A professional image and online presence is a must for business owners – but often times we neglect photography on our websites. Professional, high-quality photography can transform your online presence in a number of important ways. It can showcase your work, reinforce key brand points, or evoke a particular emotional response in potential clients.
You’ve dished out hundreds – maybe even thousands – of dollars for your beautiful new website. It’s responsive, your social media is linked, and your site is search engine optimized. But something just isn’t quite right. Even your web designer can’t turn a website filled with unprofessional or stock photos into a website that says “we’re reliable”.
Here’s why: When you land on a site, the first thing you notice is its visual appeal. It may not seem like it at first, but what you see affects how you feel about the website and most importantly, the business. If your images are blurred, out of date, or boring, your clients will think the same about your business. Simply put, bad photos invoke bad feelings.
Why not DIY?
An obvious selfie or family photo can send the wrong signal to potential clients on a professional website or profile. Good photography isn’t just about megapixels. Your smartphone may take some impressive pictures, but it’s not going to frame the shot, light you, pose you, provide professional editing and deliver a finished product that crops well to different formats.
What about stock imagery?
Inexpensive stock photos are always a tempting alternative to a professional photographer’s services. However, in doing this, you diminish the value of your website. Stock photos tend to make a website look cheap, rushed and generic. Your website should be an extension of how awesome and unique your business is.
When you hire a professional photographer, you insure the images are shot with your brand in mind. It’s important to view photography as an investment in your overall marketing. The final images can be used in printed materials such as company brochures, in addition to the website itself. You’ll end up with a site that contains unique, professional photography that creates a fantastic first impression to your potential customers.
