Original Photography
Many Web sites benefit greatly from the inclusion of photographs, which can add a human dimension and draw in the visitor. Wherever possible, it's ideal to provide us with original images, whether they're pictures of you and your staff, product shots, or photos of your facilities.
Hiring a photographer to take top-notch pictures that show your company in the best possible light (pun intended!) is the ideal – see how much credibility and trust professional photos instill in the team of our client Organized Success. If that's not possible for budget reasons, try a photography student, or find someone on your staff, or a friend or family member who knows their way around a digital camera, to take some shots. Be brutal when evaluating the resulting images, though: if the photos look unprofessional in any way, you're better off going without them or considering other options, such as stock photos.
Stock Photos
If appropriate, stock photos can be an excellent, low-cost choice for visual imagery to enliven your site. With the advent of the Web, a good selection of stock photography and illustration is now available from many online sources, starting at only a couple of dollars per image for use on the Web. So what's the catch? Well, these inexpensive images are also non-exclusive, so it's possible – though not likely – that you may stumble across other sites using the same photos as yours.
iStockphoto is our favourite stock-photo bank as it has a wide variety of images, with a rapidly growing contributor base – and the prices are extremely reasonable. All you need to do to get started choosing photos is sign up for a free account and create a "lightbox", adding your selections to it. When you're ready, email us a link to your lightbox using the handy "Email This Lightbox to Someone" form.
Some of the sites we've designed featuring stock photos from iStockphoto include: Progres Consulting (we used different pictures on the French and English sides), Weave Partners, Vision Coach International, and Professional Organizers in Canada.
Some other low-cost stock photo sites to explore:
Who says nothing in life is free? The pics on these stock photo sites are:
While stock photos can be a boon, do be careful to avoid groan-worthy stock-photo clichés like "the handshake," "the cliff jump," and "three people huddled around a laptop." For inspiration on what images to stay far away from, check out A.C. Riley Communications's blog posts on Worst Stock Photos Part 1 & Part 2.
One final caveat: be absolutely sure you have the legal right to use any stock photos downloaded from a free source or bought. Keep a record of purchases and be prepared to prove that you're allowed to use all images on your site. Read a stock photo cautionary tale for a real-world example of why this is so important!
