Photos of your premises: proof you are a real business

Key takeaways

Real photos of your premises, vans or workshop are some of the simplest proof that a business exists and is established. Show where buyers will visit or where the work happens, shot in daylight and kept up to date. If you work from home, show the work and the vehicle instead, not the house.

• Real premises photos prove the business exists; stock photos prove nothing.
• Show what buyers will see: entrance, reception, workshop or vans.
• Match your Google Business Profile photos to the website.
• Home-based firms should show work and vehicles, not the house.

Why show photos of your premises?

Premises photos show that a real business operates from a real place, which answers a quiet worry many buyers have about online-only firms. Global Bridge Labs (GBL) sees them help most where buyers visit, such as clinics, showrooms and venues, or where scale matters, such as workshops and warehouses.

• What information should every business website have?
• New business website: credibility before you have reviews

Which photos should you include?

Include what buyers will see or care about: the entrance from the street so they can find you, reception or waiting areas, the workshop or production floor, liveried vans and equipment. Nielsen Norman Group found users pay close attention to photos of real people and things, and ignore generic stock imagery.

• Team photos on your website: what works and what does not
• Parking and access details on your website

How should premises photos be taken?

Shoot in daylight, tidy the space first and take wide shots that show context as well as close details. A phone camera is often good enough for a small business. Update photos when the premises change, because a buyer who arrives to find a different shop front will wonder what else is out of date.

• Create a homepage without professional photos

What if you work from home?

If you work from home, do not show the house. Show your vehicle, tools, the jobs you complete and yourself at work. These prove you are real and active without exposing your address. Keep a business or postal address on the site where the law requires one.

• Should you put your home address on your website?
• Sole trader website details: what you must show

Should website photos match Google?

Yes. Buyers often see your Google Business Profile photos first, then click through to the website. Using the same, current photos on both reinforces that they are looking at the same business. Out-of-date profile photos are a common reason for 'is this still the same place?' calls.

• Google Business Profile vs website: what goes where

When can premises photos hurt?

Premises photos hurt when they show a cluttered, poorly lit or empty space, when they reveal security details such as alarm panels or stock rooms, or when they no longer match reality. A photo of a serviced office reception can also mislead if you rarely work there. Show only what is true and flattering.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a well-equipped manufacturer's site uses only stock images of generic factories. A morning spent photographing their own machines, team and finished products gives buyers a far more convincing picture of capacity than any stock library can.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Premises photo checklist

• Photograph the entrance as visitors see it.
• Show reception, workshop or showroom.
• Include vans and equipment in use.
• Shoot in daylight after tidying.
• Match Google profile photos.
• Replace photos when premises change.

• Should you say how big your team is on your website?
• Aftercare information on your website: what to include

Next step

Take five daylight photos of your premises or van this week. Replace one stock image on your site with the best of them.