Need fun and engaging photos for your website or blog? Of course you do. Whether it's smiling faces, kids in the snow, yummy food, or serious corporate types, the right pictures can make all the difference in getting prospects to spend more time on your site… and maybe even buy from you!

The good news is that there are plenty of royalty free (unlimited use) stock photo sites to choose from. Many have lots (and lots!) of affordable and free pictures, plus different payment options depending on whether you're looking for just one photo or have ongoing picture needs.

Here's our list of the 28 best free and affordable stock photo sites. We've ranked them based on our editorial review, monthly US visitors (estimated by Compete), and Google page rank (a key factor in determining ranking in search results… the higher the better). And we've used many of them too!

Everyone's needs are different, so definitely take a look at these stock photo websites to see which is best for you. This list doesn't include photo sharing sites like Flickr and Photobucket which can also be good sources (just check licensing before using).

Let us know which stock photo sites you decide to go with… or if you have any favorites you'd like to recommend!

So what exactly is article marketing? It’s simple. You write an article and then submit it to article directories, websites, and blogs that are looking for quality content. They post your article, including your bio and a link to your website… and then good things start to happen!

Start with publishing to the best article directories. It’s easy and free. And we’ve compiled a list of 27 article directories based on our editorial review, the number of monthly US visitors (as estimated by Quantcast), and Google page rank (a key factor in determining ranking in search results… the higher the number the better). Not to mention we’ve used a bunch of them too!

Remember that everyone’s needs are different… so we encourage you to try them all to see which ones work best for you!

Other websites to consider for your articles include: eHow (how to articles), WebProNews (Internet marketing related articles), Article Garden (sustainable living articles), and Work.com (how to for small business). Just keep in mind that some of these sites may require exclusivity (you can’t submit your articles elsewhere).

And keep a look out for blogs and websites in your industry that want guest authors (you can be one!) For example, having your article show up in a popular blog can mean thousands of dollars of exposure for your business.

Happy article writing!