# Visual content statistics 2026

> Good photos get you seen. Great photos get you chosen. The numbers all point to one direction. Amazing photos tell better stories about your brand.

Updated 27 October 2026. 39 statistics, each third-party figure checked against its original publisher; Snappr figures come from Snappr's own booking data. Canonical page: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics

## Why Great Photos Matter

Four industries, one pattern. Whether the listing is a menu, a rental, a home or a car, the platforms that measured it found the same thing: the photo is the first decision a buyer makes, and more and better photos mean more sales, more income and faster deals.

- **1.9x monthly sales.** Uber Eats says restaurants with a picture on every menu item can see 88% higher monthly sales. DoorDash's 2026 trends report shows why: 87% of consumers have chosen what to eat on a delivery app based on an appealing photo. (Uber Eats, 2024)
- **+$2,455 a year for a $100-a-night room.** Carnegie Mellon researchers estimated a $100-a-night Airbnb room would earn an extra $2,455 a year by swapping its 15 low-quality photos for high-quality ones. Airbnb's own data agrees, with professionally photographed hosts earning 21% more over a year. (Zhang, Lee, Singh and Srinivasan, Carnegie Mellon, 2016)
- **3 weeks faster sale.** Redfin found homes around $400,000 with professional photos sold about three weeks faster and for more than $10,000 relative to list price. In NAR's 2025 survey, 83% of buyers who searched online rated listing photos very useful, ahead of every other website feature. (Redfin, 2013 study; NAR, 2025)
- **2.6x listing views.** Cox Automotive found new vehicles with multiple custom photos drew 156% more detail-page views than listings using a stock photo. New-vehicle listings with 40 or more images earned 36.2% more detail-page views. (Cox Automotive, 2018)

## Food and delivery: Menus with photos sell more

Delivery apps measure this directly. DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub have each published what photos do to orders, and the numbers agree.

- **13% more sales at half coverage.** DoorDash says restaurants that reach at least 50% menu photo coverage can increase sales by 13% on average. DoorDash Merchants, 2026. Source [1](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-1). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-doordash-menu-coverage
- **44% more sales with item photos.** DoorDash reports that restaurants have seen a 44% increase in monthly sales for menus with item photos. DoorDash newsroom, 2025. Source [2](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-2). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-doordash-item-photos
- **1.9x sales with every item pictured.** Uber Eats says restaurants with pictures on all their menu items can see 88% higher monthly sales. Uber Eats, 2024. Source [3](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-3). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-ubereats-all-items
- **25% higher conversion rate.** Grubhub, citing smooth.tech, says restaurants that switched from text-only menus to photos saw conversion rates rise by about 25% on average. Grubhub for Restaurants, citing smooth.tech, 2023. Source [5](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-5). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-grubhub-conversion
- **70% more orders with photos and descriptions.** Grubhub's research found that adding pictures and descriptions to a menu can boost orders by 70% and lead to 65% higher sales. Grubhub for Restaurants, 2024. Source [4](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-4). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-grubhub-orders
- **Nearly 9 in 10 chose by photo.** In DoorDash's 2026 Restaurant Industry Trends Report, 87% of consumers said they had chosen what to eat on a delivery app based on an appealing photo. DoorDash, 2026 · Survey. Source [1](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-1). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-doordash-photo-choice

## Real estate: Better listing photos move property faster

Buyers rank photos above every other feature of a listing, and sale data shows what that is worth in dollars and days.

- **No. 1 most useful feature.** NAR's 2025 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report found 83% of buyers who searched online rated photos very useful, the top website feature, ahead of detailed property information at 79%. NAR, 2025 · Survey of 5,390 buyers. Source [18](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-18). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-nar-photos-useful
- **$3,400 to $11,200 more at sale.** Redfin's analysis found homes listed between $200,000 and $1 million with professional photos sold for $3,400 to $11,200 more relative to list price. Redfin, 2013 study. Source [19](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-19). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-redfin-sale-price
- **3 weeks faster sale.** In the same Redfin analysis, homes around $400,000 with professional photos sold about 3 weeks faster. Redfin, 2013 study. Source [19](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-19). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-redfin-faster
- **3.4x as likely to sell at or above list.** Redfin found listings with the sharpest 10% of photos sold at or above list price 44% of the time, compared with 13% for average sharpness. Redfin, 2013 study. Source [19](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-19). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-redfin-sharpness
- **81% more views.** Zillow reported that listings with 3D Home tours earned 81% more views and 53% more saves. Zillow, 2022. Source [20](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-20). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-zillow-3d
- **$25,000 saved a year vs market rates.** One of Snappr's real estate clients, with over 1,000 hours in booked sessions, has saved over $25,000. Snappr client data, 2026. Source [31](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-31). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-snappr-real-estate-client-savings

## E-commerce: Accurate photos cut returns

Images are the first thing shoppers check and the thing they trust most. Weak photos cost sales up front and returns later.

- **Up to 20% more sales.** Amazon says well-implemented Premium A+ Content (larger images, video and interactive modules) can increase sales by up to 20%, and Basic A+ Content by up to 8%. Amazon, 2026 · Amazon internal data. Source [11](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-11). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-amazon-aplus
- **77% rate images and video very important.** Salsify's 2025 consumer research found 77% of shoppers rate product images and videos as very or extremely important to completing a purchase. Salsify, 2025 · Survey of 1,910 US and UK shoppers. Source [7](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-7). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-salsify-images
- **Over half check images first.** In Baymard Institute's usability testing, 56% of shoppers went straight to the product images as their first action on a product page. Baymard Institute, 2020 · Large-scale usability testing. Source [6](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-6). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-baymard-first-action
- **9 in 10 rate photo quality very important.** In Etsy's buyer surveys, 90% of shoppers said photo quality was extremely or very important to a purchase decision. Etsy Seller Handbook · Survey. Source [8](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-8). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-etsy-photo-quality
- **4.5% more likely to sell.** eBay found listings with better photo quality were 4.5% more likely to sell, in a study of 6.8 million listings. eBay. Source [9](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-9). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-ebay-photo-quality
- **+76% more impressions.** Google reported a 76% increase in impressions and a 32% increase in clicks for product offers with more than one image. Google, 2023. Source [10](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-10). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-google-multiple-images
- **71% returned an item.** In Salsify's 2025 consumer research, 71% of shoppers said they had returned an item because the product content was wrong. Salsify, 2025 · Survey. Source [7](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-7). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-salsify-returns

## Travel and stays: Better photos, more nights booked

Airbnb measured professional photography across tens of thousands of listings. A peer-reviewed study of 7,423 properties reached the same conclusion.

- **21% more host earnings.** Airbnb says hosts who used Airbnb Professional Photography saw a 21% increase in host earnings on average over the next 365 days. Airbnb, 2024 to 2025 · 14,700+ listings. Source [12](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-12). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-airbnb-earnings
- **19% more bookings.** Airbnb reports a 19% net uplift in bookings for listings that used its professional photography. Airbnb, 2024 to 2025. Source [12](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-12). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-airbnb-bookings
- **85% recoup the shoot in one night.** Airbnb says 85% of hosts recoup the cost of its professional photography with one night's stay. Airbnb · 39,270 hosts. Source [13](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-13). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-airbnb-payback
- **+$2,455 a year for a $100-a-night room.** Carnegie Mellon researchers estimated that a $100-a-night Airbnb room would earn an extra $2,455 a year by replacing its 15 low-quality photos with high-quality ones. Zhang, Lee, Singh and Srinivasan, Carnegie Mellon, 2016 · Conference paper (ICIS 2016). Source [28](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-28). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-zhang-earnings
- **8.98% higher occupancy.** A Management Science study of 7,423 Airbnb properties over 16 months found listings with verified professional photos had 8.98% higher occupancy than those with host photos. Zhang, Lee, Singh and Srinivasan, 2022 · Peer-reviewed study. Source [14](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-14). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-zhang-occupancy
- **3.25x as likely to get a booking enquiry.** Tripadvisor found properties with at least one photo saw a 225% higher likelihood of a booking enquiry than properties with none. Tripadvisor, 2014. Source [15](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-15). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-tripadvisor-enquiries
- **No. 1 reason to rule out a hotel.** Expedia Group says travellers have told it that bad photos are the number one reason they rule out a property. Expedia Group, What Travelers Want, 2020 · Survey. Source [16](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-16). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-expedia-bad-photos
- **3x more swayed by video.** In a 2025 Expedia Group study of 7,000 travellers, 71% said video influenced their travel decisions, compared with 24% for static images. Expedia Group, 2025 · Survey. Source [17](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-17). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-expedia-video

## Automotive: Real cars beat stock shots

Car buyers shop photos first. Real photos of the actual car beat stock images by a wide margin, and a stock photo did no better than no photo at all.

- **40% buy because of photos.** Cox Automotive's Power of Pictures study found 40% of consumers are likely to buy a vehicle based on online images without seeing it in person. Cox Automotive, 2016 to 2018 · Survey of 521 US car shoppers. Source [21](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-21). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-cox-buy-from-images
- **2.6x listing views.** Cox Automotive found new-vehicle listings with multiple custom photos got 156% more detail-page views than listings with a stock photo, and 99% more than listings with none. Cox Automotive, 2018. Source [22](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-22). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-cox-custom-vs-stock
- **36.2% more detail-page views.** Cox Automotive reports that detail-page views per new-vehicle listing rise 36.2% when the listing includes 40 or more vehicle images. Cox Automotive, 2018. Source [22](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-22). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-cox-40-images
- **2.5% higher average sale price.** Snappr's Bring a Trailer case study reports a 2.5% higher average sale price with Snappr photos, across 30,000+ photoshoots. Snappr, 2026. Source [27](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-27). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-snappr-bring-a-trailer

## People: Your profile photo matters

A face is judged in a fraction of a second. Real people hold attention; generic stock gets skipped.

- **Up to 3x more connection requests.** LinkedIn says members with a profile photo get up to 3X more connection requests. LinkedIn Help, 2024. Source [23](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-23). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-linkedin-profile-photo
- **100 ms to judge a face.** Princeton researchers found trait judgments made after a 100 millisecond look at a face closely matched judgments made with no time limit. Willis and Todorov, Psychological Science, 2006 · Peer-reviewed study. Source [24](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-24). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-todorov-100ms
- **+0.94 competence rating.** In Photofeeler's analysis of 800 profile photos and 60,000+ ratings, formal dress raised perceived competence by an average of 0.94, the largest gain of any variable tested. Photofeeler. Source [25](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-25). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-photofeeler-formal
- **Skipped stock photos.** Nielsen Norman Group's eye-tracking research found users ignore stock photos of generic people but study photos of real people. Nielsen Norman Group, 2010 · Study. Source [26](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-26). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-nng-stock

## Events: Get more out of event shots

An event lasts a day; the photos and video from it keep working long after. Attendees share them, and they shape how people see the brand.

- **+37% more leads with 10+ photos.** WeddingPro, the vendor platform behind The Knot and WeddingWire, says wedding vendors with more than 10 Storefront photos get 37% more leads on average. WeddingPro, The Knot Worldwide, 2026. Source [32](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-32). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-weddingpro-photo-leads
- **1.1x conversion with video.** Eventbrite says event listings with video see a 10% higher conversion rate than listings without video. Eventbrite, 2025. Source [29](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-29). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-eventbrite-video-conversion
- **2 to 5 posts shared by half of attendees.** In EventTrack's survey of event attendees, 50% of consumers capture and share between two and five photos, videos or social posts at branded experiences, and 14% share more than six. Mosaic and Event Marketer, EventTrack, 2017 · Survey of 1,200 US and Canadian consumers. Source [30](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-30). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-eventtrack-sharing
- **8 in 10 feel better about the brand.** 78% of consumers say they feel better about a brand after viewing video from branded experiences and events. Mosaic and Event Marketer, EventTrack, 2017 · Survey of 1,200 US and Canadian consumers. Source [30](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-30). Link: https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#stat-eventtrack-video-brand

## The hard part is doing it everywhere

One shoot is easy. Thousands, across every location, to one standard, is where businesses stall. Snappr runs it all on one platform, from booking to edited delivery, with on-location shoots in 12 countries and AI editing and generation almost everywhere else: 250 million photos and counting, for over 70% of the Fortune 500. Sources [27](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-27), [33](https://www.snappr.com/visual-content-statistics#source-33).

## Frequently asked questions

### What are the most important visual content statistics in 2026?

The strongest come from platforms measuring their own listings: DoorDash reports a 13% average sales lift at 50% menu photo coverage, Airbnb a 21% rise in host earnings with professional photos, and NAR's 2025 survey finds 83% of home buyers who searched online rate listing photos very useful.

### Do professional photos increase sales?

Platform data consistently links real, high-quality photos to more sales. eBay found better photo quality made listings 4.5% more likely to sell, and Redfin found professionally photographed homes between $200,000 and $1 million sold for $3,400 to $11,200 more relative to list price.

### How much do food photos increase delivery orders?

DoorDash says reaching 50% menu photo coverage can raise sales 13% on average, Uber Eats says restaurants with a picture on every item can see 88% higher monthly sales, and Grubhub says text-to-photo menus saw conversion rise about 25%.

### Do professional real estate photos sell homes faster?

Redfin's analysis found homes around $400,000 with professional photos sold about 3 weeks faster, and NAR's 2025 survey ranks photos as the most useful feature of a listing website.

### How many photos should a listing have?

More than one, at minimum: Google saw 76% more impressions and 32% more clicks for product offers with multiple images. Cox Automotive found new-car listings with 40 or more images earned 36.2% more detail-page views.

### Do photos and video help event marketing?

Yes. WeddingPro says wedding vendors with more than 10 listing photos get 37% more leads on average, Eventbrite says event listings with video convert 10% better, and EventTrack found half of attendees share two to five photos, videos or posts from a branded event.

### How were these statistics verified?

Each third-party statistic was confirmed on the original publisher’s page or in the original paper, and is listed with its year and source. The two Snappr figures (the Bring a Trailer case study and the real estate client savings) come from Snappr’s own booking data.

## Sources

1. [DoorDash Merchants, How Menu Quality Helps You Become a DoorDash Most Loved Store (2026)](https://merchants.doordash.com/en-us/learning-center/menu-quality-tips-to-improve-restaurant-ranking)
2. [DoorDash, DoorDash Unveils Suite of AI-Powered Tools to Enhance Online Menus (2025)](https://about.doordash.com/en-us/news/doordash-unveils-ai-powered-tools-to-enhance-online-menus-and-streamline-merchant-operations)
3. [Uber Eats, Your guide to improve your menu (2024)](https://www.uber.com/gb/en/blog/your-guide-to-improve-your-menu/)
4. [Grubhub for Restaurants, 4 tips to take great food photos](https://get.grubhub.com/blog/4-tips-to-take-great-food-photos/)
5. [Grubhub for Restaurants, How restaurant photography improves your business' online presence](https://get.grubhub.com/blog/improve-online-ordering-experience/)
6. [Baymard Institute, 25% of E-Commerce Sites Don't Have Product Images with Sufficient Resolution or Level of Zoom (2020)](https://baymard.com/research-articles/ensure-sufficient-image-resolution-and-zoom)
7. [Salsify, 2025 Consumer Research Executive Summary](https://salsify.com/hubfs/2025/Salsify%202025%20Consumer%20Research%20Executive%20Summary.pdf)
8. [Etsy Seller Handbook, Why Product Photography Is Important](https://www.etsy.com/uk/seller-handbook/article/why-product-photography-is-important/147451496051)
9. [eBay, Photo tips](https://export.ebay.com/en/manage-listings/photo-tips/)
10. [Google, New tools to help small businesses connect with online shoppers (2023)](https://blog.google/products/shopping/google-product-studio-generative-ai-product-photos/)
11. [Amazon, A+ Content](https://sell.amazon.com/tools/a-content)
12. [Airbnb Help Center, Offer for free Airbnb photography (article 3381)](https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/3381)
13. [Airbnb, Pro Photo Program](https://www.airbnb.com/professional_photography)
14. [Zhang, Lee, Singh and Srinivasan, What Makes a Good Image? Airbnb Demand Analytics Leveraging Interpretable Image Features, Management Science 68(8) (2022)](https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.4175)
15. [Tripadvisor, Responding to reviews online drives booking enquiries, study reveals (2014)](https://tripadvisor.mediaroom.com/2014-09-03-Responding-to-reviews-online-drives-booking-enquiries-study-reveals)
16. [Expedia Group Partner, Unlocking success in hotel bookings](https://partner.expediagroup.com/en-us/resources/blog/hotel-booking-success-guide-expedia-partner-central)
17. [Expedia Group, Study Reveals New Insights In Travel Content Amid AI Boom (2025)](https://ir.expediagroup.com/news-and-events/news/news-details/2025/Expedia-Group-Study-Reveals-New-Insights-In-Travel-Content-Amid-Ai-Boom/default.aspx)
18. [NAR, 2025 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends](https://cms.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/2025-03/2025-home-buyers-and-sellers-generational-trends-report-04-01-2025.pdf)
19. [Redfin, To Sell Your Home for More Money, Professional Real Estate Photos Pay Off (2013 study)](https://www.redfin.com/blog/professional-real-estate-photos-sell-homes-for-more/)
20. [Zillow, Zillow 3D Home tours now are automatically shared to Redfin (2022)](https://zillow.mediaroom.com/2022-05-12-Zillow-3D-Home-tours-now-are-automatically-shared-to-Redfin)
21. [Cox Automotive, Every picture sells a story (Power of Pictures Study)](https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights/every-picture-sells-story/)
22. [Cox Automotive, Merchandising New Cars: Is It Worth It? (2018)](https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights/merchandising-new-cars-is-it-worth-it-2/)
23. [LinkedIn Help, Settings for profile photo visibility](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a545557/settings-for-profile-photo-visibility)
24. [Willis and Todorov, First impressions: Making up your mind after a 100-ms exposure to a face, Psychological Science 17(7) (2006)](https://collaborate.princeton.edu/en/publications/first-impressions-making-up-your-mind-after-a-100-ms-exposure-to-/)
25. [Photofeeler, New Research Study Breaks Down "The Perfect Profile Photo"](https://blog.photofeeler.com/perfect-photo/)
26. [Nielsen Norman Group, Photos as Web Content](https://www.nngroup.com/articles/photos-as-web-content/)
27. [Snappr, Enterprise](https://www.snappr.com/enterprise)
28. [Zhang, Lee, Singh and Srinivasan, How Much Is An Image Worth? An Empirical Analysis of Property's Image Aesthetic Quality on Demand at AirBNB, ICIS 2016](https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2016/Crowdsourcing/Presentations/8/)
29. [Eventbrite, Tips and Tools for Listing and Marketing Your Event (2025)](https://www.eventbrite.com/blog/?p=438799)
30. [Mosaic and Event Marketer, EventTrack 2017 Experiential Marketing Content Benchmarking Report, Executive Summary](https://www.eventmarketer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/eventtrack-report-2017_execsummary.pdf)
31. [Snappr client data: completed US real estate shoots, October 2025 to October 2026, against the typical market rate on Snappr photography pricing](https://www.snappr.com/photography-pricing/real-estate)
32. [WeddingPro, The Exact Value Wedding Vendors Receive From WeddingPro (2026)](https://pros.weddingpro.com/blog/marketing/what-you-get-when-you-advertise-with-weddingpro/)
33. [Snappr, About us](https://www.snappr.com/about-us)

## About Snappr

Snappr is an on-demand and enterprise visual content platform for photography, videography and AI image generation. Book a shoot at https://www.snappr.com/shoots or see https://www.snappr.com/enterprise.