5 minute read
In this article you’ll discover:
- Why customers judge your business by what they see online
- Why good photography is about more than having a good camera
- How consistent professional images help build trust
- A simple way to evaluate your own business photography
Think about the last time you searched for a restaurant, hotel, dentist, or even a place to get your car serviced.
Chances are, you looked at the photos.
You probably didn’t consciously think, “I’m evaluating this business based on its photography.” But that’s exactly what you were doing.
We all do it.
A bright, inviting photograph makes us want to know more. A dark, blurry, outdated image can make us move on almost immediately—even when the business itself may be excellent.
That’s why professional photography matters.
Customers See Your Business Before They Visit
Not that long ago, customers often experienced a business for the first time when they walked through the front door.
Today, that first visit frequently happens online.
We see the dining room before making a reservation. We look at the dental office before scheduling an appointment. We inspect the hotel room before booking it. We look inside a store before deciding whether it’s worth the drive.
And increasingly, we’re doing all of this on Google before we ever reach the business’s website.
That means your photographs aren’t simply illustrating your business anymore.
They’re helping customers decide whether to choose it.
Good Photography Isn’t About Making Things Look Fake
There’s an important distinction here.
Professional business photography shouldn’t make your business look like something it isn’t.
It should make your business look as good online as it does in person.
That’s a very different objective.
If you’ve invested in a beautiful office, attractive showroom, welcoming restaurant, comfortable waiting room, or well-designed retail space, customers should be able to see that.
Poor photography can actually hide the very things you’ve spent considerable time and money creating.
I’ve walked into businesses that looked terrific in person but you’d never know it from looking at them online.
That’s a missed opportunity.
But My Phone Takes Great Pictures
Absolutely.
Today’s smartphones have remarkably good cameras, and in the right conditions they can produce excellent photographs.
But the camera is only one part of creating an effective business photograph.
- Lighting matters.
- Composition matters.
- Perspective matters.
- Color matters.
And perhaps most importantly, knowing what to show and what not to show matters.
When I photograph a business, I’m not simply trying to document what’s in the room.
I’m thinking about the person who has never been there before.
- What should they notice first?
- What makes the space feel inviting?
- What details communicate quality?
What would make someone comfortable enough to take the next step and visit, call, make a reservation, or schedule an appointment?
That’s where professional photography becomes less about the camera and more about understanding the customer.
Consistency Builds Confidence
There’s another issue that’s easy to overlook.
Take a look through the photos on a typical Google Business Profile.
You might see one beautiful professional photograph, followed by a dark cellphone picture, an outdated exterior, a blurry customer upload, and perhaps another image taken years ago.
Individually, none of those photographs may seem particularly important.
Collectively, however, they’re creating an impression.
A coordinated collection of professional photographs tells a very different story.
- The business feels current.
- Established.
- Intentional.
- Professional.
The customer probably isn’t consciously analyzing any of this.
They simply feel the difference.
And that feeling contributes to trust.
Take a Look at Your Own Business
“We had been discussing how to get a real first quality walk-through tour of the interior of our store and outside pictures that truly represent the selection of merchandise and the size of our store. Jack is the professional we had been waiting for to get the job done and give it the personal care and commitment that it deserved. We can’t say enough good things about Jack, personable and top notch! A great job!”
Tim Koehler – Selden’s of Olympia (furniture store)
Here’s a simple exercise I recommend to business owners.
Open Google and search for your own business.
Then forget for a moment that you own it.
Look through the photographs as though you’ve never seen the business before.
Don’t ask:
Are these technically good photographs?
Instead ask:
Would these photographs make me want to visit this business?
Then search for two or three of your strongest competitors.
- Look at their photos.
- Which business appears more inviting?
- Which looks more professional?
- Which looks current?
- Which one would you feel most comfortable calling?
Most importantly:
If you knew nothing about any of these businesses except what Google showed you, which one would you choose?
That can be a surprisingly revealing exercise.
Your Photography Should Reflect the Business You’ve Built
Business owners invest enormous amounts of time and money creating a good customer experience.
- They remodel.
- They decorate.
- They upgrade equipment.
- They improve their products.
- They train employees.
- They refine their service.
- They obsess over details their customers may never consciously notice.
Then sometimes the photographs representing all of that work online were taken quickly on someone’s phone five years ago.
There’s a disconnect there.
If your business has evolved, your online presence should evolve with it.
Professional photography isn’t simply decoration for your website or Google Business Profile.
It isn’t about making things look prettier.
It’s about accurately communicating the quality of the business you’ve worked so hard to build.
Final Thought
Your potential customers may never tell you they chose your business because of your photographs.
They probably don’t even realize photography played a role.
But before they call, book, visit, or make an appointment, they’re looking.
And they’re forming an impression.
The question isn’t whether customers are judging your business by what they see online.
They are.
The question is whether what they’re seeing reflects the business you want them to discover.
About the Author
Jack von Eberstein is the founder of Online Business Tours and has spent more than a decade helping Washington businesses improve their online presence through professional photography, Google Business Profile optimization, and immersive 360° virtual tours. His work has been viewed more than 250 million times on Google.
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