In terms of business expenses, professional photography may be seen as an item on the list that is unnecessary.
Whether you’re a new business building your website for the first time or a well-established business overhauling your online presence, the cost of professional photography might prompt you to wonder if you might be able to get by without it, or just use a cheap alternative.
After all, you could just take some pictures yourself, or use stock photos, right?
You couldn’t be more wrong.
The reality is that every business, no matter the industry, benefits from having professional photography on its website, promotional material, branding, banner, email signatures and letter heads. No matter who your customers are or what you are selling, high quality photography is an essentially important asset that will contribute to your overall branding and success. When it comes to business expenses that are absolutely worth it, professional photography should be near the top of the list.
So Why Is Professional Photography For Your Business So Important?
There are so many benefits to having professional photos of your organisation and the products you offer on your website and here are just five of the numerous reasons that every business should invest in high quality professional photography.
1. A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words
You’ve probably heard this saying before. These days pictures are worth at least a thousand words –probably even more!
Photos enable you to show your clients and customers what you have to offer, rather than just tell them, with lots of dense and dull text. In the online world, consumers want to see things for themselves before deciding on a purchase.
The web has made this increasingly possible, which means photos and videos of your products and offerings are more valuable than ever before.
The vast majority of people are accessing the web on their smartphones, which means that text is small and harder to read and a great quality photo is going to be so much better to see and help you connect with your customers.
2. Your Media Represents Your Brand
Sometimes the cost of professional photography makes it seem appealing for business owners to take photos themselves or find a lower cost alternative to hiring a professional photographer. If this crosses your mind, remember: your photos represent your brand. Low quality, unprofessional photos on your website will communicate the same about your organisation and the products and services you offer. Your photos and your website are hugely important when it comes to making a first impression on customers, so don’t stint on them! Remember that it’s the photographers expertise that makes the difference, not the fancy or expensive camera
3. Customers Want to Get To Know YOU
Stock photos are one alternative that some people will consider when they feel a photoshoot with a professional photographer might be out of reach. While stock photos are certainly helpful for some purposes, they are not the best way to showcase your business. Why? Because they are not photos of your business and therefore are not authentic in nature and will make you and your business look as generic as everyone else, so won’t help you stand out, or connect with your customers.
When people visit your website, they want to get to know the real and authentic you. Stock photos don’t help them do that – and they could give people a false impression of what you have to offer. The best way for potential customers to get to know your business is by showing them actual photos of your business, your team members, and your products and services.
4. Images Can Help You Get Found On the Web
If your business has a website, you have probably already heard of search engine optimization, or SEO. SEO is the practice of strategically optimising various elements of your website to help it perform better in the search engine ranking results. There are many elements to SEO, and one key element is images.
Optimised photos can help your website get found in the image results like Google Images and perform better in the overall search results. They can also help to engage customers and keep them on your site for longer or encourage them to choose you over a competitor.
5. Professional Photos are Versatile Assets
When it comes to marketing your business online you have probably already know that ‘content is king’. This has been the case for a while now, and it still holds true. But what many people don’t realise is that photos are content – and they are a powerful, versatile and cross-cultural form of content at that.
Good images tell a story in any language.
Online, photos can be used to make your website infinitely more engaging. They can be used to build your brand on social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google My Business etc. They can also be featured in blog posts and articles, making the possibilities almost endless.
Offline, photos can be used in brochures and promotional materials of all kinds and by investing in professional photography, you provide yourself with new, helpful armoury that can be used to enhance your marketing efforts in a multitude of ways.
If you want professional photography services then please call or contact me for an obligation free chat about your needs. Regards, Paul H