Google uses Street View technology to genereate the images
Google Business Photos and 360 Degree Virtual Tours allows prospective customers to interactively browse your business premises with a premium 360-degree virtual walk-through experience.
By David Bell, Digital Marketing Executive at Tripudio Telecom
Google offers up a list of their by location, so you can personally contact a photographer in your area and schedule a shoot for your business, whether it is a hotel, bar, restaurant, hair salon or retail outlet.
Paul Dakeyne is a Google Trusted Photographer. Expertly trained and certified by Google; Paul provides Google Business Photos and Virtual Tours to businesses in Hull, Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire.
Does Google favour local businesses using Google Business Photos in their results pages?
Google search engines results pages are visually enhanced with the support of store imagery powered by Google + Business profiles, which as a result organically increases business visibility in relation to competitors.
A local business has booked you to photograph a virtual walk-through. What tips would you give them to prepare their premises pre-shoot?
To prepare for a shoot we would advise the client to have the venue looking at its best. If it is a venue with wedding or conference facility we would photograph it dressed as such as well as in the normal non-event mode. Some ‘forward thinking’ companies, as a quirky marketing angle, have had their staff dress up in costumes, masks or do something fun for the photographing of the tour – this shows off such companies ‘personalities’.
Does Google own the rights to the images?
The client 100% owns the rights to images and the virtual tour, which can be used for all their own marketing purposes, including print, brochures, website & social media etc. The virtual tour & photos are hosted on the Google Maps Servers and the link can be pulled and embedded onto the company’s own website (including specific points of the tour if required).
How can businesses use Google to maximise their visibility, other than using the 360 virtual walk-through?
The primary advantage is to populate the business Google+ Local Page with not only the Google invitation to ‘see inside’ via the virtual tour, but with the addition of the GBP package that includes 15 ‘Points of Interest’ still images.
This Google+ Local Page is now considered of high importance by Google who expect businesses to provide information and content to enrich a client visitor experience.
Could Google Business Photos re-encourage customers to physically browse independent high street retailers?
GBP is definitely a way to encourage customers back into the local high street shops and businesses. People use modern mobile devices to search for products and sometimes, for example, when visiting a new town or city, may wish to virtually look around a selection of local businesses (or hotels/restaurants etc.).
GBP allows potential customers to preview everything from location, store/business ambiance and stock or goods inside as a preview to assist a decision for an actual physical visit, or give the business a call to discuss a potential purchase.
Paul calls GBP a ‘no-brainer’ as everything about the product is positive for businesses. The cost is minimal for the service provided, as Google just want the content, and have guidelines on the pricing structure.
It is a one-off fee and there are no hosting charges. Eventually most client based businesses will have GBP – at the moment it is the ‘early adopters’ who are taking it up first – therefore ahead of their competitors.
For more visit: tripudiotelecom.com or on Twitter
Speak Your Mind