Can you tell which photos are real, and which ones are stock?

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You can probably tell that #1 and #2 are stock images. They were downloaded from a huge online database of professional stock photography. If you were to do a quick reverse-image search on Google, you’ll find that currently these same images are being used on 24 different remodelers’ websites. Now that is a problem! How would you know if your competitors were using the same photo to illustrate the type of work they do?

Your website is an exercise in branding and authenticity – if a customer is browsing the internet for remodeling services and has seen your imagery elsewhere, suddenly they know that you didn’t install those windows. Your potential customers will wonder why you don’t use your own photos as proof of the quality of your services. Your company does great work, and your website should showcase it!

The stumbling block for most small and medium-sized businesses is that they don’t have a photographer on staff. Now, this is less of an issue than you think. Our experts at Spectrum have tested low resolution photographs versus high resolution stock photography on our websites, and the results were pretty neat.

Guess what happens when you post smartphone-quality photos to your website - Great things!

We tested stock images versus relatively low-fidelity real images, the sort that a customer would take with their cell phone and upload to Facebook. When compared to generic stock photos, the page generated a whopping 30% more leads. For those keeping score in the audience, that’s a huge increase from a single image swap.

Our first question was “Awesome! Where do I get 100 more images just like this to drive more leads?”

Our second question, after a bit of high-fiving, was “Why does this drive more leads?”

It’s all a question of authenticity. Your customers love real photographs for the same reason they love to read real reviews – It’s a concrete example of the quality of work your company does. So, show off! You do great work, and you have hundreds of happy customers to prove it. Go out there and take photos to showcase your talent!

If you’re interested in more ways to boost your website results, download our Digital Design Guide below for more ideas on which elements of your site to revamp to increase your lead generation.