There is no denying that a website is an important marketing medium for businesses. It’s an essential way to showcase the products and services that a company sells. Plus, it’s a brilliant method of promoting a brand in general.
As you can imagine, one of the critical elements of advertising is the use of good imagery. There’s an old saying that a picture paints a thousand words. But, what happens if the photographs on your website aren’t that great?
The trouble with not using professional photos on a business website is the impression they give. Potential customers, for example, may think your business sells sub-standard products. Or they might assume the services you provide are just mediocre at best.
As strange as it might seem, these are the conclusions many people will reach. When a potential customer first looks at your site, you only have a few seconds to impress them. If they think you aren’t bothered about portraying a professional image, they will assume the same about the things you sell.
You may also have printed materials to advertise your products and services. Imagine what your potential customers might think about poor quality product photos?
By now, you will have gathered how important it is to use professional photos in your business. If photography isn’t one of your strong points, it pays to invest in professional photos. With that in mind, here are five ways a commercial photographer can help your business:
1. Your business will stand out from the crowd
Even in the most niche of markets, competition from other businesses can be rife. You need to use all the tools at your disposal to stand out from the crowd, and one way is by using a commercial photographer.
It doesn’t matter whether you have a high-end digital SLR camera or the latest copy of Adobe Photoshop. If you don’t have the skills and experience to take good photos, you’re just wasting your time.
One of the benefits of commissioning a commercial photographer is the quality results. Seasoned experts in their field, professional photographers can make anything look good.
As a business leader, you want your brand to ooze professionalism. You also want your products and services to be your target market’s number one choice. When you have professional photos taken of what you sell and do, you can achieve that goal.
2. Generic stock photos aren’t good for business
Stock images are okay if you need to create something as a concept. But, when it comes to marketing your brand, they are never a good idea.
For a start, many businesses buy stock photos (or “obtain” them from online sources) without the right licensing. That means you could potentially have a copyright lawsuit on your hands from the owners.
Second, if you are using some stock photos, what makes you think other people aren’t doing the same? Stock images are rarely exclusive to the buyers of them. You pay for a licence to use them; you don’t get to own the photos outright.
A third and quite important reason is the “cheese” factor! Some of your customers may take one look at the stock photos you used and dismiss them as being cheesy.
Instead, do things right the first time by hiring a commercial photographer. You will end up with photographs that portray you and your business. After all: you want to connect with your customers, not scare them away!
3. You are paying for skill and expertise
When you hire a commercial photographer for a project, you’re not just paying for someone to use a camera. You are investing your firm’s money on their skill, expertise, and creative genius.
Do you want your brand and the products and services it sells to grab people’s attention? If the answer is yes, you need to hire a professional to take your photos.
You may not realise it. But, a commercial photographer will portray your business in ways you wouldn’t have imagined! They have the creativity and technical know-how to bring your products to life. Plus, commercial photographers will know how to communicate your brand to its target audience.
Let’s face it: anyone can use a camera. The truth is few people know how to use one properly!
4. Quality photos are great for website SEO
In case you didn’t know, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. SEO relates to the methods used to help sites perform better in search engine results pages.
One of the ways that you can improve the visibility of your website is by using optimised images. Such files are quick to load, clear to view, and represent a page’s subject matter.
A commercial photographer will supply you with optimised images from your photoshoots. That way, you can use them for your website and associate “keywords” with those images. When you do that, people doing a Google Image Search, for example, will come across your photos. And as you have professional photos, they are more likely to click through to your website.
Many Web-savvy individuals do image searches if they are looking for a type of product. Because your photographs are professional, they will stand out from the rest.
5. You don’t need to invest in expensive photography equipment
Let’s say, for argument’s sake, you are pretty good at taking photos. If you want to take professional ones for your business, you’d have to invest a lot of money.
Why? The answer is simple: high-end photography equipment isn’t cheap! A simple point-and-click camera might be fine for taking holiday snaps. But, when it comes to showcasing your brand to a global audience, it’s not good enough.
By hiring a commercial photographer, you don’t need to worry about investing so much money. That’s because the photographer will have the right tools for the job at their disposal. As a result, your investment costs are low, but the potential rewards are high!
If you’d like to learn more about how Leah Desborough Photography can help your brand, contact us today.
