What Photos Does a Business Website Actually Need?
If you're building or refreshing a business website, you've probably asked yourself: "What photos do I actually need?"
Not what looks trendy. Not what other brands are doing. But what will make your business feel professional, trustworthy, and current.
Business website photography isn’t about decoration. It’s about building trust, clarity, and connection in seconds.
The truth? Most business websites are either relying on generic stock photos or have no custom photography at all. If that's where you're starting, you're not alone. But investing in the right photos can completely transform how potential clients perceive your business.
Here's a simple, practical breakdown.
1. A clear, confident main image
Your homepage hero image sets the tone in seconds.
This image should show who you are or what you do, feel professional but approachable, match your brand personality, and avoid looking like a stock photo.
For service-based businesses, this is often a portrait of the founder or leadership, a team-in-action image, or a clean, modern environment shot.
This image answers the subconscious question: "Can I trust this business?"
2. Professional portraits (not just headshots)
Every business needs human connection.
You don't need stiff corporate headshots, but you do need portraits that feel natural, confident, current, and aligned with your brand.
These photos are used across About pages, Team pages, LinkedIn profiles, Press features, and Speaking or media opportunities.
If people can't see who you are, trust is harder to build.
Pro tip: Even if your business runs inside a corporate office, consider having your team’s headshots taken outside to bring some life into the photos.
3. Your team and culture
Even small businesses benefit from showing their people.
Team and culture photos humanize your brand, show diversity and inclusion, create emotional safety, and make your company feel real.
These don't have to be staged. They just need to feel honest.
4. Your work, process, or environment
Your website should show what it's like to work with you, what your space looks like, and what your process feels like.
For example: office or studio photos, client interaction moments, behind-the-scenes details, or your product or service in action.
This helps visitors imagine themselves working with you.
5. Marketing and content-ready images
Your website photos shouldn't only live on your website.
Strong business photography should also support social media, email marketing, presentations, press features, proposals, and speaker pages.
If your images only work in one place, you're underusing them.
6. Consistency across the site
One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is mixing old photos, stock images, phone photos, and professional images.
This creates visual confusion. Consistency builds trust.
Your website should feel like one cohesive story, not a collage of different eras.
What business websites don't need
You don't need dozens of similar portraits, trendy poses that don't match your brand, overly edited images, or stock photos pretending to be your team.
You need clarity, credibility, and connection.
A simple rule of thumb
If someone landed on your website without knowing you, would they feel like your business is professional, trustworthy, current, and human?
If yes, your images are doing their job.
Final thought
Business photography isn't about looking impressive. It's about helping the right people feel comfortable choosing you.
If your website photos do that, you're already ahead of most businesses.
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MEET BERNADETTE
Hi! I'm Bernadette Marciniak, founder of Solhaus Media, specializing in strategic photo and video production for purpose-driven organizations, brands, and non-profits.
With roots in journalism and marketing, I help mission-focused leaders turn their work into powerful, story-driven media that builds trust, inspires donors, and drives impact. From event coverage to brand storytelling, I bring both a journalist's eye for narrative and a strategist's understanding of how content actually gets used.
When I'm not behind the camera, I'm a cat mom of two who loves good pizza, red wine, and way too many true crime documentaries.
Based in Los Angeles, the SF Bay Area, New York, and New Jersey. Working nationwide.
A practical guide to the essential photos every business website needs to look professional, trustworthy, and current — without overthinking it.