Our most important marketing tip? Get good, professional photographs for your website and listings. Photos are even more important than reviews when it comes to a guest’s decision whether to book or not.
The results of a recent survey done by Eviivo are fascinating and show how essential photography is. The study proved that 82% of British guests are put off by bad photos. Furthermore, 1 in 3 believe a bad photo means they can expect bad service.
The researchers went even further to prove their point by teaming up with an interior designer to compare her photos to the ones taken by an inexperienced photographer, of the same room, without any changes made to it, other than moving items around.
According to Sophie Robinson, the interior designer: “The way you style your photographs can make all the difference to the impression that they give your prospective guests.”
Here are some of her top tips:
- To make the bed look more luxurious and comfy, turn down the top of the duvet in front of the pillows, and tuck in neatly.
- Add a small vase with a couple of fresh flowers to make a room look fresh and clean.
- When styling the bed, make it look really inviting by adding a few scatter cushions.
- Get as much natural daylight into the room as possible or if the room doesn’t have enough natural light, use the lamps to create a cosy glow.
- Remove the extras like the bin or heater before taking the photo.
- Photograph your rooms on a cloudy day as this avoids bright white streaks of sunlight bleaching out areas of your photograph and creating sharp shadows.
- Before you take your photos make sure your rooms look their absolute best. Spick and span with smear free mirrors and taps, freshly laundered pressed bed linen, and every surface polished and gleaming.
[With thanks to eviivo.com.]
