Not all that looks good… performs well.
In marketing, we often obsess over high production value. Sharp images. Flawless lighting. Perfect models. But sometimes, that polished perfection can actually hurt your performance.
Just ask Harrington Movers.
🚚 The Experiment:
Like many service-based businesses, Harrington Movers wanted to create a professional, trustworthy impression on their website. So, naturally, they used a high-quality stock photo featuring smiling “movers” in branded uniforms and a perfectly clean truck.
But there was a problem:
It looked… too perfect. Too staged. Too generic.
So, they decided to test a simple hypothesis:
Would a real photo of their actual crew perform better than a polished stock image?
They launched an A/B test:
- Version A: Professional stock photo (the “perfect” look)
- Version B: A candid image of their real moving team—authentic, slightly messy, but real.
📈 The Results (After 3 Months of Testing):
✅ The version with the real crew image outperformed the stock photo by 45.45%!
That’s not a small lift. That’s the difference between a struggling page and a high-converting one.
🤔 Why Did This Work?
Because people don’t want perfect.
They want real. They want authentic. They want to trust the faces behind the service.
Here’s what the authentic crew image likely communicated:
- Transparency – “These are the people who will actually show up at your door.”
- Trust – “No fake smiles, no actors—just us.”
- Relatability – “They look like hardworking people I’d feel comfortable hiring.”
Stock photos, even when high quality, can trigger skepticism and disconnect. They scream “marketing” rather than “real company.”
💡 The Takeaway:
✅ High-quality doesn’t always mean high-converting.
✅ Sometimes, raw authenticity beats studio perfection.
✅ Especially in service businesses, people want to see who they’re hiring.
🎯 Action Step for You:
Audit your site. Look at every photo and ask yourself:
“Does this image help build trust—or just look pretty?”
If your site is filled with pixel-perfect stock photos, try testing:
- Behind-the-scenes shots
- Candid team photos
- Real customer moments
- Imperfect but authentic visuals
You might be surprised at how much better they perform.