Many businesses use stock images with a human face in them. Statistically speaking, a stock image with a human face has a higher impact on the sales metrics of a business. A human face makes the page appear more trustworthy because of an immediate emotional connection, especially if it’s a smiling face.
Many studies have shown the positive effect of a human face on websites and business pages. We can draw some interesting conclusions from those studies –
- Human faces have a positive impact when a visitor arrives at the website.
- A smiling human face results in more confidence in a website.
- Images depicting unposed people compared to those posed tend to do a better job.
- A visitor tends to follow the cue of the model, looking in a specific direction.
- Choose an image that has a human being depicting the correct emotion to match your messages.
There are some differences in opinion as to what is the best way to approach this. Some believe that using the face of an employee of the business makes a more trustworthy image than an image downloaded from a stock photo website.
There are opinions on both sides of this argument. Choosing a specific face that can represent a brand means a more prolonged engagement. You may be unable to find the right images with the same model on a stock photo website. Using an employee image can also be an issue because the employee can move on and no longer be legally tied to the business.
Using model photos that you can arrange to procure over time, tailor-made for your requirements, can make the best solution for situations like that.
Conclusion – Should you or should you not choose to use a human face in your images?
Choosing to use a human face isn’t always necessary. It will only work when the emotions that must be conveyed require a human element to express them. For example, a human face may not be necessary if you’re running a website on cryptocurrency.
If you’re unsure whether your website or business messages require a human face, we strongly recommend conducting an A/B test. One with a human face and one without a human face to see which one gets the better response and higher engagement.
Ultimately, it all comes down to the business’s specific needs and how those needs are best represented by the images they choose to use.
