Do you know that the brain processes images 60,000 times faster than words? Before reading a line of your text, your audience is inclined to view the images that accompany the content. They also make presumptions based on the first impressions of the images as to whether they want to engage with your brand. Therefore, using an image for your shopping or service website, in your presentation, or in your social media post will have an instant impact. 

Most people tend to spend too much time looking over different browser pages to buy an image that is unique, affordable, and relevant to their project. What if there were dedicated platforms from where you can source images effectively? This blog will help you buy the best stock images for your project using the top 8 stock platforms. These platforms provide clear pricing and image license details to streamline your image-sourcing process. So, let’s get started! 

Decoding Stock Images

Stock photography refers to the collection of licensed images for creative or business purposes. Businesses can make use of royalty-free images in various marketing designs, social media posts, landing pages, advertising, and other creative purposes. These images are highly beneficial for your business’ content creation process. The image creator uploads the image to the stock image platforms and is paid an amount when a customer buys their stock images and downloads them. Stock images make it easy for image creators to display and earn from their images and for buyers like you to utilize them, providing mutual benefits to everyone involved. 

Benefits of Buying Stock Images

In the virtual space, high-quality images and graphics are in demand. This is particularly the case for digital advertising or website creation, where quality pictures are essential to engaging consumers. Stock image platforms provide a robust library of images, making it easy to source high-quality and relevant images for your shopping or general website. Here are the top benefits of buying stock images:

• Plenty of choices: When you plan to buy images from stock platforms, you will have access to endless photographs under various categories. Whether you are searching for a single picture or a collection of group photos, the algorithm of stock photography will make it simple for you to locate the perfect shot.
• Right to Use Intellectual Property: Purchasing stock photography ensures that you have a valid license to use the images in any way you desire. The subscription packages will allow you to buy stock images with valid credentials, ensuring that you are legally protected.
• Save time: Stock platforms are convenient if you want to buy an image immediately and do not have the time to hire and engage a photographer. Getting a high-quality image will be quick and easy. The best part is that you will have plenty of image options across a variety of categories, which you can immediately download.
• High-resolution at fingertips: Every photograph is subjected to technical inspections to ensure that it matches the platform’s expectations of image quality. The vast collection implies that you will never be out of high-quality photographs, and you can also use different file sizes to meet your specific requirements. 

Best Practices to Buy Images from Stock Platforms

Regardless of which site you choose to buy an image from, there are a few tips for using the platform safely. Before discussing the best places to buy stock images, consider a few criteria to remember while selecting your pictures.

• Verify the site: Verify the reputation of the site and check its background. Despite the flawless appearance, make sure that the site defines its sustainability.
• Avoid low-quality images: Using low-quality images for your shopping website and other content will affect your website’s credibility, customer engagement, and your brand’s authenticity. These low-quality images will appear grainy, unclear, and visually displeasing. 
• Look for unique images: Look for unique images that match your brand image and vision to help you stand out from the rest of your competitors.
• Review the licensing model: Before buying an image, remember to check the license details and whether it can be edited and made available for commercial purposes. If the image you choose for your shopping website needs to be attributed, do so properly when you publish your content.
• Find out the source of images: Before you buy stock images from any site, ensure that you verify the source of the files they offer. It will help you to decide how to use them and whether you can use them.  
• Avoid shadowy fields in commercial use: Avoid using photos that depict recognizable people, private property, logos, trademarks, and landmarks. This could lead to possible privacy breaches, which could lead to legal hassles in the future. 
• Vet the legal status: Before you use the photo, invest your time and resources to verify and double-check its legality, property releases, copyright consent, and more. 

Best Platforms to Buy Stock Images

Are you looking to buy images for your blog or websites, and don't have the budget or resources to capture original photos?  Here are the stock platforms to get high-quality, awesome visuals in the market. 

1. Shutterstock

Shutterstock is one of the leading platforms for buying images for your shopping website. It comes with a vast collection of valuable visual content and encompasses over 360 million images that are just a click and reasonable pay-away. Their curated collections of videos, music, and vectors showcase visual content related to the latest trends. The offset collects boosts incredible award-winning images. Furthermore, you can also add your personal touch to the images using the Shutterstock editor, which has various editing features and templates. 

2. Unsplash

If you’re looking for free images for your shopping or e-commerce website, Unsplash is an excellent resource for you. With its user-friendly interface and robust library, you can buy these stock images without any charge from talented photographers all over the world. They have categorized their stock images in nature, textures, patterns, people, business and work, technology, and many more to help you streamline your choice based on utility. Since they are free images, their use needs to be properly attributed to the creator. Hence, you can find plenty of landscapes and object images, which will be great for page backgrounds, header images, and more.

3. Adobe Stock

Adobe, known as the famous Photoshop software, also has a fantastic stock photography website named Adobe Stock. They offer a wide range of images, vectors, videos, 3D visuals, and, illustrations with other fantastic multimedia assets. Moreover, it is a one-stop shop to buy images of your desired variant and quality to give the best visual content to the audience. The platform offers easy access to their collection through Adobe Creative Cloud applications. They also keep you updated with the latest visual trends through their highly competent contributors. 

4. Getty Images

Getty Images allows you to buy stock images of high quality, including a variety of domains. They have over 200 million assets in their library, which suits the unique needs of every individual. However, you may have to purchase a license for certain images from the platform. They also offer the option to embed certain pictures on the web for free, as long as they are used for non-commercial purposes. Moreover, if you ever come across an image or video and want to find its source before uploading it to your website builder, you can search for the image or video on Getty Images. This allows you to properly attribute the creative elements and images used for your shopping website. The platform also offers an AI image generator. 

5. Depositphotos

The list of best platforms to buy stock images will be incomplete without adding Depositphotos. The website is bombarded with a thematic collection of stock images with royalty-free content, ideal for sourcing relevant images for your shopping website. With this stock-free image website, you can get the image by paying the specific license fee once and using it as much as you want without having to worry about license renewal. In this way, you can avoid copyright violation and use the image as per ethics. The website has organized its visual content into various categories like professional stock pictures, paintings, vector art, and backgrounds for easy and smooth access.

6. Pexels

Pexels is a fantastic stock photo website that has plenty to offer for the blogging community and images for a shopping website. The images available are of premium quality and completely free of charge. They are available under the platform' license, which allows you to use your creativity to customize the pictures. The images from the website are tagged and categorized in a simple way, making it easy to access them. Apart from images, you will also get to buy great-quality stock videos. Moreover, filter the images and videos based on their popularity and newness, which gives you greater control over your image data. 

7. YAY images

Save your time by using the YAY images to source images for your shopping website. You can search premium content by categorizing it under color, text space search, visual search, and integration of plugins for WordPress and others. Furthermore, you can use the visual search options to find similar images by uploading them to the platform, and you will get pop-ups of related images. You can also stream your favorite content from any location without the hassles of downloading WordPress plugins. One of the best features of this image provider is its AI tool, which can generate images based on your prompts. 

8. Pixabay

If you are an authentic content marketer, then Pixabay is your go-to platform to stock images of high quality for free. They offer most of their asset licenses under CC0 so that you can use the images from this platform for your shopping website without any worries about copyright issues. Moreover, they offer free vectors, music, and illustrations as well. The platform is filled with artists who aim to contrite the visual stock and don't require you to give them credit. Additionally, you can upload your images for public use on this platform. 

Build your Website with Neo!

Are you looking for an easy platform to build your website? Let us introduce you to Neo’s one-page website, which helps you build a vibrant website in minutes, taking the stress out of the entire process. Neo is an email hosting platform ideal for small businesses, freelancers, and anyone wanting to enhance their personal branding. It offers a free single-page website on all its plans. Moreover, its features allow you to establish your web presence with its pre-designed website. 

With Neo, you can seamlessly build a website with customizable themes and templates and an easy drag-and-drop function, even if you are not tech-savvy. You can also easily customize and upgrade the feel and look of your website in minutes by integrating contact forms, integrate your social media platforms, and a product or services catalog. 

Wrapping Up!

Stock images are a staple in website design, social media creation, and other forms of branding activity. Whether you are a startup company or a scaling business, using stock photography can be beneficial to enhance your presence in the digital space. The accessible and wide assortment of images for your shopping or product website will help you provide your website visitors with visually appealing images. Moreover, these high-quality stock images will help you convey the vision of your brand, showing off everything from product packaging to landscapes that fit your unique style. 

If you want to create a website to integrate these unique images, Neo is the option for you. With its pre-made and customizable templates and themes, drag-and-drop features, and other functionalities, your website and email creation will be easy and hassle-free. So, register with Neo today!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. Do stock images have a copyright?

Yes, some images do contain copyright. When you are planning to buy stock images, ensure that you are also purchasing a license that grants you the right to use the image under specific terms and conditions. It is because the image files are licensed on a royalty-free basis. Hence, you can only pay for the initial download of a file and may or may not have to pay the creator a royalty each time you use it (depending on the platform you choose).

Q2. Why should you buy stock images?

Stock images are more affordable than creating custom graphic photos or hiring a professional developer. They are an excellent option for businesses with a minimum budget. Moreover, with thousands of options of images for your shopping website based on your specific preference, you can quickly find the ones that fit your needs.

Q3. Who uses the stock images the most?

Generally, marketing agencies and individuals who seek a photo for graphic design tend to buy stock images to add personality and excitement to their work. This way, they can save more time, effort, and cost without having to conduct an expensive photoshoot on their own. 

Q4. What is a stock photo license?

Stock photos are not really for sale. When you buy stock images, you actually spend money on a license to use the photo in a specific way. But the copyright (ownership) is not yours. The license is regarded as the legal agreement between the agency and the photographer first and then the end user.