I love when I first meet with clients and they are telling me why they don’t like their photos.

Normally, they can’t quite pinpoint what they don’t like about the photos they have now, they just know they want them to be better.

Many times they …

• are using stock photos

• have generic photos of the town where they are located

• are using photos taken by their brother’s sister’s cousin’s friend

• settling for mobile photo photos

• have invested in photos before but the photos don’t represent their brand

If you’re wondering if your website really represents your brand well, consider the images used because they are a huge driver in telling your story. Your ideal customer is out there, but you need photos they relate to — photos that are compelling — photos that show off your personality so they can get to know the heart behind your business.

Relevant images – instead of “filler” images that only have the purpose to look pretty – enhance the user experience. They deliver a contextual message, which answers the need for information.

When it comes to websites, images matter because their role is to capture the attention of the visitor.

For example… Everyone has seen the financial planner website that has photos of the town they are in or a stock photo of a person speaking with a client. Do either one of these scenarios give you a sense of financial success? To me, not at all! If I’m trying to find a financial expert who I want to help me with my money, photos of success are going to do the trick. If they used photos of a wealthy retired couple who looks relaxed and secure or images of someone traveling or spending time at their lake house, those are going to insight confidence in them helping me succeed instead of just seeing what town they are located in.

This leads to better SEO since you’re giving the viewer something interesting to view. Plus, the metadata on a photo will help users find your business. When you label photos correctly, search engines can find you easier because your image will show more relevance to a search resulting in more clicks.

Curious what photo you need on your website?

Get the guide here.