Before-and-after photos that win local jobs

A customer choosing between two trades with similar reviews picks the one whose work they can see.

You do the work anyway. The photo is the only part that takes extra effort, and most people forget the "before" until it is too late.

Make it a habit, done before the tools come out.

• Take the before photo first, before anything is moved.
• Same spot, same angle, same way up for the after.
• One wide shot, then one or two close-ups.
• Tidy up before the after photo.
• Ask permission, and keep the address out of it.

• Stand in the same place for both. Pick a marker: a doorway, a corner, the third paving slab.
• Hold the phone the same way round both times.
• Go wide first, so people can see where they are looking. Then close up on the detail.
• Use daylight where you can. Indoors, turn the lights on and wipe the lens.
• Take the after once the dust sheets, tools and rubbish are out of the shot.
• Take three and keep the best one.

A pair of photos that line up looks professional. A pair that does not just looks like two different rooms.

It is the customer's home. Ask before you share, every time. A text is enough: "Would you mind if I used a couple of photos of the job on my page? No address or names."

Most people say yes, and some are pleased to be asked.

Keep a note of who agreed. If anyone later asks you to take a photo down, do it straight away.

• House numbers and street signs.
• Car number plates.
• People, especially children.
• Family photos, post, paperwork and anything with a name on it.
• Alarm panels, key safes and anything else that shows how the house is secured.

Check the background before you post. Crop it, or take it again.

• Your Google Business Profile. Add new photos regularly.
• Your website, under the job type they show.
• With quotes for similar work.
• Your social pages, with a short caption.

Caption with the job and the town, not the street: "New fascias and guttering, Chesterfield".

That one line tells local customers, and search engines, what you do and where.

• Take a before photo on every job, even small ones.
• Message two recent customers to ask if you can share their job.
• Add five photos to your Google Business Profile.
• Sort your photos into albums by job type.

Hi [name], I am really pleased with how your [job] turned out. Would you mind if I used a before and after photo on my website and Google page? No address, names or anything personal in the shot. It is fine to say no.