by Lionel GadouryVacations and photography have always gone hand in hand. The Web is a very visual world and we’ve all come to expect great images. Holiday pictures create powerful memories that can be shared with friends and relatives.
But before the holiday, pictures also have the power to convince, to persuade and to sell. The shots that were once in paper catalogues are on the Web to help visitors decide whether they’re going to make memories with you or with someone else. The quality of the photography, the subject matter and the layouts all contribute to your site visitors’ decision making.
Remember that on the Web, people don’t “read”, they “scan”. In just mille-seconds they develop an impression, and it’s pictures that communicate the fastest. Nothing sells as well as captivating, engaging images.
Top 9 ways to make your Web pictures close the sale
1. Every picture should be the story. Make your shots work hard with real “content” so that viewers can get real meaning from them. And don’t save them for a photo gallery – your best shots should be on your home page and other key pages.
2.There are no fall colours in December. If it’s winter, visitors expect winter shots. Because pictures communicate so quickly, an out-of-date photograph says that the whole site must be stale. Understand that the content also has to change – not just the pictures.
3. Give every picture a caption. Studies show that visitors look at pictures first, read the caption second and then decide whether to read the rest of the text. Search engines also look at captions, which helps your ranking. Not having captions is a missed opportunity.
4. Google reads “alt tags”. Do your pictures have alt tags? Make sure you include a description of each picture as part of your site programming. These are called alt tags. An alt tag is a description of the picture and is visible when people surf with pictures off (common for visually-impaired users). Alt tags are also picked up by search engines such as Google that can significantly improve your rankings.
5. People want to see people. If you’re showing off your beach, how about some swimmers? Ski hills look better with skiers and snowboarders. Pictures with people help viewers imagine themselves in that situation.
6. Snapshots are for bloggers. Take your own pictures only if you’re a very good photographer. No fuzzy under-lit shots. Make sure every one is a keeper. Crop them so that they are truly focused on what you want to show. Otherwise, hire a professional once a season. Search for local professional-grade photographers. If cost is an issue, barter photographs for recognition on your site or a link to their site. The bottom line is nothing sells your sizzle – warmth, personality and image – like great pictures. This applies to big destinations as well as small bed and breakfasts.
7.Keep pictures BIG and files small. This part takes particular skill – make sure the file size of your pictures is as small as possible while maintaining the quality of the photo. Typically, software such as Photoshop is used to adjust the picture’s resolution, cropping, colour balance and file size. Remember, large files take longer to download and about 50% of Canada’s population is still on dial-up connections.
8. Make photos your testimonials. Get your customers involved. Create a contest, offer a giveaway and have customers submit their photographs. Make sure you get them to sign a release to allow you to use the shots. (By the way, photo contests are great list builders for your email list – not to be overlooked!)
9. Send photographic e-cards. Combine good photography with a permission-based mailing list and you’ve got the basis for an ongoing campaign. Emails get forwarded to friends and family. There’s nothing like a recommendation accompanied by a great shot.
The Tourism Marketer’s Bottom Line: Good photography is critical to your marketing efforts. Travelers will stay on your site if you make it engaging enough through your pictures and other content. The more time they spend, the more likely they are to buy. Make sure your site’s photography drives your business, delivers search engine visits and gets people to share their memories with other potential buyers.
Our Offer to You
How should you start improving your e-marketing efforts? Start with our offer of 3 hours of complimentary E-marketing Consulting. This will be three hours of practical, no-nonsense consulting about your site, your e-marketing efforts. We understand your business is unique, so this session will be about you. You’ll be able to apply what you’ve learned immediately and successfully. Imagine if your new e-marketing efforts could increase your business by 10, 20 or 50 percent. What would that mean to you?
After the meeting we’ll follow up with a summary report with suggested next steps. You’ll be able to take immediate action to start a high performance e-marketing initiative for your business. Contact Lionel Gadoury to get started with our offer.
