Are you using the right photos on your website? More importantly, is there such a thing as a wrong photo to use! I hate to break this to you but, if you’re still using stock images on your website, or your social media pages to for that matter, then the answer to that question is a big Yes.
There’s a huge perception that using stock images is the cheapest and best way to go when using images on your website. Whilst the cost factor is true and you can get a stock image for literally just a few dollars, the reality is that it’s actually costing you a lot more than the money you’re saving on using a stock image.
Let’s put things into perspective. Think about the last time you did a search online for a service. For the sake of this blog, let’s say you were looking for an optometrist. Now imagine you looking through five different websites and four of those sites are using the exact same images. Then you click on a fifth and that business has images of their staff, the owner and their premises. You don’t really need to be a genius to figure out the one that would draw your attention. But here is the single biggest mistake that businesses make when adding stock images to their website. They believe that they are the only ones using that image!
How do you fix the problem?
The solution is simple, Brand your Business! Here’s how:
- Book a photographer that specialises in business photography, tell them what you need and get them to create images that are unique to your business.
- Look at their previous work and make sure it fits in with your business style.
- Avoid photography “trends”. Those washed out filtered looks went out long ago, but they’re still being used by people who don’t know any different. Do you see those looks on the big end of town businesses? Chance are the answer is no.
- Ask them how long they’ve been a full time photographer for. This is very important. Anyone with a camera can call themselves a photographer. You want to use someone with experience who will direct you, pose you and make you feel comfortable in front of the camera.
- And finally, have a “tool box of images” These are images that you may not use on your website right away, but you may use them on your social media pages over the course of the next 12 months.
Taking those simple steps and investing in your business will not only give you a good return in the long run, but it will also set you aside from your competitors who will still be using stock images and believing that they’re the only ones using them!