If you’ve checked out our latest podcast episode, we’ve been discussing things that can help business owners prepare for a web design project. One of those things is having headshots ready to submit for your About Me page on your website. 

As a small business owner, it’s SO important to have a photo of you on your website so prospective customers know who they are doing business with.  Having a professional photo of you relaxed and smiling at the camera improves your perceived professionalism and trustworthiness.

Website data also agrees that having a photo is best! Recent studies have shown that a web page with a human photo on it compared to an identical page with only product images will increase your conversion rate!  (Conversion Rate = people continuing down your website sales funnel and submitting an inquiry or booking your services)  You want more inquiries that lead to sales, right? Make sure that headshot is helping your website do it’s job.

Headshots can also be used for social media content or to spruce up your marketing materials! You can add your headshots to onboarding documents, newsletters, business cards, and more!  If your business is ever featured in an article or podcast, you will already have your headshots ready to send. Having a photo prepared for these occasions applies the above points to those areas!  

“Jade . . . headshots aren’t in the budget right now”

Totally get that! In the early days of running a business – sticking to your budget is everything.  There are so many wonderful resources that provide DIY smartphone headshot tips on YouTube and Pinterest.  This is a great, inexpensive way to get you your first headshot! The hardest part is finding good lighting.  Indoors, facing a window, with a neutral clean background is a great choice.  If your outdoors, doing it in early morning or evening when light is softer is recommended. 

If you do have space in your budget to work with a professional photographer- DO IT.  When working with a professional, they will handle the planning + lighting + posing and all you have to do is plan your outfits, staging items, and smile!  Like most creative-based businesses, there are a a lot of photography styles and budgets out there!  You’ll be able to find people who are just starting out and photographers that specialize in branding + headshot packages. Sometimes around holidays you may find someone offering mini sessions which are usually a smaller investment. Think about what works for your business and find someone who fits the vibe of your industry. 

Jade’s New Headshots

I try to practice what I preach and update my own every few years and did that recently! I am SO excited about my updated headshots… but before I share a peek of them all, I wanna show you my journey from DIY to professional headshots. 

• I launched my business in 2018 with this photo of me sitting on landscaping brick…. with a house AND a tree sticking out of my head! Looking back, I think this is a cute photo but not the most professional? (Can we take a moment to admire the millennial scarf fashion though <3 )  I did a good job finding even lighting for the photo, but now that I know more about branding + headshot photography, I should have reduced background clutter.
• My very first set of branding headshots were snapped by my husband in my home office.  We have a mix of posed shots and action shots of me working- the posing and props were very professional. I love them so much, it was a special season for our budding design agency.  However, I think there’s something about front-lit portraits that draw people in.  Using window light behind me for a lot of these shadowed my eyes and smile.  These are still good photos, but having eyes that pop and make a connection with viewers is something I look for in portraits now. 
• My friend and I took a trip in 2020 and stayed in the CUTEST hotel room that was decorated in my branding colors.  These images are SO fun and approachable which is an important part of my brand, but in some of the faux working shots you can tell I’m in a hotel room.  It’s not the worst, but it is something I wanted to avoid in the future. 
• In 2021 I did an outdoor headshot swap with a photographer friend and they turned out great! I got great lighting + poses, but didn’t get to incorporate many design elements into the shoot that would be useful for social content. 
• For my 2023 updates, I chose indoor studio style portraits with seamless paper and I LOVE how timeless and professional they look!  My friend from Jana Grady Photography did a great job and she was so fun to work with! If you’re in the North Alabama / Huntsville area I totally recommend her. We got the standard smiling photos, faux working photos, detail images, and even some fun branding headshots that can be used for celebratory, spunky content.  

Graphic Designer Website Headshots

Fun Branding Headshots

We hope the above tips help you update your professional website headshots to help your site thrive!  If you’re at a point where maybe your website needs more than just updated headshots to thrive… reach out to our team we’d be happy to help you update your website.