Key Pictures Every Small Business Should Have on Their Website - Plus Community Organizations

When we work on websites with local business owners or community organizations like Main Street associations and Chambers of Commerce they know they want their website to look good but often don't know what pictures they need to include.

Professional photography is always great, drones can be a great touch for some as well, however, a modern smartphone can be a sufficient starting point to capture what you need for your website. Just remember to have a steady hand and decent lighting.

We're all about simple so to simplify the process for you, we’ve included a list of pictures that are generally appropriate for each of our website and project plans. The number of pages and level of detail about your business affect the sorts of pictures you need to incorporate.

When possible, we recommend capturing pictures in landscape orientation - pictures that are wider than they are tall - as this provides the greatest flexibility for use. If you have great pictures that are not landscapes go ahead and use those where they may fit into your design.

Small Websites with Fewer than 5 Primary Pages i.e. Professional Assistance Lite

We offer this website package as a great starter website that provides a foundation you can build your marketing around while also being a great combination of affordable and requiring minimal effort... but some input ;) 

The core pages of a website include homepage, About Page, Contact Page, Product or Service Overview. As such, the images that are useful include:

• Team Pictures - in your office, in front of your store, by your trucks, etc

• Office or storefront

  • External view

  • Waiting area or entry area

  • Where customers receive service - dining room, exam room, service bays, or onsite at their residence or commercial locations

• Signage and branded materials

  • Your branded trucks or service vehicles

  • Road signage or building signs

  • Other notable signage, physical marketing materials, or local landmarks

• Product or service pictures

  • 3-5 pictures from multiple angles showing the types of products or services you offer

Websites with 6-to-Dozens of Pages - Professional Assistance

More expansive websites include a more detailed look at your business, products, and services, etc. As such, you tend to need more images to accompany the expanded content and additional details.

These sites include pages for every product or service line as well as features products or services, an overview of your process or unique approach, a client's onboarding experience, and much more.

• Team Pictures - in your office, in front of your store, by your trucks, etc

  • Individual management pictures to go with their bios as brief profiles

  • Community involvement - volunteering, ribbon cuttings, local events, or fundraisers, of course your Donations Request page, etc. 

• Office or storefront

  • External view

  • Waiting area or entry area

  • Where customers receive service - dining room, exam room, service bays, or onsite at their residence or commercial locations

  • Additional workspace pictures like executive offices, restaurant kitchen or patios, your workshop, or specialized equipment that enables you to complete projects

• Signage and branded materials

  • Your branded trucks or service vehicles

  • Road signage or building signs

  • Other notable signage, physical marketing materials, or local landmarks

• Product or service pictures

  • 3-5 pictures per product line or service line with multiple angles showing the types of products or services you offer

  • Pictures of people using your products or smiling with your products, at your business, etc

Community-Oriented Websites - Community-Wide Initiative with a website (CWI)

The CWI program often pairs a website upgrade for your Main Street, Chamber, Tourism Bureau, City, etc. with our exclusive community marketing implementation programs and automated cross-promotional tools (Local Connections™).

Given the nature of your organization and your desire to support and promote your community, there are additional pictures and perspectives that are important to represent on your website and visually support with pictures.

• Team Pictures - in your office, in front of your store, by your trucks, etc

  • Individual team pictures to go with bios for brief profiles

  • Group and individual pictures of your board, committees, and volunteers

  • Community involvement - volunteering, ribbon cuttings, local events, or fundraisers

• Office or storefront

  • External view

  • Waiting area or entry area

  • Where you interact with the community and volunteers - dining room, patio, or welcome center

  • Additional workspace pictures like executive offices, your workshops, popup shops, coworking spaces, etc.

  • Additional venues worth noting such as amphitheaters, museums, theaters, parks, historical monuments, attractions, etc

• Signage and branded materials

  • Your branded service vehicles

  • Road signage, Way-Finding or building signs

  • Your Main Street, square, parking lots or structures, murals, and farmer’s markets

  • Interesting business signage

  • Other notable signage, physical marketing materials, or local landmarks

• Product or service pictures

  • Do you offer coupon cards, have you produced flyers for events or promotions, do you offer local swag (mugs, t-shirts, etc)?

Pictures can also convey some of your likeability and values - these are 2 of the 4 reasons people choose to work with you.

Your pictures can help people feel welcome to reduce the anxiety that comes with approaching a business for the first time. How often do you walk into a business and aren’t sure what to expect on the first visit? 

Exterior photos give potential customers a reference point for when they are trying to reach you or remember where you're located. By knowing what the outside looks like, they will have a much easier time finding you, especially if your business is a little off the beaten path.

One thing to keep in mind is to place impactful images above the fold on each page. This means that they should be visible when a visitor first loads the webpage. 

Your business blog will feature pictures of related projects, products, or people. If you're looking for simple things you can do to market your business check out our industry-specific marketing and content plans.