Stop using stock photos on your web sites!

Rich media gets people to stay longer

Now that folks are aware of stock media providers like iStockPhoto et. al., companies that use stock images on their web pages should beware.  Those photos of nicely dressed young and middle aged CEOs and corporate managers may take more away from your image than they give.

How many times are we confronted with a pretty mid-30ish woman in a gray business suit standing in front of a boardroom meeting, handing papers off to a handsome guy in a pin striped suit, sitting down with the New York or Chicago skylines in the background through the office windows?  Do you really expect anyone to think they work for you?

Real people make the difference.  How much effort does it take to either hire a professional photographer (they, like all of us could really us some work!), or whip out your own Canon or Nikon and take some real photos of the folks that work in your company?

In my long experience, people like doing business with people, not stock photos.

It just makes your web site look old and unimaginative.

Better yet, get away from using too many still images.  We are a population on the move and we don’t want static.  Think fluid.  Think moving images that can be displayed as slide shows, Flash media, or video messages.

You want and need people to spend time on your site, so don’t make them stare at static images and text.  They’ll get bored and click themselves the heck out of there.

It doesn’t have to be complicated and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Usually the retro-fit is not very complicated, and for the effort, you’ll find folks spending more time at your site.  SEO and aligned methodologies may drive more people to your site, but keeping them there is entirely your responsibility.

For more information, feel free to contact us, or visit our web site at www.flashback.tv.

Norm Strassner

Flashback Media Productions

303-545-9955

videoman@flashback.tv

Flashback Media Productions is a woman-owned 8(a) SDB