As business expenses go, professional photography is often seen as an expendable item. Whether you are a new business, building your first website or an established business revamping your online presence, the cost of professional photography might cause you to think if it's really worth the investment. After all, you could just use stock photos or take pictures yourself, right?
Wrong.
The truth is every business, no matter the industry, can benefit from having professional photos taken. When it comes to service industries- contractors, interior designers, architects, builders, I'd argue it is a necessity. No matter what you are selling, or whom you're selling to, high quality photography is an important asset that will contribute to your brand and its overall success. Professional photography is absolutely worth the expense, and should be at the top of your list in 2023. Let me tell you why.
Why is Professional Photography For Your Business So Important?
The 21st Century is known as the Age of Information Technologies. Which means, everyone (and I do mean everyone) is searching the internet for information. From design inspiration and company reviews, to advice and guidance; The internet is where everyone is.
With that being said, there are a few basic things your business should have in the Age of Information Technologies: a professional email address, a website and social media. Got those? Good. All three of these will come into play when discussing the top five reasons why high quality professional photos of your work are so important.
Lightline Media for ADirect Cabinets
1. A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words
Chances are, you've heard that saying before. These days, pictures are worth at least a thousand words. And when it comes to business, it's worth more- revenue! Photos enable you to show your clients what you have to offer rather than tell them. In this day and age, consumers like to see things before making a decision to purchase. And the internet has made that very possible. But on the internet, what are they truly buying? A picture. Which means, photos and videos of your services are more valuable than ever before.
Photografik Studios for ADirect Cabinets
2. Your Photos Represent Your Brand
Images have power. Photos, along with your website, are making a first impression to potential customers. So, it is safe to say, your photos represent your brand.
We are strong believers that great photography can inspire its viewers to take action. Images capturing the essence of your business, create a mood. Within that mood, an emotion occurs, and this drives potential customer to become customers.
Low quality, unprofessional photos on your websites will communicate the same about your organization and the products/services you offer. Remember...
3. Customers Want to Get to Know YOU
Some organizations use stock photos and/or manufacturer's photos. While stock photos have their place, they are not the best way to showcase your business. Why? Because they are not photos of your work.
When potential clients visit your website, they want to get to know YOU! Stock photos do not help them do that. They too, can give people a false impression of you and your brand. Allow potential customers to get to know your business by showing them actual photos of your work, your team and your products.
💡 Pro Tip: Do a image search on a stock image, and you'll see just how many businesses have used this one image. You can also use the image search tool on your own images to see if someone else is using your images without your knowledge.
4. Images Can Help You Get Found On Google
Search engine optimization, or SEO is the practice of strategically optimizing elements of your website in effort to perform better on search engine results. There are many elements that go into SEO, but one of them is images.
Images are a big part of how we experience a website. They matters for SEO because Google's algorithm pays attention to behaviors that reflect the user experience, like the amount of time spent on a web page and bounce rates. Optimization of your photos will not only get them found on Google images, but high quality photos will engage customers and keep them on your site longer. {If you are interested in learning how to optimize your photos, check out this guide.}
In fact, research verifies that people are 80% more likely to read content that includes an image and 64% more likely to remember it later.
Source: StorEdge
5. Photos are Content and Content is Still King
Content is King. This is a marketing phrase that you'll hear regularly. But what many don't realize is that photos are content - and they are the most powerful, versatile form of content at that!
Here are just some of the things photos can be used for:
- They will make your website infinitely more engaging
- They can be used to build your brand on social media
- They can help you be featured in blog posts & articles and more
- They can be used in brochures and promotional materials
- They can be used in email marketing and newsletters
Simply put, by investing in professional photography, you provide yourself with brand new, one-of-a-kind content that can be used to enhance your marketing and your brand in a variety of ways. And I'd say that is worth the investment, don't you?