Stocksy has announced that it has become the world's first stock photo website built around responsive web design principals. This step has made Stocksy the only stock photo site that can provide the same optimized research and buying experience across any smartphone, tablet or desktop device.
While some stock photo sites have launched mobile apps or separate mobile sites that are limited to specific devices and operating systems, Stocksy.com can now adapt to almost any form factor. Mobile device users can swipe through image galleries that automatically fit their screen, save photos for later, share images via email or social media sites and make purchases very easily.
"We believe creative research shouldn't be chained to a desktop," said Bruce Livingstone, co-founder of Stocksy. "Stocksy is available whenever and wherever people are connected and inspired to browse."
This early shift to responsive web design comes from a stock photo company that does not march to the same beat as its competitors. While many stock photo sites take photos by the millions and pay out in pennies, Stocksy is a beautifully curated collection of images that pays out the highest royalty rate in the industry to its photographer co-owners.
"Our goal is to help our photographers build a sustainable career doing what they love," said Livingstone, "so we invest in technology that will support that goal. Responsive web design is about making our marketplace more accessible and providing a great user experience for customers on any device. We've seen more and more traffic from mobile visitors, and we want to meet their needs."
Since launching in March 2013, Stocksy has grown from 10 photographers to 500, though more than 6,000 photographers have applied to join the co-op. Company revenue continues to grow by over 35 percent each month, and Stocksy became profitable in November. Customers, including some of the world's leading design and advertising agencies, are now able to seamlessly browse through the highly curated collection of licensable images on any web enabled device.