A Stock Photograph Website Run By A Solo-Founder Making $120K/Year

What is the business and who’s behind it?

Picjumbo is a thriving stock photo website that provides high-quality, free images to millions of bloggers, designers, and marketers around the world.

Behind this innovative venture is Viktor Hanacek, a 29-year-old photographer, online entrepreneur, and designer based in the Czech Republic.

Viktor is the driving force behind the website's success, dedicating his heart, creativity, and hard work to create a vast collection of genuine and useful stock images.

How was the business started?

The story of Picjumbo began with Viktor's early fascination with coding and programming, which he discovered at the age of 14. His journey started with creating a website for a local restaurant, earning his first $40. Viktor's relentless pursuit of knowledge led him to learn programming and coding in WordPress, skills he still uses today. Initially, he followed the path of a typical freelancer, building websites for clients. However, Viktor soon realized that he wanted to chart a different course that would offer financial stability and creative fulfillment.

As a true artist at heart, Viktor explored various creative avenues, from DJing to photography, video making, music composition, and drawing. But his pursuit of something new and unconventional eventually led him to web design and entrepreneurship. This pivotal moment in Viktor's life came after high school when he briefly attended university before deciding to forge his own path to success.

His first entrepreneurial ventures included selling graphic templates, WordPress themes, and Tumblr themes online. Eventually, he ventured into photography, a passion he had nurtured since childhood. Viktor's impressive photo collection posed a unique challenge: how to share these images with a wide audience. He became the first person to sell a package of photos on Creative Market, achieving remarkable success. Despite this achievement, his plans to distribute his photos through traditional stock photo sites were thwarted when they rejected his work, citing "insufficient quality."

Determined to find a new way, Viktor decided to sell his photos on his own terms. As a designer who understood the needs of other designers, he created Picjumbo.

Initially, Picjumbo was a paid website, charging $1.99 per picture. However, Viktor's financial constraints led to a pivotal idea: offering one photo per day for free.

This decision transformed his life, as more than 750,000 photos were downloaded in the first year. With this influx of users and revenue, Viktor was able to invest in better equipment and eventually transition Picjumbo into his full-time career.

What are some of the marketing strategies used?

Viktor Hanacek's marketing strategy for Picjumbo was simple but highly effective. He chose to provide a daily dose of free high-quality photos to the online community. This unique approach not only attracted a massive user base but also created a viral buzz around Picjumbo. People started to rely on the website for their visual content needs, and word of mouth spread quickly.

The initial challenge of limited financial resources meant that traditional marketing campaigns were out of the question. Instead, Viktor's approach was based on the power of offering something valuable for free. This not only established Picjumbo as a reliable source of quality images but also helped create a strong online presence and community.

The success of Picjumbo also lies in Viktor's keen understanding of his target audience, which primarily consists of bloggers, theme developers, marketers, web designers, app designers, and even design and marketing agencies from all around the world.

His website's easy navigation and a vast library of images cater to the specific needs of these professionals.

How does the business make money?

Picjumbo generates revenue primarily through advertising, partnerships, and premium memberships.

While Viktor offers a substantial portion of his high-quality images for free, he also provides options for users to access premium features through paid memberships. These premium memberships offer additional benefits, such as ad-free browsing, faster downloads, and exclusive access to new photos and collections.

Advertising on the website allows for additional revenue streams. As Picjumbo's popularity grew, so did the potential for advertising partnerships with companies looking to reach the site's extensive user base. This includes businesses in various industries, including the tech sector, marketing, design, and more.

In addition to advertising, Picjumbo benefits from collaborations with other businesses, particularly those in the creative and marketing fields. These partnerships may involve content syndication, cross-promotions, or co-branded projects. Such collaborations can be mutually beneficial, expanding the reach of both Picjumbo and the partnering companies.

In summary, Viktor Hanacek's journey from a young coding enthusiast to the founder of Picjumbo is a testament to his creativity, determination, and keen understanding of his target audience. Picjumbo's success lies in its innovative approach of offering high-quality images for free while generating revenue through premium memberships, advertising, and strategic partnerships. Today, Picjumbo continues to thrive as a go-to source for stunning stock images, serving the needs of professionals in various creative and marketing industries worldwide.

Where can we go to learn more about this business?

Here are some links you can learn more about Alex and his business:

PicJumbo’s Official Website

PicJumbo About The Author

PicJumbo