If you’re scrolling online you’ll already know what an impact photography can have – whether it’s showing a product or a person, it can make you stop scrolling to find out more and makes such a difference in illustrating a point compared to just having text to read!
But what kind of photographs do you actually need to show on your website or social media if you want to convert visitors into customers?
In this article I look at what you should show in the photos that you take for your business and your website, and how you can use them to build up an image collection that can work for any type of marketing you need for your business.
People buy from people!
Behind every business is a real person, and that person is you. It doesn’t matter if you are making products to sell to people or if you offer a service-based business – people like to buy from people!
Being able to put a face to a name is always nice – it also lets people ‘meet’ you beforehand, even if it’s only online at first! It’s important to show yourself and your team throughout your website and social media.
Selfies are great for informal photos and showing behind the scenes or day to day happenings, but you should consider a professional or more formal portrait of yourself as well. A professional photographer will have you looking your best and ensure suitable images are taken, but you don’t need to hire a professional if you don’t want to – ask a family or friend to take one for you. Just remember, this is your chance to make a good first impression! It will also give you a suitable image to use if you take part in networking events or use LinkedIn as part of your business marketing strategy.
Whatever you do, make sure the image stays current!
What should I have photos of on my website?
I have been fortunate to have worked with the Due North Creatives team on several website projects for their clients – from pest control to property developers, opticians to oil suppliers, it’s a varied client base! But regardless of the industry or type of business, my approach to their photography remains the same using the following different shots, and these are my top 4 content ideas to help you build your photo collection.
4 ideas for your photo content
1. Wide photos
Wide shots set a scene for the viewer – it could be a member of staff in the office, a typical location that you work at, or even your customers using your service. They help to give the audience an indication of how it might relate to them, and how they could use your product or service.
2. Close-up photos
Close-up images don’t have to be for products only! They are great to illustrate a point – for example, if you’re writing a post about the aftercare you provide, you could have a close-up image of a customer being handed your aftercare leaflet. Or if you offer an interior design service, all the small details are just as important as the wider overall effect.
3. Action photos
The big one for me – if your business is based around a service you provide, be sure to show it! This can be your staff in action, or your products in use – they all make it feel more ‘real’ for the customer viewing your website. For starters, they can see someone else has used your product or service!
For example:
- If you are a nail technician, have images of nails being painted with an intricate design as well as a finished image to show your skills.
- If you run a bike repair shop, show your mechanic fixing a bike.
- If you run a bistro, show the chef putting the finishing touches to a favourite dish or a barista making the perfect cappuccino.
- If you are a jewellery designer, show the different stages involved with making a piece of jewellery.
Even if you run an online shop with purely catalogue images of items you have selected from other suppliers, it’s still useful to actually be able to show the items in use!
For example:
- Jewellery or clothing – ideally have them modelled by someone (you don’t need to show their face in the image if they don’t want to be in it!)
- Homeware – have images of the item within the setting of a real home, or even better, actually being used.
Again, they increase the customer’s understanding of what you do and will help your customer to relate to your business.
4. Customers!
As a small business owner, customers make our world go round and we do a happy dance every time someone buys from us! So it’s important to show how important they are to your business.
Show yourself and other members of staff interacting with them. If you are service based, this could be carrying out a service that you provide – for example, a customer who is receiving a beauty treatment or someone paying for their goods.
You could also show them on their own to illustrate what you offer the customer – for example, trying on a new pair of glasses for an optician or sitting enjoying a cuppy in their new kitchen if you are a kitchen designer.
If you have some loyal customers who you know would be happy to help you out, great! But if not, or if you’re just getting started with your business, why not ask friends or family to act as a customer for you.
If you are to convert potential customers, they need to imagine that they could be that person on your website. People like to see authenticity, especially if it’s a brand or company that they haven’t seen or used before. Having photographs of ‘customers’ on your website and social media shows that you have actually done work for someone else before and that they won’t be the guinea pig!
Summary – What kind of photos will convert my website into sales?
The key to successfully using photos on your website and social media to convert sales, is to cover lots of different areas of your business.
If you are using a professional photographer, they will likely have an idea as to how to approach it which will be guided by your ideas and suggestions.
But if you are looking to do the photography yourself, then the advice I’ve mentioned will help you to build a collection that you can draw upon both now and in the future.
You won’t necessarily use all of the images on the website, but they might be useful for social media posts and vice versa. Having a large collection of wide and close-up images, along with products and staff in action and of course your customers will mean you have a wide selection to choose from.
Just be sure to keep them organised so that you can easily find them when you need them!
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