Great Royalty Free Images - Why They Matter, and Where to Get Them

We’ve all heard the cliché, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”  While it’s an overused phrase, the reason it’s used so much is that it’s absolutely true.  Pictures communicate to us better than words alone can.  They elicit feelings and emotion; they can explain complex concepts at a glance; and they can make an otherwise boring website come alive.  That’s why many of the best and most professional blogs you find will include a picture with each post.  Finding the right picture to go with your articles might add a few minutes to the time it takes you to create a post, but the extra time is well worth it.

There are some important guidelines to remember when choosing images for you site or blog though.  If you want to make an impact, not just any image will do, and there are legal considerations to take into account as well.  While it’s not always easy to find the right image to go with a post or page on your site, taking a little time to make a conscious decision about your images is important.  Some titles lend themselves to easily finding an image.  For example, a title like, “10 Great iPhone Apps,” would be easy to find an image for.  Just look for a good picture of an iPhone!  But even then, a picture of an iPhone with the screen full of apps communicates your post’s message better than a guy holding an iPhone might.

As for legal considerations, it’s important to know that not every image out there on the net is fair game.  In fact, unless you have express permission to use an image (permission from the actual owner of the image), it’s not ok to post it on your site.  There is a misconception by some that as long as you give credit somewhere on the page, you’re in the clear.  This is not the case.  In some cases, an image owner who has shared an image on a photo-sharing site, like Flickr, will attach a creative commons license to his or her photo and specifically say that it can be used with attribution (credit given).  This is the only case where a simple mention of the image owner is enough to make its use legal.  In other cases, an image owner in the same situation will give full rights, without attribution, which allows you to use the image freely in whatever way you want.  This is more unusual, and the images you find with this kind of license aren’t always very useful, but they do exist.

The bottom line on image permissions is that you can only use an image on your site in one of three cases:

1. You have express permission from the image owner. (Might or might not require attribution)
2. You purchased the right to use the image.
3. You are the image owner because you took the picture (or created the graphic).

Note: Even in the first two cases, there might be restrictions as to how you can use an image (i.e. commercial use vs. personal use), so watch out for that as well.

Ok, so now that we’re clear that images are important and what’s ok and not ok legally, where do you find great images for your site?  There are a lot of free and paid sources to consider for quality images. Here are some of the best:

Paid Sites

iStockphoto - iStockphoto is the internet’s original member-generated image and design community. You get easy, affordable inspiration with millions of safe, royalty-free photographs, and more.  You have the option of signing up for a subscription, or using their pay-as-you-go plan.  Generally, images will end up costing you from $.99 each and up, depending on the image size and your plan.

Shutterstock - Shutterstock is the service we use for Blogtrepreneur.com, and our sister site, YoungEntrepreneur.com.  They boast being the largest subscription-based stock photo agency in the world, and they provide a massive library of high-quality, unique images.  You have a choice of their 25-a-day subscription, which allows you to download up to 25 images of any size each day (costing as little as $.33 per image on the one-month plan, if you max it out for one month), or you can choose their on-demand plan, which will end up costing you about $4 - $10 an image, depending on your needs.

Corbis - This site is a little more artsy and fairly pricy.  They have a very attractive UI, for what that’s worth, but you’ll pay from $15 and up per image and a lot more if you plan to use the image in print.  Rather than a subscription model, you pay per image, and the fee varies widely, depending on how you plan to use the image.  If you’re publishing a magazine or a site where you want celebrity images or very high-end graphics, Corbis might be a good match.

Getty Images - Getty is the leading provider of digital media worldwide.  Like Corbis, they charge by the image, and for royalty-free images (the kind you’ll most likely want to use), you’ll pay upwards of $10 for a small image (170 px square) and $25 or more for a 230 px + image.  The only advantage to Getty is that they have very high quality images, and a lot of them.

Free Sites

Flickr Creative Commons - If you don’t want to pay for images and don’t mind weeding through a lot of pics to find the right one, Flickr’s creative commons area is a great resource.  They list six degrees of creative commons licenses with explanations of each.  With as many as 40 million+ images for a given license type, you’ll surely be able to find something worth using.  Be careful though. If an image looks like it’s a pro shot, it might not actually belong to the person who uploaded it, and you might get a nasty email from the actual owner!

Stock.XCHNG - This site was recently bought by Getty Images but has been around since 2001. They offer free stock images of pretty good quality.  It will be more difficult to find just the right image on SXC than on one of the paid sites, and the images are generally from amateur photographers and illustrators, but you might have an easier time than sifting through a million results on Flickr.

Google and Yahoo image search - Here’s where you have to be careful.  You’ll find millions of results for any image subject you’re looking for on both Google and Yahoo, but chances are, you won’t have permission to use them.  If you do find a great image using this method, try asking the site owner where the image is displayed if you can use it.  As long as they’re the actual owner of the image, they might not have an issue with it and just ask that you give them credit.

Hopefully this post gives you some good ideas and resources for adding images to your site and blog.  There are a lot of other image resources out there too.  Which ones do you use?  Share them with us in the comments!

8 Really Cool Web-Based Tools for Bloggers

Looking for cool applications to help you make your blog or site all it can be?  We’ve found some good ones!  From ways to make sure your site looks good no matter who’s looking at it, to protecting your privacy and your content, these tools are all easy to use and either free or very low-priced.  And they’re all web-based, so no downloading to your computer necessary.

tynt insight - tynt.com is a tool you can use to keep track of what’s being copied from your site, ensuring proper credit is given while capitalizing on the copying you want.  This tool not only helps you track down content thieves, it helps to improve your SEO and traffic by generating more links back to your site and providing automatic attribution links.  You’ll download this software to your server, but not to your computer. Cost: Free

TestSize - As you probably know, your screen resolution is not the same as that of all your visitors.  So even if your site looks spectacular on your computer, it might look funky on someone else’s.  Want to see exactly what it looks like in various resolutions? That’s what TestSize.com is for.  Just enter your URL and choose which size you want to see, and you’ll get a view of your site from that resolution.  It’s a great way to put yourself in your site visitors’ shoes.  Cost: Free

Stribe - This is a great way to take your blog or site to the next level.  You have followers, readers, and subscribers now, but have your really created a community?  Stribe lets you do that.  It’s an easy way to instantly create a social network on any website.  Stribe is an easy plug-and-play solution that allows you to customize its features and build your blog into a community of users, all connected with each other - and with you.  Cost: Free (while in beta)

ShrinkTheWeb - This simple tool does exactly what the name says.  It takes any web page (home page only, unless you upgrade to pro) and creates screenshots that can be used in blog posts or other content areas on your site.  With one click, you get six different sizes of screenshots, from 320×240 down to a 75×56 thumbnail.  Cost: Basic = Free; Pro = $34.95/mo

iPadPeek - With over a million iPads sold so far and growing, you can bet some of your readers are looking at your site on one.  So how do you make sure your site looks good on the iPad if you don’t own one yourself?  Easy - just click over to iPadPeek.  You enter any web address at the top of the virtual iPad, and the site appears below just as it looks on the real thing.  Pretty slick! Cost: Free

IMG4Me - Want to display your email address on your contact page without getting a ton of spam?  You could do something like “myname [at] mysite.com” which is pretty common, but not as cool as what IMG4Me lets you do.  With this txt to img service, you can put your email address in the text box, choose your parameters, like text color, font, and font size, and the app will generate an image of your text.  And they’ll even host the resulting image for you.  Cost: Free

fivesecondtest - Want to know what people see when they first look at your site?  That’s what Five Second Tests do for you.  You earn “karma” by looking at other people’s sites and giving feedback on them, which allows you to upgrade your own tests when you’re having your site looked at.  There are some pretty cool options for tests, and you get results fast.  Ad agencies charge thousands of dollars to conduct this kind of research, so this can be a very valuable tool!  Cost: Free (unless you want premium features)

Browsera - There are a lot of browser options these days, and you can’t assume that just because you prefer Firefox, Safari, or Chrome all your site’s visitors have the same preference.  Believe it or not, some people still use IE!  In any case, just as with screen resolutions, your site might look very different from one browser to the next, and while it might look really good in your browser, it might be completely messed up in another (not to mention the various versions of all the browsers).  Browsera not only allows you to see what your site looks like in various browsers and their many versions, but it points out potential problems, like layout issues, JavaScript errors, and more. Cost: Free (with limited options - $39-$99/mo for more options)

There you go!  Some cool tools to make your site the best it can be.  We’re always looking for new, innovative solutions to improve the look, feel and functionality of websites, so if you have other nifty solutions, don’t hesitate to share in the comments!

Affiliate Network Review: EWA Private Network

Every now and then, a product, service or program comes along that really needs to be reviewed and promoted - not because it’s a paid review or affiliated site, but because it’s just outstanding.  Even though this is a paid review, that’s definitely the case with EWA Private Network.  EWA, which stands for Eagle Web Assets, is an affiliate network that has built a solid online reputation through ethical business practices, proving they really know what they’re doing, and taking great care of their affiliates and their advertisers.

EWA is made up of a small, hand-selected group of marketers, media buyers, SEM pros, and email marketers.  The company is run by Ryan Eagle and Harrison Gevirtz, who lead a team of dedicated Network and Affiliate Managers 7 days a week to provide the kind of support not often found in an affiliate network.  It is clear that their focus is on their affiliates and helping them to be successful in their affiliate marketing efforts.  They promise to maintain personal connections with all their affiliates and work closely with each affiliate every step of the way to ensure success, and they have a reputation of backing up that promise.

If you’ve been an affiliate marketer or have researched the possibilities, you’ve most likely either experienced or read about issues with affiliates of various networks not being paid on time, as much as promised, or not at all.  Not only does EWA pay out weekly, they pledge to beat any payout for the same program, and they pay everyone - on time.  They truly understand that taking care of the people who count on them (affiliates and advertisers) pays off for them in big ways, which is reflected in their motto: Help more; Pay more; Get more.

Highlights:

• EWA will beat any payout you get from any network.
• They pay weekly - from day 1, with no threshold.
• They are available 7 days a week to help you make your campaigns bigger and more profitable.
• They help you scale and optimize your campaigns and find traffic sources.
• EWA pledges to get any offer you are currently running at another network within 3 days and beat the payout!
• They have over 1500 offers for 60 countries on their network live and active.

So is there a downside to EWA?  Well, not really a downside, but it is a private network.  That means the only way in is usually through a referral.  However there is an application on the site, and even though having a referral will help, if you meet their criteria, you can be accepted without it.  For anyone who is accepted into their network, their “pickiness” is a very positive thing.  They really want to work with serious marketers because they plan on investing in your success through one-on-one training and support.

What others are saying:

If you want to see what the buzz around the net is, check out these other reviews and comments:

AffPortal

Zac Johnson

Affiliate Marketing Compare

Jeremiah Cooper

Bottom line is this: If you’re a serious affiliate marketer looking for an affiliate network run by people who know what they’re doing and who will do everything they can to help you make lots of money off your affiliate marketing efforts, you’d be crazy not to check out EWA Private Network.

Template or No Template? What You Need to Know About Web Design

Your site is your handshake. It’s the first impression many of your clients will have of your company. If your site looks sloppy, amateurish, or unprofessional, people assume your business is sloppy, amateurish, and unprofessional. For most entrepreneurs, this is not big news. We know the importance of our web presence. What many may not know is how to have a great site without spending a fortune with designers and developers. If your website’s functionality is your business – like with membership or gaming sites – you might not have much choice. On the other hand, if you use your website as a way to present your business, products, and services to the world and don’t require advanced development, you might want to consider web templates.

It used to be that a template site could be spotted a mile away. These days, templates are more sophisticated, and the sheer number of template designs available makes it possible for you to create a site that’s unique, individual, and far from cookie-cutter. In fact, for as little as $50.00, you can even get a full flash site, at template sites like FlashMint.com. Another template provider, Allwebco Design, has some of the coolest non-flash site designs out there for around $120, as well as some good information for the newbie website creator.

Words of Wisdom

The design of your website is not something to be taken lightly, and there are some things to look out for when choosing a template provider. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Free is a relative term. If you’re really bootstrapping it and looking for a free template design, there are plenty of sites where you can find good looking templates at no cost. Just be sure the site you choose isn’t more trouble than it’s worth. Open Source Web Design (OSWD.org) boasts 2,080 free template designs. Take some time in choosing one though. OSWD has three important features to look at. First, users give designs star ratings; secondly, people are able to comment on the designs; and last, they show the number of times a template has been downloaded. Look through the comments. You’ll find that many are just commenting on the look of the design, which is less helpful than those commenting on its functionality. The comments you want to look for are those, for example, telling you that the design looks great in IE7 but not so good in Firefox, or that the tables only line up at certain screen resolutions. You’ll want to be sure your chosen design hasn’t been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times too. You might still be unique within your industry, but the fewer downloads, the less chance you have of looking just like someone else.

• Expect to support yourself. Don’t expect any technical support when choosing a free template. For the most part, they aren’t difficult to implement, but you’ll want to have at least a basic understanding of HTML, or know someone who does and can help you if you get stuck. Even sites where you pay for a template are notorious for a lack of customer support, so do your homework. Most sites, like Template Kingdom, will tell you the format of the source files being provided with your download. If the source files are in Dreamweaver or Photoshop, you’ll of course want to have those programs and know how to use them before choosing that template. Or you can use the template, knowing you’ll be limited in the amount of customization you can implement. One bit of advice, regardless of your level of expertise: Always keep your originally downloaded files in a safe place, and create a separate copy you can work to perfect. That way, no matter how badly you mess something up, you can always start from square one if you have to!

• Memberships, buyouts, and template tweakers. Some template sites offer a membership price for unlimited downloads. Unless you are designing sites for a living, it is unnecessary to join them. Many of the customer complaints out there have to do with memberships not being cancelled upon request and other issues surrounding recurring billing, so again, do your homework. You will also find several sites, like Template Monster, offering quality designs for download, but also offering templates with a “buyout” option. This option will cost you as little as $800, up to over $5,000, and it only ensures they will remove the template from their site going forward. It does not guarantee the design hasn’t been used before or even downloaded thousands of times. For that kind of investment, you can find a designer to build a comparable site and provide one-on-one support. The same goes for sites offering to customize or “tune-up” an existing template. With the number of designers hungry for work right now, browsing Craigslist, Guru, or Elance might just render you a better deal.

So the bottom line is that you don’t have to spend all your startup capital to have a cool site. Templates are a great alternative to costly custom sites, as long as you take the time to make sure you’re getting what you need. If you’ve used a template site, join the conversation, and let others know about your experience – good, bad, or ugly!

Market Savvy: How and where to sell your online business

Sometimes it’s unavoidable.

You spend countless hours designing, building, and promoting your website. You put your blood, sweat, and tears into your business. Then the unpredictability of life happens and you’re faced with the unthinkable: your creation must be sold.

Thousands of websites change hands every year. While not all of the scenarios are as dramatic as above, it can still be a very daunting prospect to many website owners who have no idea where to start. Before slapping a “This Website for Sale” sign on your website, here are some things to consider.

A Lesson from the Boy Scouts’ Motto – Be Prepared

There are several things you can do to prep your online business for the sale. Information gathering is one of the best ways to be prepared for negotiations with potential buyers.

Traffic Statistics

Buyers are going to want to know specifics, such as how many visitors you get each month, how many times visitors view the pages on your website, how you get found, popular keywords, and more. Google Analytics is a great tool to use for this purpose. Have at least three months worth of statistics to show your buyers, though a year would be preferable.

Rankings

Not all buyers will ask for this, but it’s good to be prepared just in case. Find your Google page rank with a free page rank checker like PRChecker. You can also see how your website traffic ranks against others at Alexa.com.

Average Monthly Revenue

Get your financials in order. Buyers will almost always want to see records that substantiate your revenue claims. You’ll want to have 12 months of records, if possible. Often buyers will pay the equivalent of one year’s worth of revenue.

How Much Would it Cost to Duplicate

Consider how much it would cost to rebuild your business, including designing the website, acquiring quality content, finding relevant links, building traffic. If it would be easy and inexpensive to duplicate, your site may lose some of its value. In preparation for a sale, beef up your business by adding value through the design and content. Make your site irresistible!

Brand & Reputation

A good, strong brand is important. You can increase your brand’s visibility by consistently getting your logo and business name out there. You can place ads on relevant websites, develop strategic alliances and link exchanges, write articles in which you position yourself (and your company) as an expert, create a strong social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, social bookmarking sites like Digg and StumbleUpon, etc.). Collect documentation for all of these things. Also, ask your previous customers for testimonials on your products and service. This will help attest to your good reputation.

What it’s Worth

There are all kinds of website valuation tools on the web. But the reality is it’s difficult to determine exactly how much a website is worth because it depends on so many factors. At the end of the day, the only thing that really matters is how much a buyer is willing to pay.

Where to Sell Your Website

There are a number of website marketplaces on which you can list your website. Here are a few of our favorites:

YoungEntrepreneur.com - Websites for Sale

Flippa.com

DNForum.com

Sedo.com

And Remember…
As with anything in business, you’ll want to protect yourself against getting burned. Do your research, work only with reputable companies, and go with your gut. Be a savvy seller and it will be “smooth sale-ing” all the way to the bank.

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