Older internet users may still remember the time when the web focused only on the written word. The start of the internet was as a text-based medium and it was not visually appealing. Although images were loved by the people, they could not work with them on online webs because of slow internet speeds. Also, the technology had not evolved till then. To be honest, the digital images were not that great at that time.
Today, with advancements in technology and improvement in internet speeds, it is impossible to imagine a website without visual aids. Digital images of all kinds have taken over the internet. Now, you can search the web just for pictures. What is Instagram for? You can share your photos on this social media platform of your special events or daily life happenings. Various platforms provide you free images for your site or blog. There are graphic illustrations, infographics, screenshots, tables, wireframes, etc.
Tips for Finding Free Images for Your Site
How Important Are Images to Your Site?
If you are starting your website where you will upload your daily blogs or articles on different topics, then don’t forget to include images in those posts. Dealing with additional media can feel overwhelming when you are focusing on what to write for your site and to keep things in order. But if you ignore the images in the content, then you are making a big mistake.
65 percent of people are visual learners because 90 percent of the information stored in the human brain is through visuals. So, if you are not adding images to your content, then you are not doing it right. Also, the articles that are having images get more views than those without images. Adding images is important for your blog, content, articles, and site because of:
Visually appealing
As soon as you add the first image to your content, you will notice that how suddenly the post has improved. If you have used the right kind of images for your content, and they are related to your post, then you are doing it right. The images can be used as text breaks. After reading few paragraphs of black and white texts, the images will help them to rest their eyes. Also, it will make your content more interesting and appealing.
Social Media
If you want to be successful in sharing your content, blogs, articles, and sites on social media, then make sure that your content is having images. As a result, the social media sites will pick the images directly from your content. You don’t want to present yourself as an unprofessional blogger or content writer without using images in the content. Content without images will be scrolled away by most of the users because it looks quite boring.
Search Engine Traffic
When you search for an image on Google or any other search engine, it allows you to view different images of different sizes. If you use free images on your site, the user will be directed to your site because they found it on the search engine. As a result, they might read your article or blog. Hence, you will be getting more views than those who don’t use images in their content.
Easier Understanding
If you remember the times when scrolling pages of school just to see images was a fun thing, the same thing is used for the site. Sometimes, complex information is difficult to understand. Using free images for complex information makes it easier for viewers to understand. Instead of writing an entire paragraph of text, you can simply display an image.
What Are Different Kinds of Image Licenses?
Before you start searching images for your sites, there are few types of image licensing that you need to understand. Many websites offer free or paid images for download. These images operate under different licenses.
Rights-Managed
Images with this license can generally only be used once per payment. These are the most expensive images on the internet. On the other hand, they are generally the best you can get. For rights-managed images on the websites, you should be ready to reach deep in your pockets. There are a few pros and cons as follows:
Pros
- You will get the exclusive right for the image you are paying for.
- You can have high-quality images taken by the professional photographers
Cons
- The image you are downloading can only be used for one project. To reuse it on another project, you have to pay again
- Licenses are expensive
Royalty-Free
These images require you to pay a fee. After paying the fees, you can use those images anywhere and as you like. There are a lot of websites that offer subscriptions and sell images in packs. It means you can use those images for your website or content. Royalty-free images are cheaper than Rights-Managed images. These free images are having pros and cons as follows:
Pros
- Affordable than Rights Managed Licenses
- One-time fees
- Multiple and unlimited uses of images
- Lesser restrictions
Cons
- Non-exclusive images mean that someone else can also buy the same image for their content
Creative Commons Zero
Images under this license are free and anyone can use them. Some sites are having different rules such as you have to mention the photographer. So, before you download them and use them for your site, make sure that you have read the rules properly.
These are the most common licenses that every site uses for its images. You should keep in mind that these sites are having a right to change the rules. There are more popular and alternative licensing options on the web. Make sure that you have read the rules thoroughly before downloading or using the image for your content.
Sites offering Creative Commons Zero images do not even require sign up on the site. You can use these images as free images without subscription, fees, or copyrights, etc. On the other hand, there are a few pros and cons of using free images.
Pros
- Completely free
- High-quality
- Easily accessible
- Multiple usages of images
Cons
- One image used by millions of other sites or bloggers
- Ads on the site
- There are few restrictions to be considered
Free Image Sites
If you are a beginner and you don’t want to spend money on images to make them more appealing, you can simply use free images. There are a lot of sites that provide free images without subscription or sign up. It means they are free to use. One image can be used multiple times for different articles or content.
Pexels
Pexels is having a license that indicates the usage of free images. It defines that what you can and cannot do with the images. You can use the free images for both personal and commercial use without attribution.
Unsplash
Unsplash is having it license that allows you to use the images for free. But it restricts the use of free images for creating a competing website.
Pixabay
The images on the Pixabay are licensed under the Creative Commons Zero (CCO) License. It means that you can use the images without asking for permission. Also, you can use it for your personal use without giving the artist credit. On the other hand, Pixabay gives a kind reminder to verify if the images are not infringing any rights.
Burst
Burst is a free photo platform that can be used by Shopify entrepreneurs. The images on this site are free and royalty-free. This site is having an interesting business idea section that gives high-resolution images and tips for your startup.
Kaboompics
Kaboompics uses its license that is similar to Creative Commons Zero. You cannot redistribute the photos from this site. This free image site allows you to search by color and provides a complementary color palette in the photo.
Free Images
Free images site provides you over 300,000 free images under its license. The license of this website allows for a wide range of uses. Also, it is having several restrictions on the use of free images.
Canva
Canva is an online graphic design tool. Also, it offers free images for your site. The advantage of using Canva is that you can quickly convert an image into a custom graphic for your blog, social media, or content on your site.
Gratisography
Gratisography like other free image sites is having a free photography license. It allows you to do anything you can think of. There is a limited number of free images on this site with high-quality that you can use for your site.
Stocksnap.io
This free image site used the Creative Commons Zero license. So, you can download or edit the images for free. You can easily use the images for your content on your site.
Life of Pix
Life of Pix lists free images with high-resolution. Also, it provides you Adobe Stock Partner paid photos for a better collection for your site.
Free Images For Site – Make Your Content Appealing
Without images, your site will be having black and white texts with long or short paragraphs. You will not be getting the expected viewers for your content. It is because your content will be boring without images. When you use images for your content, it shows that you know how to represent data and information with images.
Using free images for your site is the best thing you can do to promote your site. When you use free images for your site, people will be directed to your site. As a result, you will be getting views on your content. When a user is directed to your site, they will not only download images but also read your content. Hence, implement the usage of free images for your site.