To See or Not to See: Staff Photos on Your Web Site?

Should photos of you and your staff be included on your corporate web site? Many say yes, especially those providing services where personal service can help your company stand out from the crowd.

Real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and insurance agents have been putting their pictures on business cards for many years. The theory is that people are more likely to do business with you if they know you, and that pictures help current and potential clients remember you.

To this point, my company has not posted pictures of our staff, although we may reconsider. But if you do decide to post photos, we recommend either:

• Action shots showing your staff at work, or
• Professionally-shot images, preferably with something a little more exciting than the standard head shot.

Digital cameras make it easy to take your own pictures, but I've seen too many amateur pictures that make the subject look as though they're in a police lineup. So in today's environment, make sure that you look good in your web presences -- your web site, social networks, and blogs. The cost is minimal and the results may surprise you.