Using Photos to Enhance Your Small Business Website Design

Using Photos to Enhance Your Website
Affordable small business website design is often about being creative. We live in a visual era where people need stimulation and expect to get their information quickly. It's no mistake that Google allows you to perform image and video searches. People demand it.

Images convey powerful messages. They can influence needs, create wants, and inspire thought. By having better photos on your website, you can create better imagery that will convey your message more strongly and quickly than words. If you do that correctly, visitors will actually be compelled to read the words you spent so much time crafting.

Website Photos: Website A vs Website B
I can't tell you how many times companies crush their competition just by having better photos on their website. This is especially true with hotel, vacation home, and cabin rentals. For example, Website A has great rooms and wonderful accommodations, but those aspects are presented with amateur pictures. Website B has mediocre rooms and lackluster accommodations, but those qualities are showcased with professional photography and appealing angles.

Why are more people booking their inferior lodging with Website B? Because they don't know that Website A has better rooms and accommodations for the same price or even cheaper. Why is that?

Upon visiting Website A, people saw mediocre pictures and a lackluster design on the homepage. The low quality photos didn't exactly inspire them to read more about the rooms. On the other hand, upon visiting Website B people are reading about the rooms, accommodations, and pricing - the funny thing is that they are not really remembering what they've read. They're remembering more of what they saw because visuals or more memorable and inspiring. But the words are reinforcing the memorable or exciting imagery.

Website Photos: Restaurant A vs Restaurant B
Where would you rather eat based on these pictures? Restaurant A or B?

Most people are going to choose Restaurant B because it doesn't matter that Restaurant A's fries actually taste better... Restaurant B's fries look like they taste better. In reality, both fries are from the same restaurant, but these pictures illustrate the impact that good photography makes.  

Getting Photography for Websites
If you can afford a professional photographer, do it! It will pay off in the end. If you can't afford one right now, you can buy professional photographs for websites online at an affordable rate. Either option is better than you uploading pictures from you $80 camera. That camera is great for vacations - not for business.

Remember... you're not trying to show pictures of your products or services - you're goal is to create imagery that inspire customers to use your products or services. It will help your small business website conversion.

Affordable Stock Photography: shutterstock.com, corbisimages.com, istockphoto.com, gettyimages.com

Affordable Small Business Website Design: web.com, setmysite.com, homestead.com, 123triad.com

Why Small Businesses Need Websites

Why small businesses need websites...... really? Maybe you're thinking, "Does my small business need a website?" The answer... "Yes." Maybe it's the complications or difficulty of finding affordable web design. Whatever your excuse, there are tons of reasons why small businesses need websites.

This statistic should explain maybe the biggest reason why small businesses need websites -  according to Google, "over 45% of online searches are now done by people looking for local businesses;" that's almost one out of every two people online! And search engines are now better connecting searchers with the local services their looking for.

"So why do I need a website?" People are looking for services you offer, and your competitors with websites are supplying the demand. That's why small businesses need websites - it's the 21st century; consumers now find information online. Phone books and paper directories are rapidly becoming obsolete. Consumers have changed. Their curiosities are no longer answered by a simple telephone number and address.

Traditional and pushy advertising has become less effective. According to CBS Sunday Morning, the average person sees 5,000 ads daily - we've trained ourselves to ignore them. Modern consumers don't want you to find them... they want to find you... when they're ready. This cultural shift is the main reason why small businesses need websites.

There's another reason why you need a website - nowadays, it's standard expectation. If you don't have a site, your business loses legitimacy with today's consumers even if you've been in business for 30+ years. You might not like that fact - unfortunately, it's a matter of fact.

Modern marketing is powerful. People like what they know. If you're not giving them the opportunity to know you, you're not giving yourself much of an opportunity; it's just another reason why small businesses need websites.

"I'm different. Does my small business need a website?" Books could be written about all the reasons why small businesses need websites... wait... a bunch already have been.


Looking for affordable small business website design? Read my blog to find out what constitutes "affordable."
What Constitutes Affordable Small Business Web Design?


Affordable web design companies worth considering: SetMySite.com, Web.com, 123Triad.com, AngelsAffordableWebDesign.com, Homestead.com, Wix.com


Do you have any reasons why small businesses need websites? Comment below!

What Constitutes Affordable Small Business Website Design?

When you're looking for affordable small business website design services, think about the big picture. Don't get suckered in by a tempting price with expensive baggage. Often, I find that small business owners don't factor in the total cost of their website because they're unfamiliar with the process and all the things involved - maybe it's their first website.

For all you rookies, you may want to look at companies like Web.com or Set My Site that cover all the costs associated with having a website. If you're new, it's often easier to let one company handle all your expenses then going with multiple companies just to save a dollar or two. (Tip: The only cost you don't want to bundle is your domain registration and hosting. Keep those with separate companies.)

No matter what company you finally decide to go with, be sure analyze their offer. Web designers and web development companies often push the value of their upfront price. But are all those "affordable monthly payments" due upfront for a year's worth of service? And what about the other costs associated with your website? Affordable small business website design is more than just the upfront price. There are a lot of other costs involved with having a website. Here are some important questions to start with...

• Is there a down payment? If so, how much?
• What do I get for the down payment?
• Does this include my hosting? If so, for how many months?

And here's the biggest catch often associated with "affordable small business website design" - updates. How much will it cost for updates or changes things to your website? How does the pricing work?

These costs can really add up. A lot of web designers will charge anywhere from $20 to $150 an hour. Did you consider that in your affordable small business website design budget calculations? Your business changes and your website will need to change with it. Whether it's a holiday special, announcements, or new products, you want to keep your website current and up to date without breaking the bank. Questions to ask regarding updates include:

• How much do updates cost? How does the pricing work?
• Am I able to update the website myself?
• Will your web design software allow another web designer to update my website?

Affordable small business website design is only affordable if the total cost fits your budget. If your designer is not including all the costs, how affordable is it really? You need to ask the right questions to get the full picture.

There's a lot of small business web designers out there. Some of the affordable small business website design companies that I recommend are Web.com and SetMySite.com. They do a great job of providing small businesses with affordable website solutions... but more importantly... comprehensive solutions. Do some research and find a company that works for your needs.

Yes... I Googled

It's amazing to me to see the kinds of emails and listen to the kinds of questions I get on a regular basis about affordable small business website design 101. I get questions on everything from, "What's the difference between a Trademark and a Copyright?" to "How much should I sell my domain name for?" I understand that when there's someone in the family who is particularly skilled at something, the other family members flock to him or her for help. Common instances of this occurrence include having a doctor in the family, having a musician in the family, or having a computer nerd in the family to resolve the issues you cannot.

But what's more amazing to me is how often an answer to these simple questions could have been generated about a million times quicker and with nearly as much accuracy by simply Googling the question. In today's information age, the answers you're looking for are surely online somewhere. It's Google's job to find them for you. Let Google do their job. The next time you need to find out why you have red freckles on your belly, leave your doctor cousin out of it. She's already very busy. Google will direct you to a little resource called WebMD and you'll find your answers in no time. To the Google!