Photos that sell your business: 6 tips for better photos
You don’t need a photographer for good photos of your work. A phone, some daylight and these six habits do most of it.
1:47 · No narration: the video shows each step as text on screen, and every step is written out below, with buttons that jump the video to it.
Prefer YouTube? Watch this video on our YouTube channel (opens in a new tab).
The 6 tips in the video
The video opens with a simple point: stock photos all look the same. Real photos show customers what they’ll get.
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Step 1: Use natural light
Shoot near a window or outside. Avoid harsh flash.
Daylight from the side shows texture and true colours. On a bright day, move into open shade so faces and surfaces aren’t half in glare. Flash flattens everything and bounces off glass, tiles and paintwork.
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Step 2: Keep it tidy
Clear the clutter from the background before you shoot.
Move bins, bags, tools and cables out of the frame. Before you press the button, look along the edges of the screen, because that’s where clutter hides.
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Step 3: Show before and after
Nothing proves good work like the difference.
Take the before photo from the same spot and angle as the after, so the change is the only difference. It works for gardens, kitchens, driveways, hair, cars, cleaning and repairs.
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Step 4: Hold the phone steady
Use both hands, tap to focus and keep the camera level.
Tap the screen on the part that matters to set the focus and brightness. Turn on the camera grid, and on an iPhone the level (opens in a new tab), to keep walls and worktops straight. In dim light, brace your elbows or lean on something.
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Step 5: Show the people too
You and your team at work feel more trustworthy than empty rooms.
A photo of you at work tells customers who will turn up. Ask staff and customers before you take a photo of them, and before you post it. A photo of an identifiable person counts as personal data under Jersey’s data protection law (opens in a new tab), so keep a note of who agreed.
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Step 6: Use them everywhere
On your website, your Google profile and your social pages.
Use your best photos on your website, your Google Business Profile and your social pages, and add new ones as you finish jobs. Recent photos of real work give people comparing you with a competitor something to go on.
Google Business Profile photo rules
- JPG or PNG, between 10 KB and 5 MB each (Google’s photo guidelines (opens in a new tab)).
- At least 250 by 250 pixels; Google recommends 720 by 720.
- In focus and well lit, without heavy filters or editing.
- New photos can take a day or two to appear on your profile.
Before the photos go on your website
Full-size phone photos are far bigger than a web page needs, and they slow it down. Resize them and save them as WebP or AVIF; a properly built website does this for you. Our video on speeding up a slow website explains why it matters.
Common questions
Do I need a professional photographer for my business photos?
Not for most of them. A phone, some daylight and a few habits, like a tidy background and a steady hand, give you good photos of your work.
What size should Google Business Profile photos be?
JPG or PNG, between 10 KB and 5 MB each, and at least 250 by 250 pixels. Google recommends 720 by 720, in focus and well lit, without heavy filters.
How long do new photos take to appear on my Google profile?
New photos can take a day or two to appear on your Google Business Profile.
Do I need permission to post photos of customers or staff?
Ask before you take the photo and before you post it. A photo of an identifiable person counts as personal data under Jersey’s data protection law, so keep a note of who agreed.
Should I use stock photos on my business website?
Use your own where you can. Stock photos all look the same, while real photos of your work and your team show customers what they’ll get.
Can I put photos straight from my phone on my website?
Resize them first. Full-size phone photos are far bigger than a web page needs and slow it down, so save them at about the size they show, as WebP or AVIF. A properly built website does this for you.
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