Three Useful Tips on Choosing Images for Your Website

Every now and then, a new website pops up and creates greater competition in the marketplace. A professional website does not only feature the best design practices but also considers the quality of the images. Since people process visual content 60,000 times faster than text, adding high quality images can help decide visitors to stay on your website or not.

Images invoke specific emotions that complement a website’s content. As a small business, it is important that your website reflects your mission and offerings. Click this link. Consider these three tips to transform your website, drive traffic, increase conversions, and attract the audience your business wants.

  1. Use high quality images. The images on your business website communicate different messages to your audience. High quality ones allow them to make educated decisions about the value of your site. Thus, it is important that you spend equal time and effort on both content and images. They offer your audience a sense of your business and the level of professionalism they can expect from you.High quality images do not only make your website look good, they also uphold you company to a certain business standard. They emphasize your products and services, as well as bring them to life. Keep in mind that your customers can notice the difference between average and professional images. Give them a reason to believe in your company by adding professional images.
  2. Choose images that relate to your business. Make sure that your images add relevant value to your business website. They should speak to your products and services, and the business industry you are part of. Your viewers will get a true sense of your business and the people behind it.Images help create a holistic representation of your brand. Use them to convey what your content cannot. Their logical combination with text showcases your entire business well and adds to the chances of your viewers to respond.
  3. Make sure your images are optimized for mobile. Skewed images and slow load times are two of the main reasons why visitors abandon a business website. According to studies, 40 percent of people abandon a website when it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Guarantee great user experience by optimizing your images for desktop and mobile.

 Today, customers have many ways to access your website. Make sure your images pop up quickly and clearly across multiple devices. Choose clear and impactful images that are not too complex at smaller sizes. Also, make sure that their proportions and sizes are correct. If your business site features large images, find the largest pixel dimension and don’t exceed that.

Majority of users decide if they want to stay on your business website or not within the first 20 seconds of viewing. To make your visitors remain, let your images do the talking. Use high quality images that relate to your business and make sure that they are optimized for both desktop and mobile. Keep in mind that images present a powerful opportunity to drive visitors to your site. By integrating them to your website strategy, you are opening the door of your business to sale opportunities.

WordPress Image Library and PixelRockstar: What’s the Point?

Photo galleries aren’t just for photographers. You can still add and display high quality images on your wordpress website to make it more appealing and strengthen your image. Here are some other ways that you can benefit from a gallery:

  • Create a digital portfolio of your high quality work
  • Showcase photos to let people know more about your website
  • Provide quick snapshots of your products and services

Compile large quantities of photos to demonstrate your company’s workWordPress websites are capable of more than just publishing your blogs. They also provide background information about your company and services. With the support of an image plugin such as PixelRockstar, you can add impressive photo galleries on your page without much effort at all.

Since images tend to be heavy, you need to be careful when adding them to your website. Here are some tips you need to keep in mind to help you do this the right way:

Formatting Tips

  • Give photos a memorable name to find them easier
  • Avoid using heavily altered images.
  • Choose the right image format – JPEG for example.

Selection Tips

  • Too many photos may be overwhelming to some visitors. Choose the ones that make the biggest impact.
  • Use relevant images only.
  • Use high quality, high resolution images.
  • Make sure the images jive with your company or brand.
  • Review photos for mobile compatibility.

The wordpress image library may contain the images you need, but it is always a great idea to have back up. You never know when you need an image that isn’t found in WP’s gallery. PixelRockstar offers over 4 million high quality and safe to use images. You will surely find the images that suits your theme and style. Plus, the images come with a Digital License, which allows you to do more with the images than traditional image sources do.

 

 

Royalty Free and Its Main Features

Royalty free is a type of license granted to a copyrighted, patented or trademarked materials.  This type of license is commonly used on obtaining rights f or photography and illustration industry. It is widely used by stock photography agencies to sell images.

This license type does not mean that it is free and does not cost a cent. Royalty free license requires a one time license fee and that the use of the material is free from future additional payment for to the copyright holder every time the material is used. Upon the settlement of the license fee, the material can be used for as many times and for as long as the user likes, provided that it goes by the terms and conditions agreed between the agency and the user. The use of royalty free images means to duplicate, copy, distribute, reproduce, modify, edit, synchronize, display and published.

The following are the main features of royalty free images:

  1. Perpetual – the use of the image does not have an expiration date and the buyer can use the image for as long as he needs to. That is why royalty free is also called as licensing image for perpetuity, meaning it is valid for a very long time.
  2. Worldwide – the image can be used in any part of the world, without geographic limitation.
  3. Unlimited – this means that the image can be used for an unlimited number of times
  4. Any and all media form – Royalty free allows any form of media, may it be in print, in digital or in any form of media.
  5. Non-exclusive – Royalty free images are distributed widely. Since it is available to many buyers, it is generally less expensive and chances are there are more than one users or buyers that are also using the same image.

With royalty free, you can use the images in any project for as long as you like. Understand its features and determine if this is the best option for you.

 

Corbis Motion and Getty Images Stock Footage

corbis-motion-logoCorbis Motion and Getty Images stock footage – You are probably thinking about a burst of premium videos. Well, you are right! With VCGs acquisition of Corbis Motion and its merge with Getty, the world’s leading stock media agency has once again ensured its top spot in the industry. Creative professionals from broadcasting, advertising, brands and other companies now have more than enough choices to complete their projects.

Since May 2, 2016, Corbis Motion is no longer accessible to its members, read more. Thus, they are all invited to enjoy the expanded benefits at Getty Images instead. Why is Corbis shutting down? Well, the stock site is not really shutting down. It has only found a new home for its content. All significant stock footages, images and other assets are migrated to Getty. The transition was completed during the summer. If you are looking for Corbis content, you should visit GI from now on.

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You will no longer have access to your Corbis account, nor will you have access to your previous Corbis activities on Getty Images. If you are a GI user, you should use your account to browse through stock footages, images and other assets. If you do not have a Getty account, no worries. Corbis automatically created an account at Getty for you, using your Corbis account email address. Of course, you need to request your new password to ensure security.

Not all Corbis content will be migrated to Getty Images. Only the most popular Corbis Motion, Corbis Images, and Veer assets will be available at GI’s collection. Many of the stock media agency’s partners will also be available as separate collections. So now, you can access BBC Motion, Walt Disney, National Geographic and other media companies at Getty. Because of this, you will be using GI’s buying options to purchase and download Corbis content, too.

Now, Getty Images has over 200 million content in its library. Aside from the more comprehensive and diverse collection, it will now be easier and faster for you to find the stock footage you need. You can use Ultrapacks to get discounts on bulk purchases or buy a stock footage a la carte, whichever fits your creative needs and budget. To find Corbis content in the stock site, check out this collections:

  • Bettmann
  • Contour
  • Contour Style
  • Corbis Entertainment
  • Corbis Historical
  • Corbis News
  • Corbis Premium Historical
  • Corbis Sports
  • Sygma
  • Sygma Premium
  • Corbis
  • Corbis Documentary
  • Corbis Video

What can you get from Corbis Motion and Getty Images stock footage merger? Well, you can get plenty of benefits. You will have a more complete and unprecedented offering, the convenience of having all the highest quality content in one place, and getting Corbis content with pricing that fits all budget levels. That’s right! Thanks to Getty’s Ultrapacks and coupon codes, you can now purchase and download Corbis content without going beyond your budget.

9 Useful Tips to Find the Best Cheap Stock Photos

Are you looking for cheap stock photos for your creative projects? You may have already read a number of articles giving tips on how to find the best stock photos in the market. These tips are surely helpful, too – especially if you are a novice in the industry. Nevertheless, we are still giving you nine useful tips to find the perfect stock photos for your creative needs. We hope that these simple and straightforward tips help you strengthen your brand.

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  1. Think about keywords. Start with a few simple words that answer the question when, where and what to find the perfect cheap stock photos in any stock media agency’s library.
  2. Dig deeper into page results. Search images on pages three to seven rather than using what you immediate find on page one to avoid cheap stock photos that have been overused. You might also find unique stock photos down the deepest page results.
  3. Add keywords to find the perfect photos for your brand. You can use these keywords to look for a specific emotion, filter, style, or perspective.
  4. Before you download any image from your chosen stock photo site, check out the caption first. Hover through the thumbnail to find out what keywords are related to the image. This will help you refine your searches.
  5. Consider the recommendation of stock sites. Some stock photo sites recommend similar ages to your searches. When you click on the photo you like, you will also find other related or suggested cheap stock photos from these stock photo sites. Check them out. Who knows, you might like what you they suggest.
  6. Remove a word from your keywords to widen your options. If you are searching cheap stock photos using a phrase, cut a word or two to widen your search. Being specific can limit your options sometimes.
  7. Sort by date. You can find recently uploaded cheap stock photos if you sorting them by new. Some stock sites allow you to sort your search according to date of upload.
  8. Use advanced search tools. Some stock photo sites have advanced search tools that allow you to refine your search. These tools allow you to search by color, category, orientation, type and many others. You can even refine your search to include people, their age and gender.
  9. Make use of a keyword suggestion tool to choose the most relevant keyword for your brand. Not all stock photo sites have these feature. But if what you subscribed into have it, use it to find the perfect cheap stock photos for your brand.

We hope that these simple but straightforward tips may help you find what you are looking for. Whether you are a novice or professional in the creative industry, you will surely benefit from these tips.

The Cons of Cheap Stock Footage

A picture is worth a thousand words they say. Imagine what a video is worth. A video can explain in a few seconds or minutes what it takes a paragraph or an entire article to imply. It has the power to elicit emotions and reactions from the audiences. When you’re creating a video, it needs to feel authentic. You can shoot the entire video yourself or make use of cheap stock footage. Whatever you decide to do, consider time, savings, effort, creativity, and your audience. Connecting with them and getting them to take action is what matters most.

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While cheap stock footage can help you achieve a strong video, it also has some serious disadvantages which includes:

  • It can be pricey, too. Compared to conducting your own shoot, buying cheap stock footage is a lot cheaper. But, it can be pretty pricey, too – especially if you are getting the highest resolution. Many stock sites offer video clips for various purposes. Footage for web is cheaper compared to its standard definition and high definition counterparts. 4K videos are the most expensive, which can range from 180 to 280 dollars. That bill can add up if you are looking to get more stock footage.
  • It can be too clichéd. Cheap stock footage represents general ideas, increasing the risk to cliché videos. There are a number of footage in the market, giving you a lot of choices. The most requested footage are streets shots and business meetings. If you want to create an amazing videos, do not settle for overly staged shots. Look for a footage that feels real and authentic.
  • Different scenes can be difficult to find. With cheap stock footage, you may feel that you are stuck with what you find. You can be searching for different scenes, but you will only get similar results. For instance, when you search for an office scene, you may see the same buildings and cities over and over again. If you want something specific, stock footage is not the best option for you. You should probably shoot the scene yourself.
  • It may not blend with the rest of your video. Luckily, there is a solution to this – color grading, color correcting and other post-production editing techniques. Using cheap stock video is not an easy task. You have the match the footage to the rest of the video in order to create a consistent look.

Using cheap stock footage has its own pros and cons. It can help you save time and money on travel, equipment and talent, but it might also get your story lost in translation. Fortunately, these pros can be easily resolved by post-production strategies. By doing so, you will still be able to attract your audience and get them to take action while saving time, money and effort.

Limited Time Offer: Free Adobe Stock Photos

Good news to the creative community! Stock Photo Secrets offers yet another amazing stock photo deal. The ever generous stock photo company provides creative professionals with the opportunity to download and use 10 free Adobe Stock photos. The limited time offer is available until April 30, 2016, so you should hurry and take the deal. Just click on the link  to start your free month.

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About Adobe Stock

Adobe Stock is one of the leading stock photo agencies in the market. It provides creative professionals with a library, filled with over 50 million premium quality stock images. The library is also directly integrated with Creative Cloud applications, which makes the design process easier, faster and better. The stock photo website also offers purchase choices that meet every creative users’ needs. You just select between paying per image and subscribing to a plan.

Pay per image is perfect if you only require a few images occasionally, while subscription plans are suitable of you use plenty of stock images on a regular basis. Adobe Stock offers annual plans that meet your needs – 750/month for heavy users, 350/month for average users, and 10 images/month for light users. All plans allow you to purchase additional images at different rates if you require more images that you initially paid for.

Free Adobe Stock Photos

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Currently, Stock Photo Secrets offers a limited time offer that comes with the 10 images/month subscription plan. For your information, the image plan allows you to download 10 images per month with additional images priced at $2.99 each. It allows you to rollover up to 120 images onto the next month, too. It is an annual plan, but it is paid monthly. With the Adobe Stock promo, you can get the first 10 stock photos for free.

How does the offer work? The promo gives you 10 free high quality images to use within the next month. Your first month will be refunded when you sign up for the annual 10 image/month plan, which is priced at $29.99 plus applicable taxes. The first month is cancel risk free, so you can cancel your subscription anytime within the first month without charges. At the end of the offer term, your subscription will be automatically billed with standard rates, unless you cancel or change it.

If you are looking for a great deal on Adobe Stock photos, you should check out Stock Photo Secrets. It is affiliated with AS, making it a trusted and reliable source of stock photo deals. Hurry and get 10 free Adobe Stock photos on your first month. If you are a new subscriber, you will be automatically refunded for the first month of Adobe Stock. Start your free month now!

Find Stock Photos With iStock

istock_logo_detailIf you are having a hard time finding stock photos or other images on the Internet, you need to try iStockphoto. IStockphoto is a fun and easy way to find curated and royalty-free images at a reasonable price. IStockphoto is owned and operated by Getty, a name synonymous with high-quality stock photos. The service provides access to millions of images that can be used for just about anything imaginable. But, before you can choose one of the fabulous photos that are on iStockphoto, you need to know a little more about the service.

How does iStockphoto work?

The images you can find on iStockphoto come from contributors. All of the content is vetted to guarantee it meets the high standards that are set by iStockphoto. When an image is downloaded, you purchase a license that allows you to use the file in a multitude of ways.  Some possibilities include advertising efforts, websites, blogs, presentations, video productions, and podcasts. All iStockphoto images are royalty-free. So you can use them for as long as you want, within the terms of the license.

Extended licenses

If you need to use the images you purchase in more ways than the license allows, you have the option to purchase an extended license. An extended license allows a more expansive use of the licensed image. Some examples of instances when an extended license is necessary include:

  • Printed copies exceeding a quantity greater than 500,000
  • Printing newspapers, magazines or books
  • Product packaging
  • Items for resale
  • Online print-on-demand products
  • Multi-user access to files
  • Electronic templates for resale

What does “royalty-free” mean?

When a photo or another image is designated as “royalty-free” it means that the image comes with a standard license for use. After you initially pay for the image when you download it, you will not need to pay the photographer a royalty each time you use it.

Searching for files

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Since iStockphoto contains millions of images, there needs to be a way to search for what you need easily. The easiest and best way to search for images is with the use of keywords. Simply type keywords into the search bar at the top of iStockphoto’s website and then select the type of file you are looking for. As soon as your keywords are entered, you will see results that are related to it. You will have the option to apply filters to the search to narrow down your results.

What happens if you cannot find a file?

Occasionally, you may perform a search that comes up with zero results. In instances like these, there are a few possibilities that might be causing the problem. You may be searching for something too obscure or unusual or being too specific with your search parameters. In this case, if you have entered multiple keywords, pare it down to just the one or two that best describe the object for which you are looking. If you have applied filters, remove them to widen your search. If you are searching by file number, the image may no longer be available. In this case, contact iStock, and they will help you locate it.

Purchasing images on iStockphoto

To be able to download a file, you must purchase a royalty-free license. There are two ways to do so:

  • If you purchase credits, you can download files as you need them. You can purchase credits in preset packs that let you save money on downloads when you buy them in large quantities.
  • Image subscriptions provide access to a specific number of image downloads every month. There are multiple subscriptions from which to choose, to fit a variety of needs.

About credits

Credits can be considered currency that is exclusive to iStockphoto. You can use credits to download files of any kind. The larger preset package you purchase, the lower the per-credit cost is. Any file you purchase with a credit can be used in as many projects you use for an unlimited amount of time. Credits never expire as long as you use your iStock account as long as you sign into your account at least once a year. Unused credits packs may be returned for a full refund within 14 days of purchase. However, if any credits have been used from the pack, no refund can be granted.

Using photos from iStock

When you download a photo from iStockphoto, you automatically purchase a royalty-free license that allows you to use the image in a wide variety of ways. Some of the most common ways to use these images include:

  • Advertising
  • Publishing
  • Websites
  • Blogs
  • Presentations

With just a little bit of know-how, you can easily find and use stock photos with iStockphoto. Once you see everything you can accomplish with the stock photos you can find, you will quickly become a fan!