Good photos are one of the most important elements of your website. They show people exactly what they can expect from your holiday rental. Good photos help generate more enquiries and bookings. Bad ones can severely hamper your chances of getting any bookings at all.
With this in mind it’s worth considering hiring a professional if your photography skills aren’t up to scratch. In reality, such a decision could pay for itself in just one booking.
Clues to whether you need professional photos taken
Pay attention to any comments made by guests who come and stay in your holiday let. Are they always telling you your rental is so much nicer than the photos depicted on your website? If they are, you have your answer. Conversely, if people are saying ‘oh this villa is just as nice as it looked online’, you know you are already doing a great job.
This is arguably the easiest way to figure out whether hiring a professional photographer would be an investment worth making.
Advantages of opting for professional photos
Taking photos may seem to be an easy task. But in reality it can be very difficult. The camera you use will have a huge influence on the quality of your finished photos. You’ll know this if you have ever seen photos taken with a cheap camera and ones taken with a professional one that cost in excess of four figures.
You also have to consider the knowledge you are paying for when you hire a professional photographer. They know exactly how to use the light to its best effect; how to use different filters to create a stunning photo; they understand exposure and depth and all manner of other aspects of photography. This is why you will invariably get far better photos when you use a professional than you would through your own efforts.
If it isn’t broken…
It may be that you have taken all your own photos and you are getting a good rate of bookings and plenty of success for your holiday rental. But even then, could you do more?
It might just be worth getting a professional set of photos taken and replacing those you already have with the professional ones. This will enable you to see whether you could achieve even better results with better photos. Unless you are a professional photographer anyway, the chances are the appearance of your website will be greatly improved.
To an outsider, it can be difficult to see how a simple change in photography could make any difference to the number of bookings you are able to get. But you only need to visit one or two competitors who have used professional photography to see how powerful this method is.
It is indeed an investment, and it could change your holiday rental for the better. Consider whether you could benefit from a professional approach to your photos today, and think about the potential advantages if you did.
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