Modern websites and professionally done Headshots
The other day I was doing some research on businesses I had met during a recent networking event and was surprised to see that several of the businesses had websites that looked very outdated, not mobile friendly, and the messaging was not very good. And the icing on the cake was the headshots of their team looked like pictures in a high school yearbook in the 80’s – more on that in a minute.
Had I been searching for their services as a potential client, I likely would have kept searching or at best have a very poor impression of their firm. If they can’t make the investment in a modern website, what does that say about their business? Their success? Their ability to help me with solutions that are modern in today’s world? I’ve written about the importance of first impressions, and this one was not very positive. And while I’m certain a good deal of their business comes from existing clients and referrals, I can’t help but wonder how much new business they’re losing because of their poor website. And even if they have strong referrals, clients looking for their type of service will still check out their website/people – and they may continue to look elsewhere.
And their headshots were just as problematic – the smiles looked fake, the lighting/background looked dated and their just wasn’t a good “energy” coming from their images. It was clear the images were taken some time ago (OK, maybe my eye is trained to see these things more than most people), but when combined with the state of their website, I couldn’t help but wonder if they were about to close their business, or at best were stuck in the 1980’s.
Modern websites and up to date/professional looking headshots give off an energy/first impression that your business is real, here to stay, and successful – it’s your storefront, your corporate brochure and often times the first exposure a potential client has with your business. Do you remember your first date as an adult with someone you wanted to impress? Chances are you showered, dressed nicely, etc. because you wanted to make a good first impression (likely also true the first time you met your prospective in-laws!). If you don’t have a good first impression, likely there won’t be a second date.
Same is true for websites and headshots – and if you’re a business where potential clients want to learn about/digitally meet your staff, that first impression is even more important.
In the image below, the images of the management team on the left looked dated, inconsistent – if you saw them on a page with no description you would be hard pressed to think they all worked for the same company. Contrast this with the images on the right – Consistent, contemporary look – they LOOK successful – a very positive first impression.
Modern, responsive, and compelling websites and headshot images are key elements of your digital footprint and marketing program. Yes, they are significant investments (when done properly) but the payoffs are more leads and a better first impression for potential and current clients. If you’ve updated your website and/or headshot recently, what has been your experience in terms of the response? Love to hear your stories!
