Pictures Influence Perceptions

I have a saying and it goes “Pictures Influence Perceptions.” When I’m developing contractor websites or any website development I’ll often get asked to put pictures up. When businesses are putting pictures on their website for me personally I always go for quality over quantity. And I try to pay attention to the details because in my opinion pictures give perceptions right? Pictures will drive a person’s perception of your business. How they generally perceive your business. 

The Impact of Quality Imagery on Customer Perception

If your pictures are kind of crappy they’re going to think your business is kind of crappy. And if your pictures are immaculate or the content you put out is immaculate then they’re going to think, man this business really does top-notch work with everything they do. Pictures are no different and so I want to show you guys kind of an example of something that I experience kind of regularly and maybe this will help you guys take a look at some of the stuff you have out there on your social media, on your websites and maybe consider that maybe you should consider doing something a little bit differently. Maybe consider things a bit more before you post them. And maybe even take the time to really think about how your potential customers may perceive your business after seeing these pictures. Again, because Pictures Influence Perceptions.

Analyzing Example Scenarios

Take a look at what I’m talking about here. So for example if I were to put this on my site and say I’m selling this Coop here for $40,000 take a look at it what do you think? You’d probably say well I’m not sure that’s worth $40,000. And then I say, well you know what when it’s done it’s going to be gorgeous it’s going to be beautiful wait till you see it you know, just buy it from me and when it’s done you’ll see that it is worth the 30 or $40,000 I’m asking for. 

You’d probably say no way. You know, this is kind of like an in-progress thing. And that’s kind of that disconnect where I’m showing you something, but not what you’re buying, right?

Caution Against Misleading Imagery

And then another example of things I see out in the wild, on people’s websites. Mostly contractors that are showing their business or what it is they offer.

Here’s another thing I run into often. I’m going to sell you this hot rod. I want to sell you this for 30-40K or whatnot. And here’s a picture, what do you think? You’re probably going to say well I can’t see the back half of the car. Apparently, you got thirsty, you put a Coke can on the roof of the car that’s probably not good. You know it’s not treating the car very good. And there seems to be some sort of a towel covering one of the front wheels. I can’t even see the profile of the wheels. Apparently, you know a deer got hit and is dead on the back of the road over there.

Choosing the Right Imagery for Business Representation

Is this some of the things somebody selling this car would do? Would they put out a picture like this? I mean this may be cool for the making of or something but you know putting up a picture like this, and then trying to sell the final product just doesn’t work. And then this picture where you got all sorts of other stuff in the way just doesn’t work as well. 

The Importance of Selective Image Display

So the reason why I’m showing you this is because I’ll get pictures like this. And you know, if you have 200 pictures, that doesn’t necessarily mean they should all go on your website. So right now I’m cleaning up a bunch of photos. You know it takes a lot of time to clean up photos. Sift through a whole bunch of photos. But while this is good for your records, this isn’t something that this contractor would want on their website, in my opinion. And I’ll speak with him about it. People looking to get a driveway installed may be interested in the making of it, but this isn’t the final product you know. What do you see here? You see a mess. You see a bucket, you see a wheelbarrow, you see heavy machinery and tools lying around. A hose over here. 

Considerations Before Posting Images

You know what the impression is, this is a construction site, right? Most people don’t want to feel like it’s going to be a construction site, it just gives that kind of you know, scary feeling. And here’s another one. Obviously, work is being done but look at this backyard, it’s destroyed. This bobcat is ripping up this property, there is mud in the backyard now, and obviously, it’s a construction zone. Obviously work is getting done. But is this really what picture you’d want to put out? And say, this is going to be a beautiful patio. You’re interested in getting a patio from us but looking at this picture that’s not what anybody wants to see in my opinion. Obviously, this is the work being done but this isn’t something you want on your website? Not in my opinion. Remember, Pictures Influence Perceptions.

Enhancing Imagery for Positive Customer Impressions

Unless people or a customer asks you, can I see some making of pictures, great send it to him. You know, this is the kind of work that’s involved. But in my opinion, you want to put the final finished product out there because Pictures Influence Perceptions. So let me show you guys what I mean. 

I’m doing some quick things that I like to do as far as you know fixing some of these pictures that I get. And I try to put the best out there. Put your best foot forward and kind of take the time to make these pictures the best they can be.

Quick Edits for Better Presentation

So in this picture for example, if you’re a contractor and you’re putting pictures on your website, you know now this is the finished product. But unfortunately, we got like this caution tape here, we got some sticks lying around. Obviously the grass is shot, that’s not the contractor’s fault. But it does take away from the picture you know. What I like to do obviously, in a perfect world, you know before the picture was taken all these stakes would be out, the caution tape wouldn’t be there. It might be a good idea to take the time to consider these things.

Presenting the Best Version of Your Work

I am going to share what I like to do before I put anything on the web. I try and you know, clean it up a bit. Let’s put our best foot forward for those who are on the other side, who are considering hiring us. They may not want to see that crazy construction zone. They may be more inclined to seeing a nice more finished product. then an under-construction project. So I’ll go in and I’ll clean up these photos. I’m not telling you guys that you need to learn how to do Photoshop. That’s not what this is about okay. What I’m trying to share here is that it’s good to consider, when you’re taking pictures of your services, of your finished products, consider the end-user. Consider the potential customer. The potential buyer. Consider their reaction to these photos.

Quick Demonstration of Photo Enhancement

What I’m going to do, I’m going to revert this real quick okay so this is the original here. We’ll duplicate this, Okay and now I will go in real quick, do that work and obviously I’m going to work very very quickly. I’m not going to spend a ton of time here. But you guys obviously see what we’re going after. What I’m trying to share is to consider how the customers are going to see and perceive your business from these photos. So this is something I’ll do now. Most of the contractors I talk to, when I say, hey you want me to spend some time and retouch it. They say nah nah nah. That’s fine, I took good pictures. But these are the pictures I got. 

Before-and-After Example for Illustration

See I got rid of that stick. Take a look I mean, we’re 10 seconds in 20, 30 seconds, and maybe a minute in right. By taking the time to do this, it’s just going to force people, if there’s nothing else in the picture, if the picture is devoid of any weirdness right, then they focus on your work. The beautiful driveway that you installed. Obviously I can keep going and remove the table in this. And then I also do something like this. I’ll take a picture with some good grass, and then I’ll go back over here and I’ll put that good grass on another. Take that good grass kind of spread it around on here.

Again I’m not trying to show you guys you need to learn Photoshop. What I’m telling you is that you may want to consider your pictures before you put them on the website. Or even more so, before you even take them, you know you may want to consider. Taking the sticks off the lawn. Taking all the things that just shouldn’t be in the picture. Take them out of the picture so that people can focus on the quality work.

Improve Customer Perception Through Thoughtful Imagery

Obviously, there’s going to be dirt in some of these pictures but I’m just kind of showing you when you take the time to try and put the best quality photos out there, it’s only helping your business right, it’s certainly not going to hurt. So by doing this, I’ll show you a quick like before and after what this is obviously very very quickly done. He was like that before and here was kind of the after. It starts to look quite a bit better in that minute’s worth of work. Obviously I can make this all look a bit more realistic. I can clean this all up. I mean for a quick thing you know it looks quite a bit better. 

Maintaining Authenticity While Enhancing Presentation

Another thing is so this is a beautiful Pool Patio. In a perfect world, he couldn’t have taken this out of the picture. Maybe he could have put some sort of board up there or something like that. But you know also that’s why I do this. I’ll offer this and it’s something that you guys obviously should consider or are probably already doing. But for the guys who aren’t this is what you can do to make these pictures a bit better.

Pictures Influence Perceptions. So by putting pictures of people lying around on job sites, you know empty bottles lying around. Dirty Machinery,  putting the construction phase on your website, I just don’t think it really aids or adds any sort of value to the consumer. It just makes him think that it’s going to be a mess on my property. I just want to show you guys that, obviously you know this is a bit extreme, but you can see how already by removing the stuff. Pictures Influence Perceptions! I’m not tricking people, I’m just getting them to focus on what my client wants them to focus on. Which is the quality work he’s done.

You guys are seeing me do it, so you know it may seem artificial to you, but to people who haven’t seen this photo they’re not going to know the difference. Again, it’s not about tricking people but it’s about giving the best possible picture. So this is the original, and the revision right. And that’s obviously very very quickly done but you could see the difference.

You know that’s kind of like me telling you I’m going to sell you a website right and here it is. You know it’s going to be a $5,000 website here it is, it’s under construction. I wouldn’t do that. I will show you a fine polished website. That’s kind of what I thought. Here’s what I’m actually selling you. Not the making of what I’m selling you. Here’s what I’m actually selling you. And that’s why when you have this picture here, you’re probably looking to get this picture here.

So just a quick video to show you guys why in my opinion, the pictures you post on your website develop the perception of your business for your customers. So when you put stuff on your website, no matter what it is, the pictures and the videos should really always consider what you’re putting out there and how your customers are going to react to it. What they’re going to think.

Now you’re in love with your work so you’re staring at that damn car that you’re building, but you know if you don’t notice the dead deer in the background in the picture, that you know the other people may not be so focused on what it is you trying to sell. Hopefully, that was useful to you guys.

Please visit my website ATDNY.com which stands for all things digital New York. Get some tips and stuff like that. I have free checklists to help you learn that your website should have. A website optimization checklist. I have a Facebook ads checklist, Google Business checklist, and social media marketing checklist, so please visit my website ATDNY.com. And if you found this video, Pictures Influence Perceptions useful, wherever you’re seeing it, please like, subscribe, and share. You know pack it up and send it to a friend and share to friends and family, people who may get use out of it. I hope to help you guys do your business a little bit differently and hopefully a little bit better.