Users today also expect visual content. If only because the graphics are so eye-catching at first glance that they make us read the website. Photos sell at least as much as texts.
Why care about pictures?
90% of the information our brain processes is visual stimuli
40% of users respond better to visual information than text alone
67% of customers consider quality images on an e-shop to be very important in order to be able to buy a product (only 53% consider it very important in deciding to rate a product)
Blog posts with images get 94 % more views
Users are spoiled, they expect high-quality and authentic photos . This rule applies especially to e-shops.
We should not forget the rule of authenticity. Some stock photos employment database are so artificial that they become the target of ridicule on the Internet. Therefore, you cannot expect them to have a positive impact on your brand.
Authentic vs. generic photos
Simply because it's easy and cheap. You can download photos for a few crowns, and you have clear licensing agreements, which is also an advantage.
But the fact is that people can recognize generic studio photos and evaluate them as less trustworthy . Marketing Experiments created a case study on how a photo with a call to order a consultation works on customers.
In version A, they used a photo of an attractive woman from a photo bank. In version B, they used a real photo of a broker who was not nearly as attractive, but who founded the company.
Page with an image from a photo bankPage with real image
As you can see, nothing else on the page has changed. Yet, Variant B with the real founder of the company got 35% more conversions.
Moreover, the photo of the operator was inappropriately chosen given the context . The site offers loan refinancing. No user expects a friendly phone call, but a person in a suit who understands loans.