Are Custom or AI Stock Photos Good Enough?
In the 1990s when the web was new, stock photography impressed, especially when your competitors’ sites only had text. Now stock makes your site look like it’s from the 1990s.
Stock Photos Were Exciting
(It’s over 3600 uses 2 weeks later)
Look at the image above. In the 1990s, this would be impressive. Only a big company could put together an image like that. Nowadays if you see this on a site, it’s like hundreds of others you’ve seen.
When stock photos first arrived, each shot cost hundreds. But still, it was cheaper than hiring a venue, a bunch of actors, an art director, photographer, editor, and all those other things to create the final image.
It became more common, as everyone scrambled to put those perfect looking actors in suits on their page. Demand fueled more people to create stock, with the promise of photographing once and making royalties for the rest of your life.
Soon prices dropped to 2 digits, then 1, and now you can even get free stock photos.
Stock Photos Became Overused
As everyone put up the best looking actors on their page, the most popular shots naturally rose to the top. You saw the same actors again and again on different sites.
He’s a gym instructor, now a grocer, and also a plumber. The same girl would appear on a law firm and an escort site.
It became a game to see who was using the same stock. Google image search made this easy. There are even known “stock photo models” who are in millions of images around the world.
It became embarrassing to use photos that thousands of other businesses were using at the same time.
Rise Of Custom/Exclusive Stock
People still needed photos to fill their website, so they started buying custom stock, stock photos licensed exclusively to you. It cost more, but no other business in Sydney would be using the same shot on their site.
But depending on what you paid, they may be able to use another shot from the same session. Or a business in another city may be allowed to license the same shot.
To the marketing department, it seemed like a good way to save money. Instead of 1000s of hits, now your shot has 10 hits around the world. It’s unlikely for your competitor to have the same shot.
Is It Good Enough?
Well, that’s the key, are you aiming for good enough? Sure, if your goal is to have images to break up a wall of text, this did the job.
That’s all it did though, as eye tracking studies have shown stock photos are ignored by viewers automatically.
What’s Wrong With Exclusive Stock Photos?
People have short attention spans, and imagery grabs attention on a website. Stock photos miss the opportunity to connect with your clients, and convey your business culture to them.
They are obviously fake, and obviously American in style as they are the largest audience. They’re often cheesy and derivative.
Most importantly – they are not your staff. The only message the client gets is that you are hiding who you are, or you don’t trust your staff to be around for long enough to put their photos on the website.
It’s such a big thing that replacing a stock photo with even a phone photo was shown to increase conversions on a page by 35-45%!
What’s Wrong With AI Photos?
As technology advances, the use of AI-generated photos is becoming increasingly popular. You can throw in some selfies of your staff, and it generates all the action photos you want. While AI photos may seem like a cheap and viable alternative to custom photography, they lack the authenticity which makes custom photography effective.
In today’s digital age, consumers value authenticity and transparency more than ever. How would they feel knowing everything you show is fake? That the event never happened, your staff never sat in that AI-generated office? Where stock photography is merely hiding who you are, AI-generated photos would be actively lying about who you are.
Custom Business Lifestyle Photography
So what do you do when you still need a photo to fill that space? This is where Business Action Photographs come in. We help capture your real staff in your real business, in a way that connects with your viewers.
These are real staff in your Sydney office. It’s not perfectly posed and staged, but it’s genuine and authentic. You can be proud of your website, and it also boosts staff morale to know they are important enough to feature on the company portal. Importantly it’s an easy effortless session where staff just be themselves.
Clients get a feel of how your staff work, and the culture of your office. They know you are proud of your staff. They become familiar with you, even before they meet you. When they visit your office, they feel comfortable and confident.
Build Trust, Boost Morale, With Executive Images
Your screen real estate is valuable, and every photograph should be building trust in your business.
Show your staff your trust in them, and the value they bring to your business.
Custom photography is perfect for Sydney service professionals. We can set up staff headshots at the same time, so that you get everything you need done on the one day. It’s quick and effortless!
These can also be used in your Google My Business profile and help you look amazing in search results.
Contact us now for a free image health check and let us help you connect with your ideal clients.
Get 6 Pro Tips to Make Your Business Stand Out from the Crowd!
Being professional means looking professional. Take care of your image so your clients gain confidence in you… Get this free booklet with tips on how to always look your best and be seen as a leader in your industry, guaranteed.
