Do you have a retail store, hotel, B&B, property development company or any other business, and are looking to stand apart from your competitors and rank high on Google Search (SERP)? Have you considered how much more likely your business would be chosen as the preferred brand, if potential customers actually knew about the quality of your service and got to experience it (see it, feel it, and enjoy it) before they committed to visiting your establishment in person. Thanks to virtual reality technology, it is now possible.
Increase Interest in Your Business Using Virtual Tours
A Google study revealed that, of those who are considering a tour (particularly in the age group, 18-34), prospects are a 130% more likely to book if they view a listing with a virtual tour. Prospects are twice as likely to have interest in booking a reservation if they view a listing with a virtual tour, reports Google.
Virtual tours offer the perfect solution to communicate physical spaces. They are able to capture entire environments in a way that was previously impossible using tradition photography. This means that we can now deliver the experience of a space to anyone with a computer screen.
The value and uniqueness of 360° video and photography is its interactivity quality. Whereas still photographs or video offer an experience that is passive, a 360° Virtual Tour transports the audience to the centre of any chosen location and allows them to explore the scene (at their own discretion and pace) in its entirety and in detail.
You can view the complete Mercedes-Benz Dealership Virtual Tour here
Get Noticed on Google Search
There is an abundance of information that resides on the web and there are many listings. It can be difficult for users to decipher which information and content they can trust and audiences often demand to be convinced of the value of a service and product, before they actually get to physically experience it. Using Google Street View Trusted tours, you allow web users to explore your business premises and get a feel of your service offering before they actually experience it. This could help your business stand apart from your competitors and improve your ranking on the most popular search engine.
Authorized Google Trusted Photographers produce Street View Trusted tours, expertly photographing, editing and then integrating a virtual showcase of your business into Google. These immersive 360° virtual tours give your brand a competitive edge and potential consumers get to have a visual and experiential idea of what your business is about and what it could offer them.
Street View Trusted tours are embedded within Google Knowledge Graphs. You may have not heard the term, “Google Knowledge Graph” before but you have certainly come across it when searching for a local business. In May 2012, Google updated its search algorithm. Since then, a box has been displayed on the right of search results to communicate local business information. If one searches for your business (using the brand name), they are presented with relevant business information such as location, contact details and photographs. If your business uses Street View Trusted, web users will get the “see inside” added option.
With the added option to enhance your Google Knowledge Graph (and your free local business listing within Google Search) using Street View Trusted, you are extending your brand reach by letting potential cliental experience your service and have 24/7 access to the value your business could deliver them. Humans tend to be visually inclined, which means that you have an increased chance of converting prospects into clients if you offer them visual access to the value of your business and service offering.
How Much Will a Virtual Tour Cost You and Your Business?
The production of virtual tours is relatively inexpensive and the value they could mean for your business is considerable. The cost of virtual tours can vary from business to business, they are based on factors such as, the size of your business and the areas you wish to include in the virtual tour. You pay a one-time fee for the photoshoot and publishing of your 360° virtual tour and there are no further additional charges related to the tour.
Compatible with Google Cardboard
The Google Cardboard VR platforms offers an immersive experience for users. Street View Trusted tours are compatible with Google Cardboard and allow you to showcase your business premises in virtual reality through smartphones, using either Google Maps or Google Street View apps, which are available for both Android or iOS devices.
Users of the technology are able to explore the surroundings by simply moving their heads and they can use their own smartphone devices’ Near Field Communication to physically explore a space by walking around. Google Cardboard offers a simple and inexpensive way to experience virtual reality and it is the next best thing to being there.
Talk to us if you want a Virtual Tour for your business
Also see our article on What is a virtual tour?