{"id":13362,"date":"2017-02-16T15:17:15","date_gmt":"2017-02-16T20:17:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/?p=13362"},"modified":"2017-02-16T15:17:15","modified_gmt":"2017-02-16T20:17:15","slug":"need-professional-photos-business-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/need-professional-photos-business-website\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Need Professional Photos for Your Business Website"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Need<\/p>\n

With <\/span>content marketing<\/span><\/a> all the rage these days, the value of written text gets a lot of attention, but images are at least as important to a visitor\u2019s experience of a website. <\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, images are one of your most valuable tools for getting better results from your written content.\u00a0<\/span>Visitors are 80% more likely<\/a> to read content if it\u2019s paired with an image and 64% more likely to remember what they read.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In other words, your website needs images. <\/span><\/p>\n

The primary question that remains is: where should you get them?<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Stock Photography vs. Original Photography<\/h2>\n

Stock photography is the most obvious option to consider. It\u2019s affordable and easy. When you need an image that will simply suffice, finding a stock image is the path of least resistance.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a place for easy options in life, but the images you use on your business website isn\u2019t it.<\/strong> Stock photography comes with certain issues and risks.<\/span><\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=”There\u2019s a place for easy options in life, but the images you use on your biz website isn\u2019t it.” username=”hostgator”]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Stock photographs can be bought by anyone.<\/h3>\n

In most cases, when you buy a stock photograph, you don\u2019t become its outright owner. You\u2019re only buying the rights to use a photograph that hundreds or thousands of other individuals and businesses could buy as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

That means there\u2019s a decent chance that your customers will have seen your stock photograph before, possibly on a competitor\u2019s website or worse, on a scammer\u2019s website. If a photo on your website inspires a mental association with a business a visitor has had a bad experience with, those associations will influence how they view your brand.<\/strong> Obviously, that\u2019s bad.<\/span><\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=”Visitors are 80% more likely to read content if it\u2019s paired with an image. #ContentMarketing” username=”hostgator”]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Stock photography simply feels inauthentic.<\/h3>\n

Stock photography trades on the themes and clich\u00c3\u00a9s everyone\u2019s seen before. Have you ever seen a photo of a smiling person with a headset? Even if you don\u2019t particularly remember it, you\u2019ve probably seen dozens of variations on this picture. It\u2019s the go-to stock photograph subject many companies use to demonstrate the concept of customer service. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"CustomerThe fact that you\u2019ve seen it so many times makes it boring and easy to ignore. By comparison, original photographs have personality.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Original photography works better.<\/h3>\n

Several companies have <\/span>put this to the test<\/span><\/a>. Marketing Experiments found that customers <\/span>converted 35% more<\/span><\/a> when faced with an original photo than they did with a stock photo. \u00a0<\/span>Eye tracking studies<\/span><\/a> have shown that people tend to ignore stock photos, but do pay attention to photos of real people. And one moving company in New York City found that their <\/span>original photos converted at rates around 45% higher<\/span><\/a> than a stock photo. <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s been tested again and again with the same results. People respond better to images that feel authentic.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=”People ignore stock #photography, but pay attention to photos of real people. #WebsiteDesign” username=”hostgator”]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How to Create Original Photos<\/h2>\n

You have two main options when it comes to creating original photos for your business website: <\/span><\/p>\n