In terms of business expenses, professional photography is often an item on the list that is seen as expendable. Whether you’re a new business building your website for the first time or a well-established business revamping your online presence, the cost of professional photography might prompt you to wonder if you might be able to get by without it.
After all, you could just take some pictures yourself. Or use stock photos. There are other, more important things you should be spending your organization’s funds on than professional photography, right?
Wrong.
The truth is that every business no matter the industry can benefit from having professional photography on their website. No matter who your customers are or what you are selling, high quality photography is an 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 at the top of the list.
Why Is Professional Photography For Your Business So Important?
There are so many benefits to having professional photos of your organization and the products you offer on your website.
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 adage before. These days pictures are worth at least a thousand words – probably more! Photos enable you to show your clients and customers what you have to offer rather than tell them. In this day and age, consumers like to see things for themselves before making a decision about a purchase. The internet has made this increasingly possible, which means photos and videos of your products and offerings are more valuable than ever before.
2. Your Media Represents Your Brand
Often times the cost of professional photography makes it tempting for business owners to take photos themselves or find a lower cost alternative to hiring a professional photographer. If this thought crosses your mind, remember: your photos represent your brand. Low quality, unprofessional photos on your website will communicate the same about your organization 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. Don’t skimp on them!
3. Customers Want to Get To Know YOU
Stock photos are one alternative that some organizations consider when they feel a photo shoot 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.
When people visit your website, they want to get to know 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.
4. Images Can Help You Get Found On the Web
If your business has a website, you may have heard of search engine optimization, or SEO. SEO is the practice of strategically optimizing various elements of your website in an effort to help it perform better in the search engine ranking results. There are many elements to SEO, and one element is images.
Optimized 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 heard the phrase “content is king.” This has been the case for a while now, and it definitely still holds true. But what many don’t realize is that photos are content – and they are a powerful, versatile form of content at that.
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 and more. They can also be featured in blog posts and articles – the possibilities are endless.
Offline, photos can be used in brochures and promotional materials of all kinds. By investing in professional photography, you provide yourself with new, helpful ammunition that can be used to enhance your marketing efforts in a plethora of ways.
Invest in Professional Photography For Your Website
When it comes to successfully marketing and promoting your business, professional photos are a MUST no matter what industry you work in. The time to find and hire a professional photographer to showcase your business is NOW!
Editor’s note: This content was originally published in 2018 but has been updated as of May 2019.Posted in SEO & Internet Marketing
