A Picture is Worth a Thousand Reservations

Every new potential guest will have a first impression created of your property that will likely make or break a sale.

This first impression may happen in a directory, on Facebook, in print, or somewhere in Google land, but most likely it will happen on your own website. Before text is read, amenities explored, rates are researched, or availability checked, the crucial first impression is delivered by photography.

It’s step one.

Sadly, many property owners will falter here. The difference between professional real estate photography and the amateur’s best effort is usually substantial. It matters. It’s an important investment.

1. Your Product at a Glance

You’re selling rooms – this is your product. Would you buy any product online that was unprofessionally represented? Would you trust the quality of the product? The company? If you examine your own online shopping experiences you’ll recognize that product photography is crucial, not an afterthought at all.

Sometime innkeepers are too close to their own businesses to see this particular weak spot.

2. Use Them Everywhere

After you’ve invested in a professional photography shoot, you can use these images for many years, and in all of your marketing: websites, print, directories, and social media. Just make sure you’ve clearly negotiated with your photographer – you are buying rights to the high res digital files.

Side Note: Make sure you back up your new images in the cloud somewhere – these are valuable assets for your business.

3. Quality Concerns

You may believe you can get by with those iPhone images, but probably not. Professional photography matters, and Professional photographers will understand light, color, depth of field, and clarity in ways that you can’t. A professional will also edit and touchup the images after the shoot. It’s what you’re paying for.

Professional photographs will also mean larger images that can be used at many sizes and resolutions. Don’t limit yourself with smallish photos.

In owning, running, managing, or marketing a lodging business, the property photography is simply not a corner to be cut. All things considered, there is not a better cost-to-benefit investment that you can make. It’s not even marketing, it’s the backbone of your marketing.