How to get the perfect headshot for your website

Why do I need a photo of me on my business website?

When your potential clients visit your website they’ll want to get a sense of your brand, and the personality and team involved.  This is especially important if you’re providing services.  You may, rightly, be wanting to showcase your qualifications, past success, and testimonials – but at the end of the day, people buy from people.

Photos of you and your team are therefore a really valuable way to build trust in you and your brand. In this article, I’ll explain how to go about it.

Headshots that reflect you and your brand.

Almost every entrepreneur has, at some point, gone to a professional photographer and got ‘that’ headshot.  You know the one, your body is at an angle, you’re facing the camera, there’s that weird background.  You’re sitting on an uncomfortable stool, and what comes out is a bland and generic photo with all the fun drained out.  

It doesn’t tell you anything about you or your business, or your employees!  It’s a grown up version of the school photo.  Just slightly less cute.

Don’t pretend you’ve never done this, we all have.  Even my first website headshot was like this.

So, what kind of headshot are we looking for?

Relevant. 

Get the photo taken in your workplace, in a client’s workplace, outside, in the gym – where does your business take place?  If you run a cafe or a florist, get photos taken there, or in a related place.  Think about your props as well.  If your photo is going to include your hands, then have them do something.  Hold a pen, knead some dough, place flowers in a vase.  

Here is a perfect example of a relevant headshot – capturing Jo, a florist, assembling a bouquet.

Face on.

The purpose of your headshot is to introduce you to your potential clients.  A good headshot will make the user feel as though they know you, that you’re someone they can imagine working with. If you’re looking to the side or down, it comes across as evasive.  There’s space on your site for photos of your working without being face on to the camera, but for that ‘know me, trust me’ shot – you need to be looking directly at the camera.

Nicole Walters showing off those gorgeous white teeth with a face-on photo

Good quality. 

A headshot is not the place to be skimping on quality!  Your face needs to be in focus and well-lit. Black and white can work really well, if that’s the approach you’re going for. If you’re not comfortable about a small element of your image, ask a professional to touch it up – remove any red eye, hide a spot that suddenly appeared the morning of your shoot….  We’re not talking photoshopping until you’re unrecognisable, just removing any jarring elements that shouldn’t be there.   

Natural. 

This is key, and what makes the difference between the awkward school photo pose, and a top quality headshot.  It helps if you get on with the photographer, chat away with them about something (anything!) that excites you.  It might be your favourite type of chocolate, a heartwarming memory – you need to capture that moment where your eyes light up.  

If you’ve found this article useful, please do share.  If you’re interested in working with me at Web Alchemy, do get in touch.