In the fast-paced world, we live in customers and clients want to access information in a quick, easy, and often visual way. For example, did you know that visuals are processed by the human brain 60,000X faster than text? A virtual tour does that, by letting your customers and clients step inside your business at the click of a button. 

Searches on Google Trends for ‘virtual tours’ increased 15-fold throughout the recent Covid19 lockdown. Whilst searches have fallen as lockdown restrictions have been relaxed the post-lockdown demand for virtual tours on Google is around 8x the pre-lockdown demand (Source: Google Trends), demonstrating the incredible opportunity a virtual tour can present for your business.

Insight Virtual Tours are based in Hessle and we have worked with many local businesses to develop bespoke virtual tours. We often get asked ‘are virtual tours worth it?’ and so we have decided to show how virtual tours can help your business.

What is a virtual tour?

A virtual tour is a simulation of your business, allowing the viewer to take the reins and explore. By clicking in different directions, a visitor can move around your business premises. The 360-photography allows users to choose the rooms they want to view as they navigate through. People also search for relevant products and services at times to suit them, this can often be out of your business hours. However, virtual tours are accessible 365 days a year and 24 hours a day, meaning that you never miss a new business opportunity.

Which businesses use virtual tours?

Virtual tours are perfect for all types of businesses. From estate agents who want to showcase their domestic or commercial properties, to businesses who have recently invested in their workspace and want to show it off to potential customers or new employees. Virtual tours also work well for health and beauty clinics, allowing visitors to see the business before their visit.

How can a Virtual Tour hep your business?

Our Top 5 reasons for having a virtual tour.

 1.     Increase visibility on Google and grow your digital footprint

Google favours dynamic and engaging content which gives their searchers the best information and experience. A virtual tour means users have more touchpoints to interact with your brand (and more opportunities to optimise for SEO) which helps to maximise your presence on Google. With the growth in Google My Business and local SEO strategy, this is more important than ever. According to LCP360, hosting a tour on your Google My Business listing has been proven to double the interest in your company

A virtual tour will allow users to engage with your brand more, improving relevancy and your chances of appearing above competitors in Google. 

2.     Improve trust and build consumer confidence

For many customers being able to view the business they are visiting or property they are interested in helps to build confidence and reduce anxiety. Being familiar with their surroundings before they visit allows your customers to feel more confident in a new environment. This is particularly relevant given the events of the last few months. 

Not only would a virtual tour help build confidence with new customers, but it is an opportunity to showcase hygiene procedures that have been put in place. This helps to build trust with both new and old customers alike.

Research shows that 97% of consumers go online before purchasing to research products and services locally. Allowing a potential customer to research and explore your business, could be the difference in winning a customer against your competitors. Having helped dozens of clients with virtual tours, we’ve seen the impact first-hand this can have in building trust with your customers, especially in the current climate.

3.     Stand out from the competition

A virtual tour of your business will help you stand out from your competitors. 360 photography allows potential customers to see into the heart of your business. Virtual tours are a far more engaging way of reaching your customers when compared to static photography – for example, property listings with a virtual tour get clicked on 40% more than those listings without.

Many of our customers are surprised how affordable a high-quality virtual tour is for their business. Many SMEs may not have explored the opportunity due to the perceived costs involved. This means there is a great opportunity to stand out against your competition, even in a crowded market, and elevate your brand by using a virtual tour.

4.     Showcase your business (and personality) online

Virtual tours are extremely flexible. Many virtual tours include videos of staff and business owners explaining the different services offered or products sold, giving a hugely personalised experience for customers. Many brands are looking for more ways to connect with their customers and a virtual tour is a great opportunity to do that, who better to promote your business than the people within it?

You can see some fantastic examples of how video can be used to create a personalised experience with our latest case studies at Insight Virtual Tours.

5.     Drive more high-quality leads

Ultimately, a virtual tour will drive more sales and more high-quality leads for businesses, regardless of which sector you are in. From showcasing commercial office space and your brand, selling property or if you are a healthcare business looking for more customers – a virtual tour helps reach and engage more potential customers.

By increasing your digital footprint and allowing you to stand out from the competition, 360 photography will allow you to drive more traffic, reaching a highly engaged audience. By interactively showcasing your business, customers will trust your business and build confidence quickly, turning more visitors to customers.

Virtual tours are a cost-effective way to grow your business online.

There are many benefits to investing in a virtual tour for your business. Insight Virtual Tours are a virtual tour business with a difference. We work with our clients closely to ensure our tours channel the ambience and atmosphere of each location. By spending time-on-site, we can identify and recommend additional areas of the business to use within the tour, allowing you to highlight the key features and unique selling points that your business has to offer. This means we create engaging content for our clients which can be shared and used across multiple platforms, not just virtual tour photography.

If you want to find out more about how Insight Virtual Tours can help your business, then please get in touch today. One of our team will be on hand to give you all the information you need about a virtual tour for your business. Our prices start from only £195, giving you an affordable opportunity to drive sales and elevate your brand above your competitors.

Insight Virtual Tours – Virtual tours Yorkshire.