Amos Struck is an entrepreneur and specialist in the stock imagery field. He works to develop the industry by providing knowledge and solutions for buyers, contributors, and agencies. Amos is passionate about technology, marketing, and photography.
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No matter how unique your website content is, it will not make much of an impact without visuals. Yes, the role of images in engaging visitors and creating shareable content is undeniable.
Thankfully, getting access to a library of photos is possible with stock photographs.
At the same time, we can notice a significant growth in the number of professional photographers available for digital shots. Since they are hired specifically for your business, they can take unique and fitting pictures for your website.
Yet another option is hiring a graphic designer to create custom illustrations. Check out the link for more information on the benefits of using custom illustrations as a branding strategy.
So, which option would you choose for your website?
Website designers and marketers are often confused between using stock photos and hiring photographers for their website visuals. Just like any argument, both have their pros and cons.
To help you make the selection, let us have a look at some core points:
Budget-friendliness is a crucial factor for almost every business. Especially those in their early stages cannot afford to spend big bucks on images. In this scenario, stock photos look like an ideal solution.
On the other hand, businesses generating a huge ROI can afford to hire a photographer to use in conjunction with stock photos. But if we compare costs, getting original images is always heavy on the pocket. So, it generally depends on what the business can afford.
Undoubtedly, getting original and custom images is a long process. You first need to look for a suitable photographer and then wait for the editing period before they are fully delivered. The entire procedure takes a lot of time and may not be ideal for those looking to get results instantly.
Conversely, stock photos are just a click away. Within minutes, you can download your favorite photos and set up the site.
So, if you have enough resources and time, consider getting original images. But what if you need to focus on other core business activities and cannot manage time? In that case, nothing is better than stock images.
Do a quick Google search, and you will get tons of websites offering affordable stock photos. There is no need to go through the entire hassle of setting up a photoshoot, conducting light adjustment, and gathering the right resources. Stock pictures offer the convenience of being readily available at any time required.
Meanwhile, customized images require your involvement with the photographer. Though photographers can take the pictures on their own, no one wants to take the risk when it comes to their brand.
To ensure you get optimal results, it is important to communicate with the photographer and tell them the features you would like to focus on. In the end, photographers will be the ones taking the shot - but you cannot sit back and put the complete reign in their hands.
Stock photos can question your credibility if you plan to develop a distinguished brand identity and earn customer trust. Since stock photos are not original, they might have an unprofessional impact on consumers' eyes.
Furthermore, they are generic. Comparatively, incorporating unique pictures of your team, behind-the-scenes, and products may leave a lasting impact. So, we can see the usefulness of original photos in this regard.
Many people have a misconception about poor SEO ranking with stock images. However, SEO ranking will never go down if you incorporate these images strategically. And one of the best ways to do this is to ensure relevancy. When the images are relevant to your brand niche, the visitors' overall experience will improve. Ultimately, this will encourage the prospects to convert as well.
When selecting pictures for your website, always look at what your competitors are doing. Are they using original images and getting massive traffic? Or are they being savvy and using stock images?
Judging their choice of visuals will give you a fair idea of what you can use for your site. If the competitors are using stock images successfully, why not you?
You can also stand out by using a mix of original and stock photos. You can also find some stock images that aren't widely used by searching Google. The results will show how many times the specific picture has been used.
In summary, the selection criteria of stock and original images depend on your business level and objectives. Start-ups can opt for stock images because of their low budget and resources.
Once your busines starts getting a good return, arranging a professional photographer to take personalized images is recommended. You do not need to rush into getting authentic images. Understand your industry, study your competitors, and start creating a plan for the types of images you want captured for your first or next photo shoot.
Amos Struck is an entrepreneur and specialist in the stock imagery field. He works to develop the industry by providing knowledge and solutions for buyers, contributors, and agencies. Amos is passionate about technology, marketing, and photography.
Offering best-in-class digital marketing services and technology solutions to SMB's. We combine old fashioned customer service values with state of the art marketing solutions to ensure our clients are happy and their marketing is profitable.