Regardless of these pictures’ reputation, many companies still use stock photos for their websites and advertisements. Curious about why that is the case, why it isn’t good for business, and what the best alternatives are, we did some research and came across an article by Business.com that told us everything we needed to know.

To begin with, the article first explained that stock photographs are created by third-party professional photographers and sold online for use by other companies. Most of them cost no more than a dollar a piece and only grant permission to use.

If a person or a company wants something that’s not featured anywhere else online, they can also buy high-quality images with exclusive rights to them. However, with this option, the price goes up significantly, and a license for a single picture might rise to thousands of dollars. 

Since the first method saves time and money, it may appear to be a good option. But if we look at the research and the numbers, it shows that the truth is that companies’ visuals have a much more significant impact in this digital age than one might think.

The main problems with stock images start with being overused, inauthentic, and out of touch. As mentioned before, they cost little and are easy to get, which is why you can find the same pictures featured in many different places online. 

In addition to that, these images are rarely made for a specific purpose, focusing more on having just enough to connect to the basic idea, which makes them generic and makes you seem disconnected from your clients and your own business for using them.

Another thing is that while more and more diverse and inclusive stock photos are making their way online, this wasn’t always the case. In the not-so-distant past, most of these images were primarily focused on white people, making it challenging to find the right fit if a company tried to show its diversity and inclusion or simply be proud of its roots.

Lastly, it’s no stretch to say that these pictures are often cliched. They might be intended to be relatable and make you imagine yourself in the situations they depict, but more often than not, due to their lack of uniqueness, they only inspire mockery and laughter. 

But you don’t have to pay thousands of dollars to have a few good images on your website and ads, because the article suggests better ways to get them. For example, you can hire a professional photographer or a talented graphic designer to make something that captures the essence of your company and the idea you want to pass on and creates something unique that no one else has.

You could even encourage your customers to take and submit pictures of your business and use what they send in. This will not only reduce the money you spend but will also provide you with photos that will probably be a lot more authentic and relatable than anything made professionally. 

But if none of that seems like the right choice, there is nothing wrong with using quality stock pictures. It just requires a little extra effort to find the good ones that are not being used by anyone else. Who knows, you might just hit the jackpot.

Ultimately, there are a lot of factors that can impact a company’s decision regarding what kind of pictures to use for their representation. Even some of the ridiculous stock photos can be the right choice in some situations.

However, the most important part is to calculate the importance of this decision and act accordingly. After all, you don’t want to use images depicting your profession so absurdly that they make fun of them online.

How did you like these pictures? What’s your opinion on stock photos? Come down to the comments and share!