7 Tips to Choose Better Stock Images for Your Website
Branding, Websites
When it comes to branding and design, selecting the right images can be crucial. In many cases, stock images can be a great solution for businesses that don’t have their own photography resources. However, not all stock images are created equal, and selecting the wrong ones can make your website or marketing materials look off-brand or unprofessional. Here are some tips for choosing high-quality stock images:
1. Consider the Subject Matter
The subject matter of your website will be the biggest factor in determining what kind of images you need. Think about the message you want to convey and the emotions you want to evoke in your audience. Choose images that are relevant to your content (including the services you offer) and ensure they are visually appealing.
2. Hold the Cheese
Authenticity is important in stock images. Look for images that appear genuine and not overly staged or posed. A common mistake when choosing stock photography is trying to make the image communicate every detail of your message. This is where photos can get cheesy. If you find yourself searching for images like “middle-aged mom drowning in a stack of paper bills surrounded by crying toddlers on phone with insurance agent and a graph of rising inflation rates,” you’re in the danger zone. Funny or intentionally cheesy images can work in some situations, but in general don’t make your photography work too hard. Remember that your photo is designed to capture people’s attention, but the photo, text and overall site design all work together to tell the story.
3. Look for High-Quality Images
The quality of your stock images can significantly impact the look and feel of your website. Search for high-quality images that are sharp, clear, and well-lit. Avoid images that are pixelated, blurry, or poorly cropped.
4. Check for Copyright/Licensing
It’s important to ensure that the stock images you choose are legal and free of copyright restrictions. Look for royalty-free images that allow you to use the same photo in any project as many times as desired without incurring additional fees. A few reputable and affordable stock image websites include Adobe Stock and iStock.
Bonus Tip: Stock photography sites like Pexels or Unsplash offer a limited selection of royalty-free options if you’d prefer not to purchase images.
5. Consider Your Branding
The images you choose should be consistent with your brand image and style. Consider the color scheme, tone, and overall style of your company’s brand, and choose images that fit within those parameters. This will help to create a cohesive and professional look for your website and/or marketing materials.
6. Create Cohesiveness
A professional designer has the skills to adjust lighting, color tone and other aspects of images to make them look cohesive and professional, but there’s one trick anyone can use: select images that have some consistency with one another. To do this, view your stock images side-by-side and ask yourself if they could have been taken by the same photographer. Is the overall visual style similar? For example, if your image has a person in the foreground with a blurred background, are the other images drastically different?
7. Avoid Overused Images
Some stock images have been used so often that they have become cliché. When possible, try to avoid images that are overly generic or have been used in countless other websites, especially those within the same industry as your business.
Choosing good quality stock images can enhance the overall look and feel of your website if you consider the subject matter, authenticity, quality, copyright, branding, and uniqueness. With these tips in mind, you’ll be able to select images that will help your website stand out and look great! If you decide you need professional help, Studio2 can handle the entire website design and development process for you with an affordable turnkey package that’s customized to your brand. Learn more about our Web Design services here.