Show Off Your Assets with Google Business Photos

Google Business Photos are the latest exciting addition offered by the search giants to enhance your business potential. Now, rather than just writing about your inspiring showroom or your glorious views, you can invite potential customers in for a virtual browse.

Inspired by Google’s ‘Street View’ (where you can descend to street level on the Google Earth and Google Maps applications), Google Business Photos allows potential buyers to step through the doors of participating businesses. As always, there is a handy navigation bar which allows users to pan around, up and down for a 360 degree panoramic view. Not only that, but arrow icons will enable browsers to move throughout the store, negotiate corners and stairs and otherwise indulge in some virtual exploration. A zoom function is available for focusing in on interesting products or design elements.

Google Business Photos provide more than just a novel visual experience. Google’s pilot scheme alone has brought some business owners unexpected success:  some have reported their Google Places impressions greatly improving due to their virtual tour enhanced listing. Google Business Photos will also enhance your Google Search and Google Maps listings, and can be embedded in your own website or blog. With many buyers preferring to do their research online before visiting offline shops to purchase, Google Business Photos opens your premises to a whole new online community. People can browse your goods 24/7 and stay as long as they like, without ever cluttering up your shop!

What Are My Assets?
With some businesses, it’s the novel layout and quirky items to be discovered; with others it’s the customer experience that the atmosphere and décor evokes. Some businesses have fantastic views; others have intricate, imaginative layouts. Practically every type of business, from dentists to salons, restaurants to cafes and breweries to toy shops have already found value in this compelling new form of advertising.

Whether it’s in the architecture, the interior design, the local surroundings or something different, there’s almost always something unique that will captivate the attention of your market. If you really can’t think of a reason why people would want to take a virtual tour of your premises, then it might be time to start creating one. After all, if you can’t tempt them in off the virtual high street, why would they choose to visit you in the flesh?

Virtual Tours  by a Google Trusted Photographer
Of course, if you are intending to show your business in its best light, you need to know who can be relied upon to supply quality images. Poor quality, low resolution pictures can actually drive people away. That’s why Google Business Photos can only be supplied by a limited number of trusted photographers who have applied to Google and passed the necessary tests.

Filming your virtual tour will not take long, so your business will experience minimal disruption. Ideally, you should spend some time preparing your premises to ensure that it reflects brand values and is suitably well presented. This is particularly important in food establishments:  with customers able to get up close and personal to your kitchens and food preparation areas, you want to make sure these are looking spick and span.

Google business photos provides 6-30 virtual tours and 10-15 still images. You may even be eligible for a £50 voucher from Google (contact us for more details).