Clever use of photography can be very effective in showcasing a wide variety of locations. In this quick example we have used aerial and ground based panoramic photos and some basic aerial video to display the results of a revegetation project at Woodlands St, Carindale.
Using Panoramic Photos & Aerial Photo/Video to Showcase a Revegetation Project
April 11, 2018 by Leave a Comment
How to Embed a Google Virtual Tour onto your Website
March 6, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Once your Google Virtual Tour has been published, it will be available via Google Search and Google Maps… but you can also embed it into your website.
This very simple process is outlined below. Most website owners can probably do this themselves (particularly if your site is a WordPress site), but if you are having trouble, simply pass the link to this post onto your web developer.
Step 1 – Find your listing on Google Maps
First go to Google Maps, search for your business. It is IMPORTANT that you use Google Maps, because accessing the Tour direct form Google Search does not offer the share/embed capabilities that are provided by Google Maps.
Then click on one of the 360° Panosphere links in the left column (these are associated with the “Storefront” and “Inside Starting Point” views of your tour) to view your Virtual Tour.
Step 2 – Select the “View” you Want
You can embed ANY view as the starting point of your Virtual Tour into your website. Navigate to the Area you want to use, change direction and zoom level until you get the view you want to use as the starting point in your website. The click on the 3 dots in the top left :
Step 3 – Get Embed Code
Select the “Share or embed image option”
Select the “Embed Image” Tab and then choose the size you want to embedded view to be – Small (400×300), Medium (600×450) or Large (800×600)… You can also choose a Custom Size (as per the example below) and enter whatever dimensions that you want to use on your website.
Then select and copy (Ctrl C) the HTML embed code (it start with <iframe src and ends with </iframe>)
Step 4 – Add the Embed Code to your Website
Edit the page where you want to add the virtual tour into…and Paste the embed code into the html of the page on your website where you’d like your virtual tour to show The process will vary depending on how your website has been created (you may need to get advice from your web developer).
If you are using WordPress, make sure that you paste the code in “Text” mode not “Visual” mode or it will not work.
Step 5 – Save and Check the Page
Save the change and update the page (again thios process will depend on how your site is created). Then go to the page and your Virtual Tour should be embedded within your website.
Have You Seen Wally Lately ??
March 1, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Whether you know him as Wally, or Waldo, Willie, Walter, or even Charlie (depending on where you are in the world)…. most of us have spent many frustrating/entertaining hours trying to find him in one of the famous “Where’s Wally” picture books.
I recently decided to start to add something a little “extra” to the Google Virtual Tours that I create. I thought that by subtely including some sort of character or figurine to my Business Views, I could make it a bit of a “signature” of my work – but at the same time also add an extra element of interest for the business (and potentially their customers).
I thought about lots of different things I could use… I wanted something small, but bright and easily recogniable… Thanks very much to Rory for suggesting Wally… I think it is just perfect because :
- The figurine is small, bright and recognisable
- Most of us are already used to searching for him
- He is a photographer (and has a camera around his neck)
Actually finding a Wally figurine was harder than I thought (as they went out of production more trhe 25 years ago)… but I did manage to track some down, and have started (with my clients permisison), incorporating them into new Virtual Tours that I publish.
So far all my clients have loved the idea… it provides something a little quirky for their virtual tour…. and also gives them the potential to run a competition or offer a prize tpo encourage potential customers for taking a long hard look through their virtual tour.
See if you can find Wally in the tour below (there is only one to find) :
14 Reasons why Your Business Needs Business Photos
December 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment
OK, so Business Photos and the capability to showcase your business with a virtual 3D Tour is pretty cool, but what are thge benefits and why would you want Business Photos for your business ? Here are some reasons for yo to consider :
1. Raise the Profile of your business
Thousands of people search for local businesses every day on Google (you probably do it yourself). Whether it is restaurants, florists, garages, hotels or other retail shops or local services, people often usually include a “locality as a part of their search criteria. Google is the main source used to find local businesses and having a virtual tour of your business can make you stand out from the crowd and help attract local customers.
2. Haven’t I Been here Before ?
Allowing people to actually see inside your business gives them confidence and it truly feels like they been there before. People tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. People seeing your virtual tour are more likely to visit your business compared to a competitor which don’t have it.
3.Celebrate your Uniqueness
If your business have some unique or unusual characteristics and you believe it could grab attention, a virtual tour is an ideal way to showcase your business. Offering a virtual tour gives the customer a great first impression which can cause Internet users to visit the physical store.
4. Brings your business to life
High quality 360° photos make it possible for visitors to see your premises like an interactive tour. This is likely to increase the amount of new visitors to your Google+ Profile, Google Maps, your business in Google search and ultimately, your business in real life !!
5. Add Google Business photos to your own website and share on Social Networks
Once you have Google Photos in place it is very easy to add a virtual tour to your own website, and also promot the photos and links vioa soclail media (Facebook, Twotter, etc…).
When having virtual tours on multiple websites, such as your Google+ page, Google maps, Facebook and your website – there are many new opportunities for users to share or like your business.
6. Your business shown in the best light
Trusted Photographers have been trained by Google and have proven skills and experience to enable them to photograph your business in the best light. Every single business photo used in your virtual tour is taken in 3 different exposure modes, to ensure that your business in presented in the best possible light.
7. Enhance your business listing
Your Business Photo images and virtual tour will appear on Google search results, Google+ Local, and Google Maps. Web users love clicking on images and seeing inside. So this will surely lead to more people seeing your premises and services and most likely also attracting more customers.
8. Allow potential customers to explore online
Potential customers can engage and explore, walk-through, and truly experience your business. In many cases, this leads them to visit your shop, salon, garage, gym or restaurant.
9. Featured on your own Google+ page
With Google business photos your virtual tour is prominently featured on Google+ Local. If you haven’t already uploaded Point of Internet (POI) photos, your trusted photographer can also update your Google+ listing with new and interesting photos of prominent features in your business.
10. All photos belong to you
The photographer assigns all ownership rights in the photographs (including intellectual property rights) to Business. You get full rights over all the photos and it’s free to use these images on your website, in newspaper adverts, magazines, outdoor advertising or anywhere else you wish. Your trusted photographer will send over all images on Google+ or if you prefer to have images on a disc, that can also be arranged.
11. You don’t need a website
You can take advantage of Google business photos without having a website. All photos will be uploaded to your Google+ page profile.
12. Encourage positive reviews
Having a virtual tour of your business can encourage visitors to leave reviews.
13. More repeat business
With plenty of similar businesses, it’s easy to get lost in the crowd. Having Google business photos certainly help people to recognise the premises and making them more likely to return. Because if they cannot find the address to your premises there will never return.
14. Anyone searching for your services might see it
People searching for services and restaurants in local search are likely to see Google business photos. After all, people love looking into businesses and Google tend to show users what they want to find. Businesses with virtual tours, incoming links and many reviews by users are usually more likely to be shown in Google, Google+ Local and Google maps.
How to Embed Google Business Photos on your Website
December 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Once you have a Google Business Photos listing activated for your business, a very powerful way to capitalise on it to promote your business is buy embedding the virtaul tool on your website or even as a post.
Fortunately, the way to do this is pretty straight forward. This post provides simple, step by step instructions on how to embed Business Photos into your own website.
One of the great features of this process is that you can embed the virtual tour starting ant ANY point you like within the tour, so you can feature important aspects of your business, or even do multiple embeds highlighting different areas of your business on different part ts of your website.
To embed a virtual tour :
Go to your Virtual Tour- Run your tour and navigate to the viewpoint you want your vistor to start at
- Click the Link tool
- Copy the HTML code
- Paste it into the relevant area of your website (you may need to send this code onto your developer if you are not sure what to do – andn if you are using WordPress – make sure that you paste it in in the” HTML” – not “Visual” – view)
The virtual tour below is for a Brisbane Hotel using all the default settings
View Larger Map
Customising the HTML
It is also possible to customise the size and look of the embeddede virtual tool. before copying the code (Step 4 abopve), click on the “Customise and preview embedded map” link whioch will provide a popup window like the image to the right which allos yopu to custopmsie the size of the vurtual tour you wish to embed.
Business Photos on Google Maps
September 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Thousands of participating businesses owners around the world, already have Business Photos associated with their Google+ Pages , and Google has been working hard to improve the comprehensiveness of interior, panoramic imagery available on Google and Google Maps.
So, if you are searching or browsing Google Maps and want to check out what a business looks like on the inside, it is now even easier to find and view these 360-degree panoramics. Simply drag and drop the orange Pegman on the left hand side of your screen onto an orange circle on the map. Voila! You’ll be virtually transported through the doors, and able to pan around and explore the interior of the establishment.
Drop Pegman on the orange dots to get 360 degree interior views of participating businesses
For an even better idea of where and how you can find these helpful interior Business Photos, watch the following video. Then let Google Maps help you explore the interiors of the participating places in your area.
Bringing Business Photos to Australian business owners
May 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Since April 2010, Google has been testing and developing the Business Photos program, which gives users a virtual peek inside businesses through interactive 360-degree imagery.
Through the Business Photos program, if you’re a business owner in many locations around the world (including Australia), getting started is easy. Just hire a Trusted Photographer in your area to take pictures of your establishment at a time convenient for you. Panoramas are created using the photos, and customers can easily find the resulting panoramic images on Google.com, on Google Maps, and on your Google Places listing. If a local photographer isn’t yet available in your neighborhood, you can let Google know so they can figure out where else to expand the program.
Google are actively recruiting more Trusted Photographers to bring imagery of more local businesses online for millions across the globe to see. Visit the website for photographers to learn more and sign up.
Google Makes Business Photos Self-Service
February 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment
When the Google Business Photos service was first launched the program was only available in select cities and was effectively by invitation only. However Google have now made the whole program self-service. So if you do want a professional photographer to come take photos of your business, here’s your chance.
SMBs can now get started by finding a trusted photographer from Google’s list and then both parties work out a time and price on their own. Within days your photos will then be available on Google’s properties. Google has essentially taken itself out of the equation and is now playing match-matcher between SMBs and photographers.
Google Announces trusted Photographers
January 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment
When they initially announced the Business Photos pilot program, Google wanted to give business owners an easy way to get customers in the door online using interactive, high-quality, 360-degree images of places on Google Maps and on Google Search results.
Since then they have listed thousands of new businesses on the Google Business Photos program – and are increasingly being asked by business owners about how they can get their ow Business Photos.
With the overwhelming success of the first pilot, Google has now unveiled an initiative designed to reach more interested business owners, more quickly: Trusted Photographers.
What are Business Photos Trusted Photographers
Business Photos Trusted Photographer are selctec by Google to build relationships with local businesses and work with them to photograph their space. Trusted Photographers are provided with the training and support they need to capture Street View imagery in a form that fcane be published on Google Maps.
How to Find Trusted Photographers
Easy… Simply visit the Google Business Photos website and search for a Google Trusted Photographer in your area. The either email or call a local photographer to schedule a time and agree on a price that you will pay the photographer for a photoshoot of your business.
Trusted Photographers are available in Australia, New Zraland, the United Kingodm, France and 14 U.S. cities
Google Business Photos Pilot Launched
May 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Google has just launched a new service called Google Business Photos – designed to integrate with Google Maps Street View and provide businesses with Google Place Pages provide potential customners with a more “immersive” way to view their business.
Google has been photographing businesses, to highlight the qualities that make their locations stand out.
Business owners have long been able to upload photos and even videos to there Google Place Page listing, but these new business photos help potential customers get a better view of the decor, merchandise, food, and more on each business’.
The Google Places pilot enables select businesses in the United States, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand to showcase their locations further, through clever use of 360-degree photography techniques- allowing visitors to experience a panoramic perspective.
When 360-degree imagery of a business is available, you’ll see an arrow appear over the thumbnail Street View image on that business’ Place page. Press the arrow to preview the storefront or interior, then click on the thumbnail to see the image in Street View.
Storefront thumbnail for Susan Avery Flowers and Event Styling in Australia
additional imagery becomes available for more locations in the coming months, you’ll also be able to enter the interior perspective of businesses directly from the Street View images of nearby roads on Google Maps.
If you would like to highlight your business to Google Maps users, please visit the Business Photos site to learn more and apply.