They say a picture is worth a thousand words. The thing of it is, just like you might not want a thousand words on your homepage, a big, meaty, complicated image might not be right for that spot either.

However, you do need images. On the Internet though I would suggest clean, crisp images that can be processed quickly and understood with little effort on the viewer’s part. Pictures with a distinct central object of interest make for the best images online.

Obviously, the optimal case is one where a business will actually purchase custom photography, to which they then own the exclusive rights. Unfortunately, professional photography can be very pricey. This demand for high quality, low cost photos, led to stock photography services. Now it’s even easier than ever to get what you need – fast, professional, and ready to go.

My favorite provider for stock photography is istockphoto.com. This website has a vast and ever expanding library of stock photos, videos, illustrations, and more. Setting up an account is completely free, and you only pay for what you want to use. Price increases with size, but the basic license is incredibly broad and affordable. istockphoto also offers a free photo of the week and free vector illustrations and videos every month.

Maybe best of all, as a social website, istockphoto’s content is user-generated. Therefore, it provides an optimal marketplace for both prospective buyers and aspiring photographers. I suggest that you check it out today, sign up for a free account, and check back often.

If this service is appealing, but something about istockphoto turns you off rest assured that there are many similar services littered all over the internet. A simple google search will help you on your quest for great pictures. Next week I will present, another great way to get the photos that your website dearly needs.