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You are here: Home / business / When Should Service Professionals Use Stock Photos?

When Should Service Professionals Use Stock Photos?

Filed Under: business

Using stock photography was popular 10-15 years ago. When the web was new(ish) it was a cheap way to get professional looking images on your website. Now, it’s just a bad idea.

What are stock photos?

Stock photos are staged generic photos sold online for use on websites or marketing material. Licenses vary but for websites you would pay between $10-30 per photo you use. Typically they are beautiful business people smiling in suits, climbing ladders, shaking hands, walking tightropes. Cheesy stuff that doesn’t convey any message or add value to your site.

They have fallen out of favor in Australia, but are still popular across the Pacific. So you’ll find most of these shots have elements in them that just don’t quite fit right for a Sydney based business.

What’s wrong with using stock?

Stock is a poor substitute for custom photography. A cliche shot does not connect with your viewer or give your business a human touch. It makes your business cold and uninviting. In fact research shows that simply replacing a stock photo with a real one increases conversions on a page by 35-45%!

Financial advisers Sydney giving advice to a happy client

This is where Sydney corporate photographers help by learning about your business and crafting effective imagery which promotes your business. It’s an easy effortless session where you feel completely natural.

By replacing an actor with the real you in your office environment, customers gain an immediate trust in you. Firstly they know you exist. They see you are friendly and competent, they see you have a real office and aren’t operating from your kitchen. Most importantly, it shows you care.

Doctor listening to a patient and holding a model spine explaining an x-ray

Let them feel what it’s like to be your client

By seeing others interact with you, viewers get a feel of what it’s like to be your client. Seeing your other happy clients is a subliminal testimonial to your services. It may be that little push that is the difference between filling in the contact form and going to the next link in Google.

Valent Lau Photography provides Professional Headshot & Website Photography at our Coogee studio or your business location. It’s quick and effortless! Contact us now for a free image health check and let us help you connect with your ideal clients.

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Testimonials

Rohit Mangar
Headshots, Epping

Valent was a professional through and through.

He walked me through the process and helped me relax as we took the photos.

 
Nicole Krieger
Headshots, Coogee

Thanks for the photos Valent. Very natural, they turned out very well. I really like them! Thank you for the work that you did on them.

 
Michelle Potter
Headshots, Mascot

I just wanted to express my thanks to Valent Lau who came to the Qantas Meeting Rooms, Sydney Airport yesterday to do a photo shoot for us.

He was certainly set a bit of a challenge with getting through security and taking the photos in a small area.

He was very professional and the photos he took were great!

It was an absolute pleasure to work with him.

 
Louise McAlpine
Headshots, Botany

Initially I was quite petrified about how I would appear on camera. When I came here, it was a very professional environment. It was very calm and relaxing, and I felt comfortable very quickly. The shots came out beautifully and I’m very happy with the results. I would recommend highly due to just the fact that it’s very relaxed and very comfortable. I was made to feel at ease. Communication was excellent, and I’m very very happy with the results of the shots for my business.

 
Carrie Guest
Branding, Coogee

Valent Lau has an eye for detail and produces the best photos. The photoshoot process was easy and calm and the pictures are stunning.

 

Valent Lau
Premier Corporate Headshots Sydney
Sydney, NSW
Tel: 0434 194 202
Int: +61 (4) 3419-4202

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