When building or revising a website for a regionally-focused business, stock photography must reflect the client's actual geography. Generic or mismatched imagery — mountains for a Milwaukee roofing company, tile roofs for a Midwest contractor — undermines trust and brand authenticity. This principle emerged clearly during the Seamless (sbswi.com) website review, where several placeholder images were flagged as inconsistent with the Milwaukee/Southeastern Wisconsin market.
See also: [1] | [2]
"In lieu of anything else, we'd like to do anything Milwaukee if possible. If we don't have it, then we could do something kind of generic — just going forward, if we could just keep that as kind of our working proposition."
— Chris Sisinni, Seamless
All stock photography on a regionally-positioned website should:
| Location | Problem | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Hero image | Generic mountain photo | Replace with Milwaukee skyline or Lake Michigan |
| "Why Choose Us" section | Low-quality, unrelated stock photo | Replace with aerial drone photo of the Grain Exchange project |
| General stock photos | Non-Midwest aesthetic | Swap for Midwest-appropriate visuals throughout |
The homepage hero displayed a mountain landscape — geographically irrelevant to a Milwaukee-area roofing contractor. The agreed replacement is a Milwaukee skyline or Lake Michigan waterfront image, which immediately signals local presence to site visitors.
The existing stock photo was described as "junky" and inconsistent with the polished feel of the rest of the page. The Grain Exchange project aerial drone photo was identified as the preferred replacement — it showcases actual client work, is visually compelling, and is locally recognizable.
Any stock photo that could plausibly be from Arizona, the Rockies, or the Southeast should be replaced. The bar is: could this image exist in the Midwest? If not, find one that could.
/grain-exchange/, /toldwoods/) so images are clearly attributedWhen client photos aren't available, stock images should pass the Midwest filter:
- Milwaukee skyline, Lake Michigan, urban Midwest architecture
- Flat or low-slope commercial roofing (not tile or Spanish-style)
- Seasonal imagery consistent with Wisconsin (snow, overcast skies are fine; palm trees are not)
A similar issue arose during a Vilas County (northern Wisconsin) website project, where the team initially used generically "pretty" nature visuals. The client pushed back, specifying that the trees, lakes, and terrain needed to match their specific region — no hills, no non-native flora. The lesson: regional clients notice geographic mismatches even in subtle stock photography, and it matters to them.
This principle applies broadly to any client with a defined geographic service area: