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There is no doubt how the visual appeal of food is important. Photos of food are the most vital thing in a menu. Well, you may ask, why hire an expert in food photography, and yet you can use your smartphone for your menu photography? Experts in food photography bring a lot to the table from artistic eye, talent, expertise, among others. Let's dig in and find out how you can benefit from food photography on your website and menu.
Reasons Food Photography Is Significant for Your Restaurant's Success
Food photography is a type of photography that creates attractive photos of food. It is mostly used in ads, cookbooks, websites, menus, packaging, and many more. By acknowledging the importance of food photography, all restaurants could gain more out of it.
Statistics of Food Photography: The Facts about Food and Visual Culture
Individuals only remember 10% of the information they hear or read. Suppose you combine this information with relevant pictures, the percentage increases to 65%. This similar Hubspot article quotes 46% of marketers saying photography is crucial to their marketing approach and storytelling.
Furthermore, visual marketing is gradually increasing. As of 2018, an estimated 84% of communication was visual. You stand to gain 94% more views if you add pictures to your content.
This makes more sense why 82% of people would order food just because of how it looks in the photo, regardless of whether they wanted it or not. If you still don't appreciate the importance of food photography, bear in mind restaurants that went from text-based menus to photo-based menus in online ordering increased their conversation rates by 25%.
Pictures are the best alternative if we cannot describe something using words. With quality food photography, you can significantly attract new customers, increase sales, and improve your marketing and branding. Food photography appeals to customers' emotions, giving them much desire to taste your food. A feeling that is rarely ignored.
Most customers use social media, mobile apps, and search engines when making dining decisions. As humans, we are made in such a way that we eat with eyes first and later decide to go to an eatery and enjoy the dish. Due to this, restaurants must promote their brands on websites and social media. Telling more about their brand and showing off their food story so that potential customers can understand how the food was prepared, how it looks, and how it feels when being served the dish and eating it.
Here are some of the benefits that food photography holds.
It Makes a Great First Impression
The first impression sticks and the last thing you want is to be stuck with a lousy impression. Ensure you make a fantastic first impression online. It all starts with your website, where images speak for themselves.
The images should trigger visual hunger, attract customers' attention, and arouse their appetite. If your customer's first impression is high-quality, mouthwatering photos, be sure they will remember your restaurant.
It Increases Sales
An outstanding photo can sell a product. Photographs give you a chance to advertise your dishes in various ways. For instance, you can feature a professional picture of every meal or highlight the most popular and profitable food with unique photos.
This way, customers will be more willing to make an order than others because images will capture their attention. You can also highlight dishes your chef is famous for or your promotions or specials.
It Builds Trust and Credibility
In this era, the phrase "what you see is what you get" comes to mind when considering the importance of food photography. Customers love to know what they are going to get. Surprises might be nice, but rarely when it comes to dishes. Displaying professional food photos on your menu and website creates trust and shows professionalism.
Nevertheless, ensure you do not overpromise or oversell only to disappoint when customers get the actual meal. Although food professional photographers use tricks to make the photo look perfect, it shouldn't be different from the actual dish. Keep in mind some food styling techniques might be a bit extreme.
It Builds Brand and Tells a Story
You have the opportunity to control how the world perceives your restaurant. This is because you control what photos you show and put out to the world. Professional food photos can help shape your restaurant's identity and help you build a brand that stands out.
Photos have a great emotional impact, and food photography is no different.
Normally, the feeling that you want to induce is desire. Customers should take one look at your food photos and say, "I want this!"
Professional food photos will trigger instant responses from customers, and they are going to want to taste the dishes ASAP, therefore, making orders, visiting your restaurant, or booking a table.
Conclusion
Food photography makes you stand out from your competitors. It might be a contributing factor why customers choose a certain dish or think of your restaurant when hungry. Professional food photography speaks volumes about your food and brand, increasing your sales and engaging your audience. Although you might require an initial investment for quality photography, the results are worthwhile your effort and money.
