For most small businesses: one clear shot of the premises, three or four of the work or products, one of you or the team, and one wide shot for the top of the page. Six to ten decent phone photos taken in daylight are enough, and usually better than stock images.
Photos are the second most common reason a website sits unfinished. The fix is a shot list and an afternoon, not a photographer.
The moment it happens
What photos do you really need for your business website? The question is often answered badly on both sides — the developer asks for “some photos”, and what arrives is eleven WhatsApp-forwarded images, compressed, some taken at night, two of them screenshots.
WhatsApp compresses images, so anything sent that way arrives lower quality than the original. Send photos as files or over email, not as WhatsApp images.
The shot list
Work through this in one session:
| Shot | Why it’s needed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Storefront or building entrance | Proves you exist; helps people find you | Daylight, straight on, sign readable |
| Interior, wide | Sets expectations before someone visits | Tidy first; shoot from a corner |
| Work or products, 3–4 close-ups | The main selling content | Plain background; natural light |
| You or the team | Trust; people buy from people | Simple, not stiff; no need for suits |
| One wide “hero” image | For the top of the home page | Landscape orientation, not portrait |
| Certificates, awards, licences (optional) | Credibility where relevant | Flat, readable |
| Before/after (if relevant) | Strongest proof for trades and services | Same angle both times |
For a store: every product needs its own photo on a plain background. That’s the real work in an e-commerce build, and it’s worth knowing before you start — nobody else will do it for you unless you pay them to.
Phone photos are fine — here’s how to make them good
- Shoot in daylight, near a window or outdoors in shade. Indoor tube lighting is the main reason photos look cheap.
- Clean the lens. Genuinely — a wiped lens changes more than any editing.
- Tidy the frame before shooting. Remove bags, wires, half-empty cups.
- Hold the phone level and shoot landscape for anything that’ll sit across a page.
- Take five of each shot and choose later.
- Don’t apply filters. Let the developer handle sizing and adjustment.
- Send as files, not as WhatsApp images.
Real photos vs stock
For a local business, your own photos usually work better. A stranger deciding whether to visit your shop wants to see your shop, not a model in an office that isn’t yours. Buyers can tell, and stock imagery on a local site tends to read as generic rather than professional.
Where stock is reasonable: background textures, abstract images for sections you can’t photograph, or a placeholder while you arrange the real thing. Where it’s a mistake: pretending to be a team, an office or a facility you don’t have.
One practical note: large image files slow a site down, and over 80% of Indian web traffic is on phones, often on mobile data. Ask your developer to compress and resize images properly — a beautiful photo that takes six seconds to load costs you visitors.
If you genuinely can’t photograph it
- Service businesses with nothing visual: photograph the work being done, the tools, the finished result at a client site (with permission), and the team.
- Consultants and professionals: one good portrait plus a clean workspace shot is enough. You don’t need more.
- Products not yet made: launch without them and add photos as they exist. A live site with three photos beats an unlaunched site waiting for twenty.
What to do this week
- Pick one afternoon with daylight and work through the shot list.
- Tidy each area before shooting; it does more than any camera.
- Put everything in the same folder as your logo file and page text.
- Send as files rather than WhatsApp images.
- If a shoot would delay launch by weeks, launch with what you have and add later.
If you want it done the certain way
Tell us what you have and we’ll tell you what’s actually missing — often it’s two shots, not a photo shoot. Prices are published, the delivery date is written with a refund behind it, and your files stay yours. WhatsApp us; we reply in about five minutes between 9am and 7pm.
Related reading
- You don’t have your logo file: here’s how to fix that
- Who writes the text for your website?
- How to hand over content without writing a document
- Your website is stuck because it’s waiting for you
FAQ
Are phone photos good enough for a business website?
Yes, for most small businesses, provided they’re taken in daylight with a clean lens and a tidy frame. Send them as files rather than WhatsApp images, which compress and lose quality.
How many photos does a small business website need?
Six to ten covers a typical service or shop site: premises, interior, three or four of the work, one of you or the team, and one wide image for the top of the page. Product stores need one photo per item.
Should I use stock photos on my website?
Sparingly. For local businesses your own photos build more trust. Stock is acceptable for backgrounds or as a temporary placeholder, but not to imply premises or a team you don’t have.
