NEVER Use Pictures from Google Images in Your Marketing
• Permission to use Google Images FAQ