How to Source FREE Images for your Website, Blog and Social Networks

Images can make or break the look of your website and can make a difference between whether your website looks amateurish or professional, so choosing great images is crucial. But where can you source images from?

Google Images

Under no circumstances should you EVER use images from Google images. In most cases they are protected by copyright laws and you could be fined thousands of dollars for using them.

With technology like TinEye.com and Images.Google.com, it is now very easy to find copies of images on the internet. And trust me, image banks are looking to see who is using their photos without the proper license.

Take Photos with Your Smart Phone

I snap photos wherever I go – gorgeous sunset, picture of a sandwich (you never know when that may come in handy), friend working on a computer, etc.  Find out how to capture stunning images with your phone or digital camera.

Free Image Banks

There are several image banks which allow you to use free images under the creative commons license, but be aware that many other people will be using
these images as well.

Check out:

• pikwizard.com
• pexels.com
• pixabay.com
• unsplash.com

Get Professional Photos

If you want to make a great first impression, hire a professional photographer and get photos of yourself and/or your products, which you can use not only on your website but all your social media profiles.

This may cost you a bit of money, but the difference it can make to your bottom line is huge. Google may also reward you for having original images.

Professional Image Banks

It is worthwhile to invest some money into getting high quality, professional images. There are many excellent image banks, which have hundreds of
thousands of photos and graphics for you to choose from.

Some of these include:

• Shutterstock
• Getty Images
• Dreamstime
• iStockphoto
• Adobe Images

Add Interest to Your Images

If you want to add a little interest to your images you can do that using image editing software before uploading the pictures to your website.

Check out Canva for online, easy to use graphic and photo editing software.

If you want something local on your machine, I recommend Xara Photo & Graphic software.

Poor images will negatively impact the impression visitors have of your business, so ensure the graphics and photos on your website, blog and social media profiles are relevant and high quality.  However, it is important to understand all images must be optimised for your website – they should.  Learn more about website image sizes.