The visual appearance of your website is the number one thing that will either cause a visitor to keep looking or to run away. While content is important to get someone to your site and convert them into a customer, the photos and videos on your website are the key to getting their initial attention. Using captivating imagery will change your online presence for the better but you need to do it right. In this series we will look at the right way to do online pictures and video while helping you avoid some of the pitfalls along the way. 
The Do’s and Don’ts
Have you ever seen an image online and thought you’d like to see that on your website or used on your marketing materials? Don’t move too fast. Nearly all of the images you see online are copyrighted and a real quick way to find yourself in a lawsuit is to snag someone’s picture off of the Internet and use it as your own. If you think no one will find out, think again. The big stock image houses have developed some pretty fancy software to scan and analyze images throughout the Internet trying to find copyright violators. When they find one it is quickly followed up by their team of lawyers who specialize in such matters..
Don’t ever use an image that you cannot validate the copyright on. That means going to Google Images and finding a good picture is a no-no. You must follow that picture to the source and then do the homework on whether it can be used. If you have mountains of time to chase that rabbit, go ahead. There is an easier way. In the next article of this series we will begin to look at better and easier ways to nail down the perfect photographs and videos for your marketing.