Where to Get High-Quality Images for Your Website

Images play a vital role in the overall look and feel of your website. The right visuals (high-quality images that are relevant to your niche) can make your website look more polished, modern, professional and trustworthy, while wrong ones can make your site look amateurish and even questionable.

Simply going to Google Images and downloading a photo to use on your website is not a very good idea and could actually land you with a hefty fine. In this post, we’ll explore free and affordable sources for high-quality images, and even give you tips on how to create your own visuals.

1. Free Image resources

Here are some websites that offer a vast selection of free high-quality images, illustrations and videos:

• Unsplash offers a large collection of high-quality photos and illustrations from hundreds of thousands of photographers all around the world. All images can be downloaded and used for free and without permission (for both commercial and non-commercial use).
• Pexels has a diverse library of photos and videos that are free to use without accreditation. It has great a search functionality that allows you to easily find what you are looking for.
• Pixabay is a powerhouse for all things visual, offering not just free stock photos but also illustrations, vector graphics, videos, music and sounds effects.
• Burst by Shopify: Burst is a free stock image library powered by Shopify. The images are free for commercial and non-commercial use with no attribution required. Even though it is a Shopify product, you don’t need to be a Shopify user to enjoy these free high-quality images.
• On Vecteezy, you can find high-quality photos, vector graphics, and even design templates. While you can enjoy many basic features for free, they do have a monthly and yearly subscription that allows you to get advanced licensing and unlock premium content.
• Dupe provides royalty-free photos that look a little less stock-image-y and more like they came from your camera roll. These photos would be perfect for social media or context where you want your brand to feel more relatable. You can filter by aesthetic to find the right image to suit your vibe.

Free image resources are great, especially when you need high-quality images, videos, and illustrations but you are working with a limited budget. The downside however is that you are very likely to see other people using the same visual assets as you, since they are freely available for everyone to use.

2. Low-cost Stock Image Sites

If you need a wider selection to choose from or you want very specific imagery that are not readily available on the free stock websites, paid stock options can be a valuable investment.

• Shutterstock is one of the most popular stock image providers. With millions of images, vectors, videos, and music tracks, they have something for every industry. You can pay per image or opt for a subscription plan to get better value for your money.
• iStock by Getty Images is known for its high-quality, exclusive photos and videos. They also offer both subscription and pay-per-image options, so it’s a good option for different budgets.
• Adobe Stock offers millions of top-notch, exclusive images, videos, audios and graphics. They offer a free trial that lets you get 10 free images or 1 free video. Plus, if you’re already using Adobe Creative Cloud, you can access discounted pricing plans.

3. How to Create Your Own Visual Assets

If you can’t find the perfect image or your simply prefer to create your own visual assets, here are some helpful tools for you:

• Canva is super easy to use and offers templates for just about anything. You can upload your own images and tweak them or choose from their extensive library of free (and paid) assets.
• Adobe Express is a user-friendly design tool that helps you create stunning visuals with little effort. It is a bit limited compared to full Adobe software, but it’s great for quick, easy designs.
• Adobe illustrator is the industry standard for creating vector graphics. If you need professional-level logos, icons, or custom illustrations, Illustrator is the go-to tool.
• Blender: For those interested in creating 3D models, animations, and visual effects, Blender is a free, open-source powerhouse. Whether you’re designing complex 3D elements or simple website animations, Blender gives you full creative control. The learning curve could be a bit steep but they offer several tutorials to help you get started.
• Midjourney is an AI-powered image generator that can help you create unique, high-quality visuals from simple text prompts. You may need multiple tries to get the exact result you’re looking for, and the output may not always be fully customizable., but you can get really creative with it.

4. When to Invest in Professional Photography and Design

While DIY tools and free stock images can work wonders, there are times when nothing beats custom photography—especially if you want to stand out from the competition.

If you’re selling a product or you want your brand to have a unique look, hiring professionals is well worth the investment. Here are some examples of when you should consider bringing in the pros:

• Product photography: Clear, well-lit product photos are essential, especially for e-commerce businesses. They showcase your products in a great light and give your customers a good idea of what to expect when they buy from you.
• Brand imagery: Custom images and graphics that reflect your company’s culture, values, and style will help your brand feel authentic and engaging.
• Website banners: If you want something completely original for your homepage or key landing pages, hiring professionals can really take your website to the next level.

5. Optimizing Visuals for Speed and Performance

When it’s all said and done, make sure your site runs smoothly and efficiently, a website with slow-loading pages or images is a conversion killer.

Here are a few tips:

• Use image compression tools like TinyPNG to reduce file sizes without losing quality.
• Consider switching to WebP format for images, which provides high-quality images at a smaller file size.
• Always make sure your images are sized correctly—don’t upload super large images if they’re only going to be displayed in a small space.
• Implement lazy loading so that images load only when they come in view on the user’s screen rather than on page load.

Many modern content management systems offer auto-compression, resizing, and even format switching, so you may not need to worry about these steps.

Finding and creating high-quality visuals for your website doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Whether you’re using free stock images or creating custom assets with DIY tools, there are plenty of great options for every budget.

Need help creating custom visuals that truly represent your brand? Contact us today, and let’s bring your website to life with stunning design and imagery!