Creating the Right Photos for Your Website
When it comes to your business, having appealing photos on your website is essential. Stock photos are okay, but they aren’t going to enhance your site the way personal pictures will. When potential customers are able to see actual photos of your products, services, and employees, it can increase traffic, drive sales, and add an aspect of credibility to your business.
But what if you don’t know the first thing about photography? Check out these tips and tricks for getting effective photos on your website:
Determine Your Subject
Before you pick up a camera, you’ll need to figure out what your audience expects to see when they view your site. Imagine yourself as a potential customer visiting your website – what would be the most helpful types of pictures to see? Things like before-and-after photos, product photos, and staff pictures can be great additions to your website. Anything that will help establish your brand and show customers what you offer.
Use Your Resources
You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a camera to take nice photos. These days, most smartphones have high quality and user-friendly cameras. When you’re using a smartphone camera, it’s important that you keep a few technical things in mind if you want your pictures to stand out. With natural lighting, good angles, and a steady hand, smartphone photos can end up looking just as good as professional ones!
Learn Basic Editing
If you look back on the photos you took and notice that they look a little bit too dark or washed-out, it’s not the end of the world – You don’t need to be a master at Photoshop to make minor edits to your photos.
While it’s important to avoid distracting filters, slightly tweaking your photos can greatly enhance them. There are plenty of free (or inexpensive) photo editing programs available for smartphones and computers. Making small changes to the brightness, contrast, and clarity of a photo can make it look clearer, cleaner, and more professional overall.
When in Doubt, Hire a Professional
While taking photos yourself can be a great option, hiring a professional photographer can be beneficial for multiple reasons. If you don’t have access to a smartphone or digital camera or just don’t feel comfortable taking photos yourself, getting a professional to take photos may be the most convenient option. Another benefit of hiring a photographer is that you’ll know the photos displayed on your site will look great. A professional photographer will have a high-quality camera, so you won’t have to worry about blurry or grainy pictures.
No matter which route you choose to take when deciding on photographs, always make sure the photos you display on your website accurately reflect your brand and promote the products and services you have to offer!
