5 essential photos for your website.
Us humans, we’re visual creatures. It’s the thing we notice first about anything. Someone’s hair color, fashion choices, or smile. The cover of a book, the décor at a restaurant, or the way a delicious meal lies on a plate. We judge based on appearance first, whether we realize it or not. And it’s that initial impression that either turns us on or turns us off.
Since this is a universal truth for those of us who have eyesight, it should come as no surprise that photography plays an enormous role in branding. The look and feel of a brand is the first thing we experience, and we choose to learn more about it when we like what we see.
That’s why it’s essential to thoughtfully curate original photos for your website. They need to not only capture who you are, what you do, and why you’re awesome, but they also need to tell a story.
For example, if you’re a health coach who specializes in healthy meal planning, a photo of you in the kitchen cooking, writing down recipes, or organizing your refrigerator with meals for the week ahead is the story you want to tell. You want to show what your specialty is so that your website visitors can absorb that right away. In contrast, a simple photo of you with a basket of kale and tomatoes isn’t going to be as interesting or effective.
Creating the visual story for your website starts with understanding what photos are most important. While this may differ for everyone, there are 5 essential images every website should have. And I’m sharing a recent client photo shoot as an example for each one!
The homepage hero image. This is the first thing your visitors are going to see when they land on your homepage, so it’s important to think through what you want this image to evoke. Do you want it to show you in action? Or should it just be a collection of props like food neatly organized in a beautiful kitchen? When considering this, think about what would resonate most with your target audience. You want this photo to make them intrigued by you and your services.
The inviting head shot. When your website visitors meet your face for the first time, it’s important that your picture that’s not only inviting, but that also captures who you really are. That could be you standing with a real smile in your kitchen or office. It could be you sipping on a smoothie or laughing before you start meditating. Or it could be you standing in front of a simple background with a facial expression you love. This is an image that will live on your homepage and/or about page.
The detailed action shots. In my opinion, there’s nothing more compelling than action shots. These showcase you at work whether that’s typing on your computer, chopping delicious veggies, or meditating. If you’re a health coach, perhaps that means a photo of you chatting with a client live or virtually. Either way images like these are great for your services page or about page to showcase what you do and how you do it.
The lifestyle shots. I love capturing cozy, real moments. Whether that’s someone sitting cross-legged on the floor with a cup of tea, enjoying a moment of writing in their journal, walking outside in a beautiful park, or shopping at the grocery story. Having images that showcase who you are and how you live your life are great for your about page or future blog posts.
The brand shots. Every brand has brand pillars: the 3-5 elements of your brand story. So if you’re a health coach they may be nutrition, lifestyle, coaching, and entrepreneurship. That means you want a variety of photos that involve food and nutrition, a healthy lifestyle, what health coaching looks like, and what being an entrepreneur looks like. These could be images of props alone or you (or part of our body) with the props.
As you can probably tell, all of this requires a bit of thought and preparation. However, the best way to plan for your photo shoot is to connect with the core message and mission of your brand. What does your brand stand for? What results does it get for your clients? What vibe do you want people to associate with you and your work?
If you’re not clear on this part, I recommend spending some time answering these questions and then going on Pinterest to get some visual inspiration before your photo shoot.
How do you feel about your website photography? What story is it telling? Would you change anything about it? Tell me in the comments below.
Side note: The images above are of Primavera Salva, an amazing spiritual teacher and yogi located in New York City. Her website will be lauching in the fall. So I’ll share more then!