Google Street View INSIDE?

Sounds like a total contradiction but it really is a thing!

Striking Places – Award-winning Google Trusted Photographer – that’s me – Smiley Jo 🙂 and, of course, very proud My Mustard Partner 🙂 has been extending Google Street View inside businesses since it first arrived here in the UK in 2012. I think it’s fair to say that now thousands of businesses (all types of businesses) have Street View inside, in the UK and across the globe, Google Street View Trusted photography is a winner! Yes it’s here to stay. Here are some of the reason’s businesses LOVE it!

  • They get found MUCH more easily on Google Maps
  • They can showcase their businesses all day, all night, all week, all month, all year… you get the picture… you know how the internet works 🙂
  • A huge glass more Google juice for your website – all that clicking and ‘virtually’ visiting, once the virtual tour is embedded in your website, means people stay much longer on your web site AND Google LOVES that!
  • Greater visibility on Google Search – the eye catching icon that makes people go ‘Oooo what’s that – I can click on that and see inside this business’
  • People become much more familiar with the business – you know that feeling when you use Google Maps to show you the place you haven’t been before – and ‘BOOM’ when you get there it’s just what you expected!
  • Relevant calls – when people have already seen what your business/hotel/conference centre is like there are huge time savings on the phone – you know the old adage ‘A picture paints a thousand words’!
  • People are TWICE as likely to visit once they’ve viewed a virtual tour – increased footfall that’s awesome sauce for location based businesses!
  • This fabulous one-off marketing investment keeps on giving – unless there’s a move or a refurb, businesses can keep using the imagery as long as the business exists

How virtual tours of businesses get on Google Maps

Does the Google Street View car drive through my business?

No – that would be silly! 😛 We use professional DSLR cameras with fisheye lenses to capture 12 high resolution images for each panorama that we skillfully stitch together to create what’s called an equi-rectangle.

Here’s one equi-rectangle of a little London church you might know:

Lots of these joined together in the right order make a virtual tour when they’re published to Google Maps.

This all looks very grand and expensive I’m sure I can’t afford it….

People often think this is going to be out of their price range simple because it’s cool and very techy, surprisingly, prices start at just £350 for a small shop. Of course the price can add up for much larger places such as Westminster Abbey 🙂

I’m not technical at all how will I know how to use it?

Striking Places provide video guides to show you how to find the code to embed the video in your website. We’re also happy to talk to your web developer to make sure the imagery is perfectly presented.

Does Google shoot my virtual tour?

Right back at the beginning in 2011 actual Google shot some trial virtual tours to establish the process and see if it was generally accepted by users. Now Google doesn’t shoot virtual tours of businesses. Google Street View Trusted photography is always shot by a certified Google Trusted Photographer who has the right equipment and training and access to the software that allows publication of virtual tours to Google Maps. Some Google Trusted Photographers are highly experienced, specialise in creating panoramic imagery and virtual tours and have worked with many household names and high profile organisations.

What’s included in the Google Street View Trusted photography package?

  • Help to set up, verify and optimise your Google My Business page*
  • An appropriate size virtual tour of your business
  • 10 professionally shot and processed static images from a choice of approx. 20
  • Help to embed your virtual tour in your website and Facebook page
  • Social media coverage while we work with you
  • Publication of a tour page about your business
  • Showcasing your business in our monthly newsletter

Who should I contact if I’d like to find out more?

Call Smiley Jo today on 07966 086133