Want to know what websites are made out of? Most websites are a mix of three vital elements: design, imagery, and copywriting. These three things all work to convert a website viewer to a paying customer or client. While design and copywriting are big pieces of the puzzle, we can’t stress enough that your photos are usually the part of your website that are working the hardest for you.
If a photo is worth a thousand words, then we believe that creating custom, unique, and powerful imagery can turn a business into a brand. Photos can make or break your website design. They are the first thing you notice when visiting a website, the most visually appealing (or unappealing), and the thing that has the most potential to create an instant connection.
Carefully curated imagery in your brand and on your website can set you apart from your competitors, instantly establish the mood of your brand, and attract your ideal client all at once. Plus, from a practicality standpoint, images on your site break up content so information is easily digestible and creates a visually stimulating experience.
There are a lot of ways to source photos for your website such as using stock photos, taking photos yourself, but one of the best ways to get quality photos that really reflect your brand and attract your ideal client is to book a custom photoshoot to use the photos for your website -- and bonus -- for your social media!
Our team at GoLive preps, plans, and schedules a custom photoshoot for our own brand once a quarter. We hire a photographer, gather inspiration, create a shot list and get completely custom images.
Signs you’re ready for a custom photoshoot for your brand, blog or business…
You’ve got a product, service or offering launch coming soon
Your website has been live for a couple of weeks or months or even years with stock photography and DIY photos and you’re ready to take your brand up a notch.
You’re ready to take your social media strategy to the next level with more branded imagery
You’ve had an increase in sales or bookings so you have a bigger budget for branding
You’re preparing for a complete website or brand redesign and you need new photos to match your new direction
If you’re considering updating your DIY photos or your stock photos to something more custom, here are 5 big benefits about getting something custom that may help push you to make the move!
Top 5 Benefits Of A Custom Photoshoot For Your Brand:
1. You Will Look More Professional and Credible.
Getting professionally produced images that are custom to you can increase your perceived credibility. This makes you look more professional online, which helps visually prove that you actually do (and offer) what you say you do. Plus, it shows that you’ve been doing it long enough to get professional images.
2. You Set Yourself Apart From Your Competition.
When you have custom images, your images will be one of a kind. This can differentiate your brand and help you stand out. Stock images are great to use when you’re starting out - especially when you’re on a budget - but stock images can be used by anyone. If your competition is using stock photos, you can put yourself a step ahead by swapping them with something custom.
PRO TIP: If you get photos of HOW you do what you do, you are also showing off your unique approach and process. That alone will visually showcase how you’re unique and unlike anyone else.
3. Your Brand Will Be More Cohesive.
Your brand is much more than your logo and a set of colors. It’s how your whole entire brand experience comes together visually. Strong brands are consistent and cohesive in every way – from the mission and vision, to the products and services, right down to the logo and branding elements. When you have custom images on your social media profiles and your website, the whole experience is cohesive to your ideal client or customer.
4. You Can Better Attract Your Ideal Client.
When your ideal client lands on our social media or website, you want them to feel like your products and services were made just for them. This creates a much faster conversion to sale, or helps to get a website viewer to book or buy from you more quickly.
When you get custom photos done, you can hire models or grab a couple of friends that look like your ideal client to showcase them in your images. Doing this will create an instant connection when people are able to see themselves in your custom imagery. At GoLive, we do this by having women between the ages of 25-35 in our photos that look like they are working on their computer to showcase our ideal clientele of girlbosses looking to launch their website.
5. The Photos Are Reusable For Social Media And Other Content.
You’ll find that an investment into a photoshoot is well worth the time and money when you can literally use these images for anything for your brand. Talk to your photographer and let them know what you intend to use the photos for before the shoot. With the right agreement, you can use your custom photos for your website, product photos, social media, Pinterest, your blog, paid Facebook Ads, and more.
One of the signs that you’re ready for a custom shoot is that you have a big launch coming up! If you’re launching a new product, new service or if you’ve planned out your blog content ahead of time, work that into your custom photoshoot! This helps you to get the most bang for your buck out of your shoot if you’re thinking ahead to what photos you’ll need for the future.