Reserve with Google
Your headshot is one of the most important elements of your profile. A good first impression encourages customers to read the rest of your profile and book your services. In fact, some sources say that a profile is 14x more likely to be viewed simply by having a profile picture. Here are a few lessons about how to create a great picture.
Get A Professional Shot of You or Your Establishment
First of all, have an actual photo. The photo needs to be a photo of you or your establishment. The best establishment photos are typically taken outside and should include your sign. Or, take a photo of your waiting room. When in doubt, always pick the more-impressive location.
No one will take you seriously if you have the default icon. Hire a professional to take your photo. They will get the lighting right, coach you to a good expression.
Get the Lighting Right
Second, you need plenty of light so you don’t have to use a flash, which creates harsh and un-flattering light. But, you don’t want to take the portrait in the bright sun either. Bright sun creates harsh and clearly defined shadows that can be unflattering. For a flattering portrait, soft light is the best.
Fill The Frame
No one is interested in a full body shot or a picture of an empty seating room. They aren’t likely to need to know what the top of your head looks like. If they are thumbing their smart phone, they should be able to see you and later recognize you from your shot. Crop your photo from just below the shoulders to no higher than just above your head.
Make Sure Background is Not Distracting
When you choose the location, be especially aware of the background. Make sure nothing in the background distracts from the image, such as extra papers, coffee cups, or people. Get the background as neutral as possible.
For headshots, we suggest black or white backgrounds for photos. Whatever you choose though, make sure there is enough contrast to separate you from the background.
Upload Your Photo
Make sure your image fits the area perfectly. The photo must be square and is limited to 500kb in size and no smaller then 300×300 pixels. We recommend using a square format image to yield a better quality profile photo. The system will prompt you to crop your photo if it is not the correct size. In the window, you will see a highlighted square that is sized at 300×300 pixels. You can resize the highlighted box, while maintaining the square proportion. Alternatively, you may move the box around.
That’s it! Put the right picture in, and you could land more clients!
