During a consultation this morning, my client who sells bath and body products told me that she did not want to include her photo at her website. She said she had spoken with numerous African American woman business owners who said she should omit her photo from her website because it would hurt sales.Based on my experience working with thousand of businesses, and my own for a decade, I feel strongly that anyone with an online business must include their photo at their website. Not only that, they should include audio, video and anything else that informs and entertains their customers and potential customers. The only exception is when such photos would be too personal or would compromise the safety of the entrepreneur and her family.My opinion is based on the simple fact that people want to know who they are doing business with. Otherwise, why not just go to Wal-Mart?If I can buy sugar scrub from 50 million companies online, then what do I have to base my purchasing decision on? Price? Maybe, but most sugar scrubs of equal amount and quality are priced similarly.What about quality? Sure, but how can I judge quality from a website? A clear, attractive product photo and inviting product description and marketing copy are helpful, but at the end of the day, I still don't know what I'm getting until it arrives in my mailbox.Now, consider that I can buy sugar scrub from someone who has a little bit of a higher price point and good quality ingredients with nice product photos -- plus a photo of her bright smile with beautiful dimples and lovely natural locs. She is a naturalist who plants herbs and vegetables in her back yard. Her blog teaches me about natural living and she includes recipes for freshly made organic salads in her monthly newsletter. She also includes pictures of her and her 5-year old home schooled daughter picking lavender in the back yard and harvesting it for the organic lavender sugar scrub they sell in the family business.Every now and then, her husband holds the video camera while she makes a healthful vegetarian pasta salad. She puts these videos at her blog with the recipe.She's not just selling me sugar scrub. She's enhancing my life. I will buy sugar scrub from her.I know this is an oversimplification, but it's true. You can't just sell sugar scrub. You have to sell yourself, a way of life and everything informative and brilliant about who you are. You interest me far more than sugar, almond oil, shea butter and fragrance -- which I can buy everywhere and even make myself.I challenge you to put a nice photo of you at your website and start marketing your products using the single most valuable asset you have -- Y-O-U.
Hi Donna!!! I love it!! Thanks for sharing your input!!! I posted a simular discussion in the forums section titled "To be or not to be a Black Owned Business"... VERY INTERESTING comments!!! Some people posted comments as if they had never heard of such of thing as being advised to "hide"... or put up a "front person"... and it was shocking because it is VERY real... Whether we like it or not.... there are still some people who think you still need to hide behind your business in fear of losing clients. I'm glad you posted this blog!! I'll be sure to share with my friends!
Blessings
-Charna www.MajestiqueEvents.com
I love this post...I was told something similar to the young lady and It never fails it didn't matter what I was offering, the potential client wanted to know me, they asked for a picture, once I put my picture on my site and added audio on my site and in my newsletters I had a huge increase in my sales. Thank you for this article
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Blessings
-Charna
www.MajestiqueEvents.com