FAQ - PRICING - What is Google Business View - Naples Virtual Tours?
What Is Google Business View?A Google Business Photo shoot consists of two parts: A virtual tour walkthrough using Google Street View technology and still photos of your business. Your Virtual Tour and Photos will appear in Google Search, on Google Maps and on your Google+ Places (Local Business) Page. This is just like Google Street View – but for the inside of your Business. It gives internet users a 360-degree virtual walkthrough allowing you to showcase all the details of your business. Sort of "try before you buy" that customers love. The service is perfect for restaurants, retail shops, automobile dealerships, doctors, dentists, lawyers, gyms, salons, and more.
You can embed the Virtual Tour on your website just as you would a Google Map. However, you may want to take advantage of a more advanced website tour which can add sound, text, interactive elements and much more to create an even more immersive, persuasive experience. A website tour can also feature people whereas a Google tour shouldn't. Any faces must be blurred and in still photos even partial faces aren't allowed nor is blurring of faces. So, no people at all or only the backs of heads.
What is SEO and How Does Google Business View Affect It?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization -- optimizing a website to improve its ranking on search engines. The higher your site appears in search results the more likely people are to click through to the site itself. Our website tours have a significant impact on search ranking. Google tours don't. But Google virtual tours can significantly increase the click-through rates from the search results to a website.
However, Google also has Local Search Results which draw from its Google+ Local (Business) listings. These appear above regular search results. Search for "Chinese restaurants in Naples" and you get a selection of results in the thumbnail bar at the top of the page. Search for "Dentists in Naples" and you get a list below the paid results on the left and a map on the right. Here Google Virtual Tours can influence ranking.
How Much Does a Photo Shoot Cost?
The cost of the shoot depends on the size of your business but generally ranges between $350 and $3,500. Each location can have anywhere from 1-40 panorama locations or "spins", sometimes even more. Each spin can be a maximum of about 15 feet apart. $350 covers 1-2 panoramas inside of your business, and roughly 10 detail or feature still photos. From there the pricing goes up depending on:
The Number of Panoramas (Spins)
Number and Special Requirements of Still Photos
Business Floor Plan
Special Marketing Requests
Each photo shoot location will be quoted before the shoot is scheduled. The fee is collected at the time of the shoot or you can pay electronically and receive a discount. The business owner or decision maker will need to sign a standard release form.
Are There Any Additional or Future Costs?
The cost is one time, nothing additional. The business owner gets full access to and use of the photos and virtual tour. The tour can be embedded on your website, Facebook or blog. If for some reason you would like any of the photos or virtual tour removed from your business listing, it can be done by you. If you would like an updated shoot to reflect seasonal changes, new features, a remodeling or whatever it can be arranged as an additional shoot at a discount.
Google vs Website Tour -- Which is Better?
Google and Website virtual tours both have advantages. For many businesses using both is actually best. We will help you determine which one is better for you, or both, and how to allocate budget to best meet your needs.
Relative Strengths:
GOOGLE:
- ONLY Google Virtual Tours and Photos appear right in Google search results, on Google Maps and as part of Google+ Local pages. This produces better results throughout Google.
- Price: Google's automation and volume keep costs remarkably low.
- Improved Google Local Results Ranking.
- Improved Click-Through Rates from search results to your website.
- A mobile version that plays on any iOS, Android or Windows mobile device, although without full up & down viewing and some image distortion.
- See everything. A Google tour usually includes far more 360 steps, more closely placed, giving visitors the chance to look more closely at what is on the walls, hangers and shelves. Especially good for retail stores. Like walking through yourself.
- No website? No problem. Google Business View and Virtual Tours are hosted by Google and get results even if your business has no website. Your Google+ Local Page to some degree fills in for a regular website.
- The best option if your website doesn't allow virtual tours. This is especially true of franchise sites, many canned or template sites or if you just don't want the programing challenge.
vs
WEBSITE:
PEOPLE! Website tours can feature people and their unblurred faces.Native SEO improvements on all search engines.
Enhancements greatly improving effectiveness:
- Background sound or music
- Voice over narrator
- Automated cinematic motion
- Animated elements within images
- Thumbnail navigation to move rapidly from one location to another especially over long distances.
- Floor plans
- Descriptive text, captions and titles
- Hotspots in images to trigger events
- No distortions, broken lines misaligned parts or ghosted elements that have moved between shots
- Clean bottom of the image (no blurred tripod)
- Retouching possible to fix or enhance the image.
Share more of your story. Include voice over, pop-up text, even titles to tell visitors what they are looking at and why it is important adds significantly.
If enough of your message is conveyed with the Google tour remember that you can embed it in your web page. That improves your website effectiveness but has minimal if any effect on search engine results anywhere. Effectively, only content hosted on your website improves your site's organic SEO ranking in all search engines. Of course, Google tours and photos still produce better results throughout Google, including in local searches.
Why Choose Vu Studios 360-V-TOURS ?
For a free consultation and estimate please call Ron at (239) 228-9300 or email Ron Abboud
Extended FAQ from Google http://maps.google.com/maps/about/partners/businessview/
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