Build a shot list around customer questions
Plan each photograph around a visit or purchase question and attach the correct branch, page purpose and rights owner. An entrance image should help arrival; a product detail should identify the actual item. Confirm context and permission before publication, then write text alternatives for meaningful information the image supplies.
Worked example — illustrative data.
| Shot | Page/job | Permission and evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Actual entrance from arrival route | Location page; recognize the doorway | Photographer/rightsholder and current branch |
| Showroom range overview | Visit-planning page; understand the space | Current display and owner approval |
| Product detail | Product page; inspect material/finish | Exact item and usage rights |
| Staff assisting a customer | About/process only if permissioned | Consent and accurate context |
| Wayfinding detail | Pickup instructions | Actual entrance and safe useful caption |
Write the buyer question before booking or taking the photograph. Include orientation, key detail and intended caption in the brief so the result remains useful on a phone. Confirm rights, releases and any restrictions before publication. Keep filenames and a private source record that connects the image to the right branch and date. Use descriptive alt text for meaningful content and empty alt for genuinely decorative use.
Photograph the arrival task before the decorative view
For the showroom shot list, start from the customer’s likely approach and capture the correct entrance and distinguishing sign. Check whether a pickup customer uses a different doorway. Record the actual branch, shoot date, usage permission and destination page with the asset. Add a caption when the photograph needs context; do not let an attractive storefront imply a different location.
A stock storefront can imply a false business location
A staged stock image of a shop can be mistaken for the business’s real location. Label a fictional studio concept visibly or choose an image that does not imply a false physical presence.
Approve images for factual accuracy, rights and customer usefulness before visual polish. This shot list supplies a plan and no permissioned business photographs.
Can a stock photograph stand in for the premises?
Use it only when the presentation cannot reasonably imply it is the actual business location, and label it where needed. Prefer permissioned images of the real destination for directions, entrance and pickup tasks.
Continue with Guides for stores, software teams and local businesses, Website design for local businesses and Build a useful retail location page.
For text alternatives for meaningful images, see the W3C WCAG quick reference.