Sourcing photos for your new website
One of the most overwhelming realities of marketing your business is the requirement to have content – especially photography. So what is the best way to acquire photos to use in your promotions?
There are a number of options available depending on your budget, skills, resources and type of business.
Custom Photography
The best solution is to have photography that is unique to your business. Custom photography helps reinforce your brand and gives you complete control over how your business is presented. Take photos yourself (or within your business)
One of the easiest ways to acquire custom photos is to take them yourself or have someone from within your business take them.
For service-based businesses, before and after photos can tell a complete story on their own. These can often be taken by someone within the business, at the time the job is completed.
Pros;
- Get custom photography on a budget
- Doesn’t require working with external contractors
- Photos are unique to your business.
Cons;
- Photo quality can be low depending on equipment available and skill level
- Bad quality photography can do more harm than good
Hire a local photographer
If you are willing to invest in higher-quality photography, contact a local photographer and contract them to take photos for your business.
Pros;
- Photos are unique to your business
- Highest quality photography
Cons;
- Can be expensive
- Requires staging environments for photography.
Stock Photography
If it isn’t possible for you to acquire custom photography for your business, you can source stock photography from a number of online websites, both free and paid.
Stock websites can be an easy way to acquire high-quality photography. However, the results will be more generic in that the photos are not unique to your business. Free Stock Photography
There are many websites that provide free stock photography available for use, free of charge. It is extremely important that you check the licensing terms for each website as they can vary widely.
Examples;
Pros;
- Acquire high-quality photography at no cost
Cons;
- Photos are generic and not unique to your business
- Other businesses can use the same photos as you
Licensed Stock Photography
There are websites that sell stock photography for you to use in your business. While you may be able to get the same result from a free stock photography website, often you won’t be able to find a more specific image unless you are willing to pay.
Examples;
Pros;
- High-quality photography
- Less likely to be used by other businesses
Cons;
- Can be expensive
- Despite having to pay, photos are not unique to your business