Although using stock photographs to depict your brand’s products and services on your website is fast, easy and seemingly efficient, these ready-to-use images will present a generic or canned appearance to many of your site visitors. Most regular Internet users can spot stock photos immediately, often because other websites are using these same images. Some of your current and potential customers will most likely be somewhat skeptical of or disappointed at your inclusion of these generic stock or royalty-free images on your webpages. Others may have a real distaste for these generic photos and leave your website, favoring sites that feature similar product images that are distinctive, original images and videos.
Important Reasons for Using Authentic Images Instead of Stock Photos for Your Website Content
Major reasons for incorporating authentic images of your brand products and services in your website content include the following:
• Authentic Images Engage Your Audience. – When you use unique, authentic photos and video clips of your brand’s featured products and services, your site visitors sense the originality of these images. They gain feelings of trust about your company, site and products, and many of these visitors will become customers, making the first of many purchases on your site. If, however, you choose ready-made, stock images to depict and promote your brand in combination with written content structured to present your business and products as genuine and trustworthy, you will most likely nurture feelings of confusion and doubt among your potential buyers, turning them away.
• Original Images Reveal True Brand Quality and Purpose. – By presenting attractive, true-to-life, original images of your products and services on your company website, you will convince first-time site visitors that your brand represents high quality and offers products with a legitimate and clear purpose. When you include authentic photos and videos of your satisfied customers using your products and revealing their approval and enthusiasm concerning their personal satisfaction with the purchase and use of your brand, your current site viewers will be encouraged to become customers as well. Glossy, overly glamorous photos downloaded from supermarket style stock image sites will only promote suspicions and doubts about your brand’s purpose and quality.
• Authentic Images Reveal Unique Creativity. – When you engage the services of an expert professional photographer to create images of your brand products and your enthusiastic customers’ enjoyment and benefits from their use, the true character and unique, creative design of each product will be revealed. Your new site visitors along with current customers will gain confidence in your brand. They will want to purchase your products and experience the same satisfaction as they see expressed by members of your loyal client base shown in the appealing and highly believable images and videos featured in your authentic website content.
Real, original visuals for use in your website design will undoubtedly win out over use of stock images and videos for improving your brand credibility, your company reputation and your Web visibility. Only authentic images can truly reveal the special features and qualities of your innovative products and services as they blend seamlessly with, strengthen and enhance your site’s written content and other elements to present your unique brand in the best possible, true-to-life fashion.
