Should You Use Your Own Images or Stock Photos on Your Website?

There are two options, when it comes to providing images for your business website. You can create the images yourself, or you can purchase stock images from a reputable provider.

Creating your own images

The biggest advantage of creating your own images to use online is that you can be sure they are original. You also have the opportunity to make sure that the images you use represent your brand effectively, as you can capture the experiences that you want to convey to your audience.

However, creating high quality images can be time consuming and costly. While it's true that you can snap photos by simply using a smartphone, this type of basic image does not normally convey the quality that you want your brand to be known for. Capturing high quality images normally involves investing in equipment such as a tripod, light box and editing software.

It also involves investing time and effort in learning how to use light in a natural way and how to focus and compose images correctly. Many small business owners find that this is a drain on resources.

Choosing stock photos

In many circumstances, it makes sense to choose stock photos for your website. If you make this choice, you should always choose reputable providers such as Depositphotos. They have a wide range of images to choose from that are all good quality.

Remember that you should not just choose the first high quality stock image that you come across. You need to put thought and effort into choosing images that are the right fit for your website.

• Think about what images are relevant to your desired audience.
• Consider what your brand message is and choose images that are relevant to it.
• Be creative with your choice but do not confuse your audience.
• Make sure that there is a human element to the images you choose so that people can relate to them.

It's vital that what you are offering is clear to the people who visit your website. The images you choose should convey this. It's fine to be clever with the links between the images and your brand, as long as they are not too obscure.

When creating or choosing images for your website, the most important factors are that they are high quality and that they represent your brand in a way that is clear to your audience. These factors can be achieved if you create your own images, but you need to be prepared to invest in equipment and leaning how to capture good images. It often makes sense to use good quality stock images which have been created and collated by experts.