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Your Image is your Product too!
Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words and
your headshot on your Web site can either capture the essence of what
your market desires or not. An online business
should have a professional picture on their Web site that conveys their
confidence and success in their business and attracts new clients. Not
only can you use the headshot for your Web site, it is excellent
tool to have for use in trade magazines and other media and a valuable
asset to add to your marketing budget
regularly. Yes regularly keep this photo updated. Don't deceive your
clients by putting up a photo 10 years younger than you are or 50 lbs
lighter than what you actually weigh. You may one day meet them and feel
like a fool! Be confident in what you look like and that
confidence will shine through to your clients. Why? If you ever meet a
colleague or client, first, they won't recognize you and then secondly,
when they do, they will feel cheated by you if you don't look like what
they expected. I recently attended a Virtual Assistant conference and
there were many people I couldn't identify by their Web site pictures.
There were also a few who I knew right away and could go up and
introduce myself to easily. Guess who I choose to outsource to in future
business dealings?
Your headshot should look like you!
Headshots don't have to be expensive either. Your local department
stores (Sears, Wal-Mart, etc) sometimes have great low sitting fee
packages to choose from. If you choose to hire our professional
photographer your picture will be even better since we know exact poses
and tips that work for business headshots. Don't forget to make sure
that you are given all rights from any photographer to your pictures to
use in any way you wish. Have them also put on CD-Rom in high resolution
.jpg format and not in .gif format which is used for vector images
(cartoons)!
A few tips for a professional headshot for your
Web page:
1. Don't go for the overly glamorized shot as this will detract from
your professional stance. Being too sexy or for that matter
too nerdy will not embrace your business like
qualities.
2. Avoid dangly earrings, chunky collar jewelry, hairpieces, hats, etc.
Keep it simple yet professional. If you regularly wear
your eyeglasses, then include them in your
picture else leave them out too as they can distract the viewer.
3. Dress professionally in modern (not the time for your goth dress
ladies) office attire suited to
the corporate world. Also leave
the housecoat or sweats at home. Avoid patterned or white and black clothing.
Pattern clothing distracts the eye and white or black clothing can blend
too easily into the backdrop causing the opposite effect.
4. Choose a plain background
color that can easily be edited out in case your Web designer ever wants
to add a different color
background to it.
5. Consider headshots poses at all angles looking left, right and
center. This way when you place
your picture on your Web site it will have you looking interested into
the content no matter where you place it. Nothing worse then coming to a
Web site and seeing the person
looking away at the scroll bar outside of their Web site instead of
focused onto the content to entice the reader to
read their copy.
6. While you are there and if your budget permits, get some bonus
full standing poses looking at all angles. You never know when you may
use it on the Web to help promote your business online.
Your headshot will visually attract your clients to funnel through your
Web site and read more. Make sure you pose with confidence so your
business strengths shine forth to entice new clients. |