Stock Photos & Why You Should Never Use Them
(3 min read)
We understand the temptation to use stock photos. It’s quicker, easier and certainly less expensive. However, there are several things your business should consider before using them to represent your brand.
Adding a picture to a page can improve information recall from 10% to 65% compared to text alone.
Stock Photos Cannot Tell Your Authentic Brand Story.
Imagine you’ve been invited to your boss’s house for dinner for the first time.
You walk in and start getting a quick tour, but you quickly notice that all the frames on the wall aren’t of your boss and their family. They’re the original photos that came in the frames. You think, “Hmm, that’s odd,” but proceed through the tour and have a great dinner.
You can’t stop thinking about those photos on the drive home. The food and company were great, but you start to question your boss. Are they family-oriented? Do they have a life outside work? Or maybe they’re just lazy… You don’t understand why, but it was an off-putting experience.
This is what visiting a website with stock photos feels like.
You must give your customers a taste of the real people and products they’ll experience when they choose you over your competitors. Generic images will never be able to tell your story or represent your brand as well as custom photography.
Can You Tell Which Photos Are Stock Images?
Human Brains Are More Wired For Images Than Words.
Be honest—did you read the story in the last paragraph? No offense taken if you didn’t. We know most of you didn’t because research shows that:
- Nearly two-thirds of people are visual learners.
- Brains process images 60,000x faster than language.
- Adding a picture to a page can improve information recall from 10% to 65% compared to text alone.
This blog is a great example.
You probably skimmed the headlines, scrolled through quickly and noticed how obvious the stock photo examples were compared to the professional photography examples.
Your brain understood the gist by only looking at the images: Stock photos = Bad; Custom photos = Better. Humans don’t just prefer pictures; they’re wired for them.
In the same way, your business gets mere moments with customers to make an impression on them. The visuals on your website, social media and other marketing material tell your story more than your words, so choose them carefully.
Replacing Stock With Professional Photos Could Increase Leads By 45%.
If you need more hard data about how photos affect leads, this research by Conversion Sciences has plenty of examples. In one, a moving company replaced generic stock photos with professional images of their team and improved their conversions by 45%! Professional photos inspire consumer confidence and play an essential role in turning potential customers into sales.
Which Photos Would You Prefer On Your Website? Why?
Trust Estland With Your Professional Photography Needs.
Estland has established strong visual brands through custom photography since 2009.
We understand you only have a moment to convert someone into a customer, and our team helps identify which images to use across your website, social media and advertising for the greatest impact. Contact Us if you’re ready to ditch stock photos and invest in a professional photo shoot for your business.
