Take Your Pics

This is a nice picture. But who cares? It's not your picture. Stock photos can be used at a website to complement the products being sold. But while they can set the mood for the products, they can't represent the products.

            

People want to see what they are buying, not cheap stock photos. If you can't hire a professional photographer, here's a tip. Everyone has a digital camera or a relative or neighbor with a digital camera. Get some tips from the website of the brand of camera you use or use online tips, like these or these, and learn how to make your products look their best.

Before the advent of affordable digital camera technology, stock photos instead of pictures of the real thing were understandable. Those days are gone. Today, there's no excuse for poorly lit, fuzzy, warped, ugly or irrelevant product photos. This applies no matter how small or start up a business may be.

So beg, borrow or steal (kidding) a digital camera, get some free advice and get out there and take your pics!

Comments

[Valerie]

I agree with your perspective on photos. Photos on a website influence my impression of the company. Bad pictures leave a poor impression and appear unprofessional. I think there is a place for stock photos but within limits.

I'm in the mineral makeup business and there are countless companies (big and small) using stock photos to sell their makeup. That gives the impression that the makeup you are selling is what is used on the models when it isn't. I believe that's misleading to consumers.

[Emily Caswell]

I totally agree! As with most people, I know that when I'm shopping, I make decisions based on what the products look like, and with online shopping, the photo is all you get. Dark, fuzzy, blurry photos on websites don't impress anyone. Decent photos are a must: the words on web pages may bring in customers, but the pictures sell your products.

To repeat what one of your linked articles mentions, buying a camera is the best investment you'll ever make. Equipment and photo software (like Photoshop Elements) are so reasonably priced that it's also a minimal investment. In my experience, it pays for itself quickly, and over and over again. Great advice, Donna Maria--and no more excuses! Great photos are available to anyone and should be a priority!