A lot of businesses ask this quietly. Some avoid it completely. You look at your website or socials and think, “They’re fine… right?”
Let’s talk honestly about how often businesses should update their photos, without the fluff, pressure, or salesy nonsense.
Why business photos go out of date faster than you think
Photos age quietly.
You don’t wake up one morning and decide they’re old. They just slowly stop doing their job.
Teams change.
Spaces get updated.
Brand colours evolve.
Even photography styles move on.
When visuals fall behind, people feel it before they consciously notice it. And once trust dips, conversions usually follow.
This is especially true online, where visitors make decisions fast and mostly based on visuals.
The general rule most businesses should follow
For most brands, updating business photos every 12–24 months is a solid baseline.
That doesn’t mean a full rebrand every year. It means keeping visuals current, relevant, and believable.
If your photos are older than two years, there’s a good chance they no longer reflect how your business actually feels today.
When you should update photos more often
Some businesses need fresher visuals more regularly.
You should consider updating photos every 6–12 months if you:
- Rely heavily on social media marketing
- Run seasonal campaigns or promotions
- Regularly update your services or offers
- Work in fast-moving or trend-led industries
- Showcase people, teams, or behind-the-scenes moments
If your audience expects to see real people and real work, outdated images can quietly hurt credibility.
When you can stretch it a bit longer
Not every business needs constant new imagery.
You may be fine with 2–3 years between updates if:
- Your services rarely change
- Your brand identity is stable
- You don’t use social media heavily
- Your imagery is more conceptual than personal
Even then, it’s worth refreshing at least a few key visuals. Homepage images. About page photos. Anything client-facing.
Website photos vs social media photos
These two behave differently.
Your website photography should be updated less often, but it needs to be timeless, intentional, and clean. If your site visuals feel dated, it impacts trust instantly.
Your social media photos should change more frequently. Fresh content keeps feeds alive and signals that your business is active and current.
If you’re sharing the same images for years, people notice. Even if they don’t say anything.
Photos and SEO (yes, they’re connected)
Fresh images don’t just help with branding. They support SEO in subtle but important ways.
Updating photos can help with:
- Lower bounce rates
- Better user engagement
- Stronger first impressions
- Improved image search visibility
Well-optimised images, combined with good structure and visual balance, support everything from texture to composition choices like asymmetry, both of which affect how long users stay on a page.
Signs your business photos need updating right now
If you’re unsure, these are usually dead giveaways:
- Your team looks different now
- Your space has changed
- Your branding no longer matches the photos
- The photos feel stiff or overly staged
- You feel slightly embarrassed sharing them
That last one matters more than most people admit.
You don’t need to replace everything at once
This is where businesses get stuck.
You don’t need a massive shoot to start fresh. Often, the smartest move is a partial refresh:
- New homepage images
- Updated team or lifestyle shots
- Fresh behind-the-scenes content
- A small batch of social media visuals
Small updates done consistently beat big updates done once every five years.
Style matters as much as freshness
Even newer photos can feel dated if the style is off.
Heavy editing, awkward poses, or overly busy compositions can age images quickly. Paying attention to things like balance and light helps images stay usable for longer.
Clean, natural visuals tend to age better. Every time.
FAQ
How often should a small business update its photos?
Most small businesses should update their photos every 12–24 months. If your team, services, or branding changes sooner than that, it’s worth refreshing key images earlier.
Do outdated photos really affect customer trust?
Yes. Outdated photos can make a business feel inactive or disconnected from reality. Visitors often sense this instantly, even if they can’t explain why.
Is it better to update website photos or social media photos first?
If your website photos are more than two years old, start there. Your website is usually the first place people check before deciding to trust or contact a business.