If you’ve developed an optimized law firm website loaded with high-quality content that reflects your practice’s philosophy and commitment to your clients, that’s great!. However if your website is mostly written content, you’re missing out on a valuable opportunity to keep visitors visually engaged. 

Without law office images, websites can come across as stiff and unwelcoming. If your goal is to build an emotional connection with potential clients, a sterile website will not help you show your firm’s empathetic approach. Thankfully, you can easily fix this problem by adapting your content marketing strategy to incorporate powerful visuals.

Unfortunately, lawyer website photos aren’t as straightforward as they might seem. First, you need to take into account the legal implications of using images. Advertising rules vary considerably from one state to the next and, in some situations, stock images may be considered “false or misleading communication.” 

The State Bar of Texas Advertising Rule 7.02(a)(7) offers an illuminating example of the need for careful selection. Under this rule, a seemingly innocuous photo could be misleading if it “uses an actor or model to portray a client of the lawyer or law firm.” Images of contracts or even hands, however, may be acceptable.

Once you’ve reviewed marketing rules in your state, you can begin your search for law office images from free or paid resources. Both offer a variety of excellent options that can make your site more welcoming while also improving SEO. Keep the following photo resources in mind as you begin your search:

Free Image Services

These days, free images are not necessarily low-quality. Free services offer many excellent visuals, which makes it easy to impress website visitors while sticking to your budget. These images may not be particularly exclusive, but they’re still worth checking out as you develop your design strategy. 

Start your search with these free stock image services:

1. Flickr’s Creative Commons

Popular photo hosting website Flickr offers a Creative Commons provision that allows users to upload photos under a variety of license agreements. Pictures under the public domain category are the most useful to law firms because they lack the restrictions placed upon other types of images. If public domain searches fall short, the attribution category provides an excellent backup. You can use these free as long as you include a proper photo credit. 

The process of sorting through Flickr’s Creative Commons photos can be time-consuming, but if you know where to look, you’ll find gems that other law firm websites lack — free of charge.

2. Unsplash

Boasting well over 2 million photos made possible by a community of over 220,000 photographers, Unsplash is specifically designed to provide easy access to free images. These are available for both commercial and non-commercial purposes, with no attribution required (although it is certainly appreciated). 

The downside? Given this service’s popularity and ease of use, the websites of competing law firms may already be featuring its photos. If you prioritize exclusivity, it may be worth your while to seek options from other resources.

3. Pixabay

Offering a vast collection of over 1.8 million high-quality images, Pixabay holds much in common with Unsplash in that its photos are accessible free of charge and available for commercial use. Attribution is not required, and modifications are allowed. The website also offers paid sponsored photos via iStock. These ads help the service finance its free offerings. They are displayed at the top of search results and, if clicked, lead to the official iStock page.

While Pixabay’s law-oriented photos largely involve gavels and models in professional attire, the detailed keyword searches may deliver targeted images of value to firms within practice areas such as personal injury or criminal law. 

4. Pexels

Helpful tags and an easy keyword search system make Pexels a favorite among lawyers short on time. As you browse the collection’s photos, you’ll spot suggestions for similar images as well as recommendations for tags that can help you narrow your search. 

Browse and download history functions can further streamline the process, reducing the time you spend not only looking for new images but also scrolling back through previously viewed or used photos that may prove useful later.

Paid Image Collections

While the services mentioned above provide vast collections of exceptional photos, they are understandably popular among law firms and other types of businesses. This can make it difficult to stand out if the same picture is being used by dozens or even hundreds of practices. As such, it may be worth your while to pay a bit more for premium images that are less likely to show up on competing firms’ websites. 

Thankfully, options are available for every budget, with many collections offering access to royalty-free images via subscription services. Whether you need creative illustrations or timely images reflecting recent events, you’ll be impressed by the sheer variety offered through these paid providers:

5. Shutterstock

Subscription service Shutterstock offers a diverse library of high-quality images you can access via reasonably-priced plans. The site has over one million contributors to thank for its collection of over 300 million images. An additional 200,000 files are added every day, so you don’t need to worry about running out of options for your law firm website. 

6. Getty Images

If your legal blog covers recent events of interest to potential clients, images portraying generic contracts or empty courtrooms won’t cut it. You can find a variety of relevant, up-to-date pictures on Getty Images.

Getty offers flexible pricing options, enabling access to single-download images if you only occasionally need time-sensitive visuals. Otherwise, feel free to mix and match photos and illustrations within five- or ten-pack plans.

7. iStock

Offering credit-based or annual subscriptions, iStock provides another great option for securing royalty-free photos while enjoying a greater degree of exclusivity than is available on free sites. These photos come with a standard license that allows for commercial use, including not only law firm websites but also social media platforms, email marketing, apps, presentations, and more. 

iStock’s collection is divided into two main categories: Essentials and Signatures. Photos offered within the Essentials collection are meant for “everyday projects” and may be useful for standard blog posts. Premium photos are available within the Signature collection, which is a better fit for lawyers seeking exclusive content.

8. Adobe Stock

If creative visuals are a priority for your law firm, consider seeking images from Adobe Stock. While many stock websites focus on photography, Adobe is also known for its beautiful illustrations, which can grant your site a more customized, high-end feel. The service also offers vector art, which you can use to develop a sophisticated website in keeping with the latest design trends. This could give you a significant edge over competing law firms. 

You’ll likely pay more for the privilege of using Adobe Stock’s curated collections, but the investment could be worthwhile if you’re determined to position your law firm as an industry authority.

9. JumpStory

JumpStory delivers not only access to a vast library of high-performing images but also useful editing tools that make it easy to change backgrounds, add text, or even insert your law firm’s logo. 

In addition to its editing tools, JumpStory offers an edge by incorporating artificial intelligence into its image search process. This makes it easier to pinpoint the exact visuals you need for your law firm website. If your page generates a large volume of content or you’re simply not interested in wading through dozens of irrelevant images in your search for the perfect visual, you’ll be amazed by the results that the JumpStory search process produces.

Elevate your law firm marketing campaign

Whether you’re looking to up the ante for your law firm’s website or improve initiatives involving email or social media, you’ll learn a lot when you check out The Download. This marketing guide provides valuable insight into digital marketing for professional services. You’ll find all the information you need to level up your law firm marketing efforts. 

The post 9 Resources for Law Office Images appeared first on Constant Contact.