Photos

How Weird Stock Photos Became a Standard in Content

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Most people know stock photos to be professional portraits of everyday concepts. They help bring value to your content and increase conversion rates. So, how did weird stock photos steal their spotlight? First and foremost, these non-conventional stock photos are, well, weird. They are so bizarre that they capture just about everyone’s attention. They even make zero sense. But, they prove to be visually appealing and commercially successful.

When did it all start?
Social media mostly fueled the trend of funny visuals as a way of communication. Photos of people laughing and enjoying bring positive feelings and real-life moments that many can relate to. Memes also started to circulate on Facebook and Twitter to describe ideas of passing value. One of the most famous examples is Bad Luck Brian, which is a picture of a young lad in braces wearing a tartan vest and cheeky smile.

Today, many content creators use weird stock photos to widen their reach. Cheesy stock images of men in business suits no longer appeal to the masses, especially the younger demographic. So, creatives and brands inject humour to their content to set a fun and straightforward tune.

When should you use them?
Bizarre stock photography may be motivated by curiosity, but it is a design goldmine waiting to be exposed. Weird stock photos have plenty of possible uses, but they are most valued in the social media realms. They appeal to the millennials’ sense of humour and drive to share crisp images. You can use them as a smart strategy to engage your audience with your brand and strengthen your online presence. Read more here!

Social platforms refresh so fast that they consume content by the second. That gives you minimal time to catch your audience’s attention, deliver your message, and impart a long-lasting impression. Funny and weird stock photos help you achieve this by leaving users laughing and enjoying your punch lines. You can also use them to lighten the mood of your most serious customers. The right photo captures their hearts and makes them smile.

Where can you find weird stock images?
Funny stock imagery has become a standard in content that many stock image sites offer them at great prices. Photocase brings the most value for your money with their awkward but unique and fun-loving images under Royalty-Free license. Yes, you may find free photography on social media sites. However, they may not be licensed, which means you can’t just use them for professional and business purposes.

Photocase has hundreds of weird stock photos in their library. You can find an image of a pretty girl sitting inside a box, an artist covered with Christmas lights, or a young woman asking for silence. You can download these incredible images via Direct Purchase and Credit Bundle. The former is short and painless, while the latter is cheap and convenient. So, choose your weapon wisely.

EXPLORE AND EXPRESS YOUR CREATIVITY
Bizarre stock images take you out of your comfort zone. They give you a chance to have fun in any concept and express your creativity. Best of all, they deliver results. They serve as killer visuals that increase your social following base. So, explore the funny photos from Photocase and license them. Who knows, you can even get viral!

 

 

 

5 Tips for Building an Effective Business Website

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Clearly, businesses need websites today. Regardless of how your customers heard about your company, many will check your website before making a purchasing decision. Studies show that 94 percent of B2B buyers research companies online first. They want to learn more about your products and services before deciding to purchase. A business website can help you engage and connect with them, so you don’t miss an incredible opportunity.

However, building an effective business website can be daunting, especially if you are a newbie. At a minimum, you’ll want to cover the basics such as your company information, contact details, and your mission-vision. Furthermore, your URL should be short and could be easily connected with your business name. Preferably, websites carry the suffix dot.com. But, other suffixes such as dot.net are also fine.

Beyond these basics, here are five tips to help you create a beautiful business website:

  1. Make your website mobile responsive. Mobile usage had overtaken desktop for the first time in 2016, demonstrating just how many people use their smartphones and tablets to shop online. A responsive web design improves user experience and translates to a positive perception of your business. They load faster, which is likely to decrease your bounce rate and boost your ranking.
  2. Have a call to action. Every page in your website should encourage your reader to do something. A great CTA button directs users to download a white paper, sign up for a service or buy a product. They get them to take a desired action, which ultimately help your business achieve its defined objectives. Keep them above the fold so your readers don’t have to scroll down to find them.
  3. Keep your web design simple. Limit your use of colors, fonts and animated gifs because they can distract and pull away the focus of your readers from the webpage. Use short paragraphs and bullet points to make information easy to read and less boring. Paragraphs should be shorter than six lines, too. Plus, a simple web design improves the loading times of your business website.
  4. Get personal. If you want to remain competitive in the modern landscape, you need to engage your business websites with your users. Provide high quality experience to keep a positive brand perception. Also, include a good photo of yourself or team on your about page. Customers want to know that there’s a real person working with them.
  5. Use images to tell your business’ story. Many business websites get the content aspect right but miss out on the media part. Visuals help sell your products and services. They could be the reason why your customers choose you over your competitor. But, do not overload your site with photos. They can diffuse attention and slow down your load times, too. Feature a few good photos on your homepage and interior pages.

With many website tools available, creating a website don’t need to be difficult. You just have to keep these design principle in mind to build an effective business website. Identify your goals and design your website to accomplish them. Remember, your website is your electronic business card. Make it a good one to be seen legitimate.