It’s a pretty well-known fact that we humans eat with our eyes first. So it’s safe to say that a bad visual will make a big impact on whether a customer will order from your restaurant or not. Think you can just get away without having pictures at all? Think again. People are twice as likely to order items with images, so you could be shooing away half of your customers right off the bat. That’s why it’s so important to show them that your food looks as good as it tastes.
Ready to take professional looking photos that will turn debaters into diners? It’s a whole lot easier than you think. Here are 8 simple tips to help customers see your mouth-watering food in all its glory on Skip.
1. Get your gear on. First things first, if you want to take the best-looking pics, a smartphone isn’t going to cut it. You’ll need to get yourself a stellar camera, we’re talking a DSLR with a full frame lens (and yes, it’s totally worth it).
2. Pick your best lookers. When it comes to mastering the art of food photography, the devil is in the details. Use the most attractive ingredients you can find: the ripest tomatoes, the fluffiest buns, the greenest greens (you get the picture).
3. Spritz it up. If you’re shooting salads or fresh vegetables, give them a little spritz of water to liven them up between shots. It’ll highlight the dishes in all the right places and keep them looking fresh, fresh, fresh.
4. Let your food do the talking. Avoid crowding the shot with distracting elements like cutlery, glassware, vases, candles, or other food dishes. Keep each shot focused on one food item and you’re golden.
5. Go to the light. What you’re looking for here is “au natural”. Set your shots up by a window that provides natural, indirect light coming in from the sides or the back to shadow your dish and really make it pop.
6. Know your angles. Most food looks best at a 45-degree angle but some dishes, like pizza or soup, look better from the top-down so you can really see the goods.
7. Play by the rules. Don’t let your pics get disqualified from making the menu. Follow these three important Skip requirements: no defamatory or obscene photos, no open alcohol, and no illegal activity (including copyright or trademark infringement).
8. Hit the sweet spot. To look their best on Skip, make sure all food photos are shot in landscape with a 3:2 aspect ratio, are in JPEG format, and are no more than 6MB. Stick to 2100 x 1400 pixels for menu items and 2400 x 2400 pixels for hero images.
Happy with your pics and ready to upload? If you’re a Menu Self-Serve (MSS) partner, here’s how to do it in a snap:
- Click “Create Item” or “Edit Item”
- Scroll to the bottom of the form and click “Upload Image”
- Select an image, adjust it however you like and click “Create”
If you’re not an MSS partner, that is, you’re a corporate brand, POS-integrated, an alcohol vendor or part of the Group Menu, you’ll need a little help from our end to upload your pics. And here’s how to get it:
- Go to “Message Us”
- Create ticket
- Select “Update Menu” and “Submit Menu Photos”
- Upload up to 5 images
At the end of the day, catching your customers’ eyes and tempting their taste buds are THE most important things you can do for your restaurant. Skip also supports you by providing free professional food photography services. Using professional quality photos will not only help drive customer conversion, it’ll keep them coming back for more. And isn’t that the name of the game?
