People buy from people. It may be a cliche, but it’s true - who you are is often the deciding factor for your customers.

Think back to the last time you made a purchase or started working with a new supplier - what mattered to you most? The most likely answers are price, quality, service and efficiency. Photography plays a vital role in communicating all four of these factors, helping to elevate you and your products/services above your competition.

You’re probably thinking that photos are just a bonus - but the reality is that great photos are often what makes your customers choose you over your competitors. So, whether you sell products online, in a bricks-and-mortar stall or you’re a service provider like myself, keep reading to find out how photography can help to boost your profitability. 

Quality equals quantity (of happy customers)

Customer’s shopping habits have changed. Thanks to the rise of online shopping, people are able to access pretty much anything with a click of a button. This means that the tangible aspect of shopping has been replaced by photography and videography. We know that 93% of customers say that visual content is a key deciding factor for their purchases, and this includes imagery.

With the rise of high-quality phone and tablet screens, there’s no escaping the horrors of a poor quality image. In fact, over 90% of Etsy customers say that image quality is key to their buying decision. So, it’s not just about getting a good photo of your product or your service in action; it’s about crafting the best possible image at a high resolution. 

You may be thinking, “well, I don’t sell physical products, so it doesn’t matter.” Wrong! Photography is just as important for service providers, as it offers you the opportunity to show your audience what they get from you instead of just telling them. Take these examples from my lovely client, MBS Gardens. Of course, a gardener will want photos of their finished work, as it’s the key selling point for their future customers… but these photos don’t just show the end goal, but also the team at work. The MBS team are, quite literally, getting their hands dirty. What better way to show a prospective customer what they’re going to get than with photos like this?

“[Lauren] captured our business perfectly through her photographs and was able to help us make our brand more memorable. She is professional, knowledgeable and great at what she does. We will most definitely want to work with her again in the future.” - Gemma Bell-Saunders, MBS Gardens

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Photography for freelancers

From the great outdoors to the comfort of the home office, it’s often difficult for freelancers and consultations without a physical product or service to truly get across what they do. I’ve worked with designers, developers, copywriters, marketing experts and public speakers to capture their essence in a series of still images they can use across social media, on their website and in print media.

More often than not, these people are their businesses. And their clients choose to work with them over anyone else because they provide that extra special service that you simply can’t get with a bigger company. But when you’re a one or two-person business, you can’t be everywhere all at once, nor can you compete with the marketing budget of the industry giants… so, how do you stand out?

Well, here’s client Ellen Forster, managing director of Content By The Sea, discussing how her business photoshoot has encouraged potential clients to get in touch: “I get so many compliments about the photos on our website. I’ve even had clients saying they feel like they know me already, as our images perfectly distil who we are and what we do. 

“Content By The Sea is just me and my husband (unless you count our two dogs), and it’s difficult to photograph what we do as we work on our computers building websites and writing copy all day. 

“Lauren took a variety of photos of us out and about, as well as in the office. These photos really sell us, rather than the service we provide - that’s why I think they’ve been so successful in selling us as a business.”

Return on investment

As with any marketing activity, it’s difficult to put an exact figure on return on investment (ROI) for photography. However, we know that 78% of online shoppers want photos to bring products to life before they buy. While accurate and high-quality photos will also help to reduce your order returns because customers know exactly what they’re getting. If you’re a service provider, photography can take your clients through the step-by-step process of working with you, positioning you at the forefront of their minds when making the critical decision between you and a competitor, who may be using generic stock photography to promote their business.

I could go on all day about the benefits of great business photography, but I’ve got client photos to edit. So, to get tips and tricks for boosting your business’s visual marketing directly to your inbox, you can subscribe to my newsletter or get in touch today to find out more about capturing your business photography.