WordPress Images: Best Places to Get Them on the Internet

Images are necessary for a WordPress website for several reasons (and there are many ways to get decent WordPress images for free or for a small fee). Here is why images are important.

1. Visual Appeal: Images make a website visually appealing and attractive. They can help break up long blocks of text and make the page more interesting to look at.
2. Increase Engagement: Images can increase engagement on a website. People are more likely to share and engage with content that includes images.
3. Improve SEO: Images can improve search engine optimization (SEO). By adding alt-text and descriptive file names to images, search engines can better understand the content of the page.
4. Enhance User Experience: Images can enhance user experience. For example, product images can give visitors a better idea of what they are buying.
5. Tell a Story: Images can tell a story and convey emotions in a way that words cannot. This is particularly important for businesses that want to create a strong brand identity.

Overall, images are an essential part of creating an engaging and effective WordPress website. Now, let us see what the best places are to get WordPress images on the internet.

Unsplash

Unsplash is a platform that provides access to a vast collection of high-quality, royalty-free images. It was launched in 2013 as a Tumblr blog with a focus on sharing free, high-resolution photos. Today, it has transformed into a community with millions of registered users, contributing to a library with over 1 million images available for free use. The platform has become a go-to resource for designers, developers, and content creators looking for unique and visually stunning images to enhance their projects. With a user-friendly interface and an emphasis on empowering creators, Unsplash has become an invaluable tool for anyone seeking visually compelling images.

Pexels

Pexels is a popular website that offers a vast collection of free stock photos and videos. It was launched in 2014 with the aim of providing high-quality images and videos to people who cannot afford costly stock images. Pexels has grown to become one of the leading platforms for free stock photos and videos, with a vast user base that includes photographers, designers, bloggers, marketers, and many others. The site features a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to search for and download images and videos. Pexels has also partnered with other platforms like Canva and WordPress, making it even easier for users to access its vast library of free media.

Pixabay

Pixabay is a website that provides free images, illustrations, vector graphics, and videos for personal and commercial use, without the need for attribution. It was founded in Germany in 2010 and has since grown to become one of the go-to sources for royalty-free digital content. Pixabay offers over 1.8 million high-quality assets, including photos, videos, illustrations, and vector graphics, contributed by a community of over 1 million registered users. The website is easy to use and allows users to search for content by keyword, category, and even color. Pixabay’s vast collection and easy accessibility make it an excellent resource for bloggers, designers, marketers, and anyone in need of professional-quality digital content.

Envato Elements

Envato Elements is a subscription-based service that provides users with unlimited access to a vast library of digital assets for creative projects. The platform offers over 2 million elements such as images, videos, graphics, fonts, and templates. Envato Elements is a one-stop-shop for creatives seeking high-quality, ready-to-use assets that are easy to customize and incorporate into their projects. With flexible licensing options, users can use the assets for commercial and personal projects. Envato Elements also offers a range of tools to assist creatives such as a free plugin for Adobe Creative Cloud, tutorials, and support from a global community of creatives.

Shutterstock

Shutterstock is a popular online marketplace that offers digital assets such as stock photos, videos, illustrations, music tracks, and other creative content. It was founded in 2003 and has grown to become a leading platform for creatives looking to enhance their digital projects. The platform offers millions of high-quality assets from a diverse community of contributors around the world. Users can easily search and download assets for use in their projects, whether it be for personal or commercial use. Shutterstock also offers various subscription plans and pricing options to meet the needs of different users.

iStock

iStock is a popular online repository of stock photos, illustrations, video footage, and audio clips. It was founded in 2000 and acquired by Getty Images in 2006. Users can browse and license millions of high-quality, royalty-free images and other media assets for use in their creative projects. iStock offers a wide range of subscription plans and credit packs to cater to different user needs and budgets. In addition, it also provides a user-friendly platform for contributors to upload and sell their work to the global creative community. Overall, iStock is a convenient and cost-effective solution for anyone looking to access and use high-quality digital media assets in their work.

Choosing the right WordPress images

Choosing the right images for your WordPress website is crucial for creating an engaging and visually appealing website. Here are some tips to help you choose the right images:

1. Understand the purpose of the image: Before selecting an image, it’s important to understand why you need an image in the first place. Is it to support your content, showcase a product, or add visual interest? Knowing the purpose of the image will help you choose an appropriate image that will effectively communicate your message.
2. Use high-quality images: The images you use on your website should be of high quality and resolution. Low-quality or blurry images can make your website look unprofessional and unappealing.
3. Choose relevant images: The images you use should be relevant to your content and add value to your website. For example, if you’re writing a blog post about hiking, you may want to include images of hiking trails or people hiking.
4. Pay attention to the image size: Large images can slow down your website’s load time, which can negatively impact user experience. Be sure to choose images that are optimized for the web and are appropriately sized for the space they will occupy on your website.
5. Be mindful of copyright: It’s important to make sure the images you use on your website are not protected by copyright. You can either take your own photos or use images from a reputable stock photo website that offers royalty-free images.

By following these tips, you can choose the right images for your WordPress website that will help you create a visually engaging and professional website.

Compressing or resizing WordPress images

Compressing images is crucial for optimizing your WordPress website. Large image files can slow down your website’s loading speed, which can negatively impact user experience and search engine rankings. Here are some steps to help you compress images on your WordPress website:

1. Install a plugin: WordPress has many plugins that can help you compress images. Some popular ones are Smush, EWWW Image Optimizer, and Optimole.
2. Choose the right file format: JPEG and PNG are the most common image formats used on the web. JPEGs are great for photographs, while PNGs are better for graphics such as logos and illustrations.
3. Resize your images: If your images are too large, resize them to a smaller size. You can use an image editor such as Adobe Photoshop or a free online tool like Canva to do this.
4. Compress your images: Use an image compression tool to compress your images without losing quality. Many plugins have this feature built-in, or you can use an online tool like TinyPNG.
5. Optimize your images for web: Finally, make sure to optimize your images for web by reducing the file size without sacrificing quality. You can do this by adjusting the compression settings or using an image optimizer tool.

By following these steps, you can compress images on your WordPress website and improve its loading speed and overall user experience.

Conclusion

In conclusion, images are essential for a WordPress website because they play a pivotal role in enhancing the user experience. They break up large chunks of text, making the website visually appealing and engaging. Additionally, images help to convey the intended message more effectively and are more memorable than text alone. They can also be used to establish a brand’s identity and differentiate it from competitors. Overall, images are an essential aspect of web design and should be given serious consideration when creating a WordPress website.

To find images for a WordPress website, there are several options available. One option is to take photographs yourself, which can add a personal touch to the website. Another option is to use stock image websites such as Shutterstock or iStock, which offer a wide range of high-quality images for a fee. Additionally, there are free stock image websites like Unsplash and Pexels that offer a vast selection of images that are free to use. Regardless of the source, it is essential to ensure that the images are relevant, high-quality, and visually consistent with the website’s overall design.