New businesses have a lot to think about, but have you stopped to really think about your brand’s visual presence? The photography you choose is one of the most important branding decisions you’ll make for your business — whether that’s online or otherwise.
In this guide, you’ll find out why sorting your photography is so crucial to the success of your company.
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Your photography must be of an impeccable quality
Every single business needs to have high-quality photography. Along with other visual and written elements, images determine how your potential customers come to view your company when they first visit your website, read your brochure, or see your advertisement.
One crucial thing your business needs to do in order to safeguard the quality of the images you use is to get the image resolution right. Online, you must make sure your images are 72ppi (pixels per inch) at the very least, and photos that need to come out well when printed must be very high definition. Always check that any photos you send to print come out well with test runs before committing to them — there is nothing worse than announcing a brand launch with a lackluster print run.
Online, you can use a tool like Pictorem to check the resolution of your images. If you’re fully committed to visual excellence, though, you should consult a professional studio. Contact Blend today to arrange a great deal for top-quality business photos that will dazzle your potential customers and set your company apart. It isn’t as pricey as you might think, and it’ll guarantee that visitors to your website get the right picture of your business!
credits: Blend Studios
Using people in your photography improves your conversion rates
Scientific studies have shown that members of your target audience are more likely to become emotionally connected to your business if you have photos of people on your website and/or in your marketing materials. Seeing other people enjoying themselves creates a positive attitude towards products and inspires trust in brands.
Trust is really important to your business because it has a direct impact on your conversion rates and your ability to sell to your audience.
Medalia Art (a website that specializes in selling Cuban and Latin American art) carried out a test on the value of including people in their photography by replacing images of paintings on their website with photographs of people. The result? This one simple switch saw the company increase its conversion rate by 95%.
If you want your new business to maximize its earning potential, then you need to include people in your photography. There are a number of ways that you can do this, including:
Use photography to control emotions
One of the most important parts of a really great photograph is its ability to capture and convey emotions — and this is particularly vital for the images you will use for your new business.
Your customers are driven by emotions and this informs their buying decisions. Your photography must support you in encouraging your customers to go on the journey that you are want them to take (a journey that ends with them buying from you).
The American Express Retail Monitor reported that retailers think that their customers care about the most detailed product information. However, a study by Psychology Today concluded that the best way to tap into a customer’s emotions is to stick to a product image and some general details.
Keep the product photography that you use as simple and easy to digest as possible. Don’t fall into the trap of stuffing your page full of unnecessary copy and details. Keep any website product pages minimalist and visual. You’ll be much more likely to make that all-important first sale….
credits: Wikimedia
Your photography must show your brand identity
Brand identity is so important. Companies live or die by the value of their brands, as customers base their buying decisions on what they think about a brand:
- Using color in your imagery increases recognition of your brand by 80%.
- 64% of customers won’t trust your brand unless they think you share their values.
- A consistent presentation for your brand will raise your revenue by 23%.
Stats from: http://info.zimmercommunications.com/blog/20-stats-that-will-remind-you-of-the-importance-of-your-branding
Your photography is a huge part of your brand identity, so it’s important that you get it right. You need to have a clear idea of what your audience sees in you, along with the picture you want to give your business audience. The more you add to your brand, the more valuable it becomes to your core operation.
Something that can be extremely valuable when assessing your visual branding is to assume an external perspective. Instead of the owner of your business, imagine that you’re a hungry entrepreneur planning to take advantage of a pre-existing business with a strong customer base and a coherent brand — can you tell what the brand is all about at a glance? Does it seem consistent? Would you want to invest in it? If not, there’s more work to be done.
There are lots of things that a new business must get right in order to have the best chance of becoming an established brand. Your photography is important — it forges connections, builds trust, and taps into your customers’ emotions. You can’t take any chances with the photography your business uses. Reach out to Blend Studios today for some professional assistance — it’s an investment that will pay off massively in the long run.
Patrick Foster is a writer and ecommerce expert from Ecommerce Tips — an industry-leading ecommerce blog dedicated to helping new businesses by sharing business and entrepreneurial insights from the sector. Check out the latest news on Twitter @myecommercetips.