10 free places for images to use on your website
I have to admit, sometimes, I face-palm when my clients send me the pictures for their websites.
I’ve received some pretty terrible pictures as a web designer. Sometimes, they’re dark or grainy, and I know I wouldn’t be doing my clients any favours by putting them up on their websites. So, I have to go back to my clients, break the bad news about the quality of their pics, and ask for something else.
A picture I took in Gros Morne Park Nfld. The left looks clear and sharp. The picture on the right is too small and has been stretched.
The right images are so important to your website. They can help clarify your text, help your visitors retain 55% more information than text alone and can even help your search engine ranking.
But where do you get those images?
I always recommend professional pictures, especially for headshots and product pics, but stock photos can be great too. I often use stock photos for backgrounds, to add interest to a page, or with content, like a blog post.
The important thing to remember when using stock photos is that they need to be more than just “pretty”. Make sure these photos are in keeping with your brand (both in tone and colour). They should also be related to the content, and help make it more understandable for your visitors. For better SEO rename your stock images with descriptive name (with dashes between the words).
Here are 10 free sites to get high quality stock images for your website:
1. Unsplash
You can search your subject through all the (many) photos at Unsplash, but you can also look through the collections other user have made on the same subject.
2. Pexels
3. Pixabay
4. Kaboompics
One of my favorite features of Kaboompics is the complementary colours palette. It shows you the colours and their hex# from your chosen image.
6. Stocksnap.io
7. FoodiesFeed
FoodiesFeed is a bit different than most of the other image sites on this list. This one focuses on providing the best free food images on the web.
10. Barn Images
Barn Images is way more than barns! Created by 2 photographers who upload new pics every week.
One more tip for your stock images:
To make sure your image hasn’t been overused you can do a reverse image check before you download. It will show you other places on the web where that image is being used.
Right click on your image
Choose copy image address (or copy image link if using Firefox)
Paste the url into https://tineye.com/
Finally, let me leave you with a little warning before you head off to any of these websites. If you’re anything like me you could end up down the rabbit hole for hours. So many pretty pictures! Happy searching!
