What Is a Google Street View Virtual Tour?

Street View is a virtual way to showcase your business’s surrounding environment on Google Maps, made up of millions of panoramic images that result in a seamless and high-quality 360-degree view of your designated location. The content found in Street View is sourced from both Google and other contributors.

Many professional photography companies in the U.S. offer Google Street View virtual tours as a service for businesses across many different industries. Having high-quality imagery like this on your Google business listing can not only boost user experience but also make it easier for potential customers to find your business online. These 360-degree tours provide an exclusive peek at your business or surrounding area without having to be on-site, as well as enhance your visibility.

CS3 Photography was the first agency to partner with Google to bring this service to thousands of businesses around North America. Using Google Street View technology, CS3 Photography can help you enhance your digital presence with a DSLR premium-quality virtual tour housed right on your Google listing. Request a quote to learn more about our Google Street View Virtual Tour services today.

Best Industries for Google Street View Virtual Tours

According to Google, business listings with photos and a virtual tour are twice as likely to generate interest. With the number of businesses and services that are competing with your potential customers’ attention online, why wouldn’t you want to make their decision to check out your business a no-brainer?

Google Street View virtual tours are ideal for nearly any business in practically any industry. They can help build trust and credibility in your brand, no matter what products or services you have to offer. They can provide an immersive experience that entices people to engage with your brand and get an inside look at your location. It’s an essential tool that helps your business stay competitive online.

Here are some of the most common areas virtual tours are utilized to promote their business:

Hospitality

Whether your hotels have stunning interiors or are situated in an ideal location in your area, giving potential guests an online peek at what awaits them is key to piquing their interest. CS3 Photography is one of the leading providers of hospitality photography and videography in North America and beyond, having worked with more than 10,000 hotels, ranging from economy scale to high-end resorts.

Restaurants

When your restaurants’ dishes look too good to eat when plated or your dining room got a new makeover, you need a high-quality, professionally made virtual tour to showcase it all to your guests. At CS3, all of our photos go through a meticulous post-production process to make sure your locations are always shown in their best light.

Retail

Did you know that 62% of visitors favor listings that feature photos of store interiors when considering their options? In retail, your products are the lifeline of your business — that’s why it’s essential to feature them front and center. CS3 provides professional photography and videography services like Google Street View virtual tours that can help improve your online footprint and attract more business.

Multi-Family Housing

Your apartment community offers beautiful open floorplans, resort-style amenities and other competitive features. To stay competitive, showcasing it all online isn’t an option — it’s a necessity. CS3 is the photography vendor for some of the largest multi-family management companies in the U.S., as well as some of the largest commercial real estate investment firms in the world.

Arts & Culture

Your venue is one that mustn’t go unexplored. Whether it’s an indoor museum, an outdoor exhibit or something in between, showcase all that your business has to offer in a format that allows guests to enjoy the highlights before they ever step foot on your property.

Venues & Landscapes

Some businesses’ most valuable assets lie in their venue and/or surrounding landscape. With a professionally made Google Street View virtual tour, your location can be captured in high-definition so others can really see the true value you have to offer — all without having to be on-property to see it.

What to Look For in Google Street View Virtual Tours

Street View uses the most popular search engine in the world to provide a complete 360-degree tour of your business. That’s why you need a trusted professional to make your investment worthwhile and take your virtual tour to the finish line with precision, quality and care.

Most professional photography companies work with businesses to understand their unique goals for this type of virtual tour and will work to capture images that meet and exceed their expectations. Using Google Street View technology, CS3 Photography can help you enhance your digital presence with a top-quality DSLR virtual tour that you can highlight on your Google listing.

Here’s what you should look for when considering a professional photographer for your next Google Street View virtual tour:

Google Trusted Certification

One of the first things to look for in a professional photography company that offers Google Street View virtual tours is whether or not they are a Google Street View Trusted Photographer. Having this certification means that Google has reviewed a selection of the photographer/photography company’s images and has confirmed they have the proper equipment and skills to capture quality, spherical panoramic photos. The images taken are in focus, level, seamlessly integrated, well-spaced and the same height. In 2012, Google partnered with CS3 Photography to become the first Google Trusted Agency in the U.S.

Experience

When selecting a professional photography company to hire, one consideration should be their experience level. Producing great results for your Google Street View virtual tour takes practice, and it requires specialized skills and equipment. At CS3, our vast network of professional photographers and long-standing partnership with Google have helped us become one of the largest and most experienced photography companies in North America and beyond.

Widespan Coverage

Another consideration when hiring a professional photography company to create a Google Street View virtual tour is their coverage. Some companies are local only and may not serve the area you’re in. Others may offer for their photographers to be flown out to your property, but that often comes with a price tag. When you work with companies that have widespread coverage like CS3, you're covered across all 50 states and 20+ countries. Meaning local photographers are always available at each location so you don’t have to worry about additional travel charges or added fees.

Flat-Rate Pricing

Some photography companies will offer dozens of different packages, all for different prices. When selecting a company to create your Google Street View virtual tour, it’s important to look for consistent pricing that doesn’t put your business out. Companies that don’t offer national and international services may charge additional travel fees based on your location. With CS3, customers always have one point of contact and one price, no matter where they’re located.

High-Resolution Photos

Getting potential customers to notice your business through all the noise online can be tough. That’s why high-resolution imagery is a must — and even more so when it comes to Google Street View virtual tours. At CS3, our packages include a set of professional architectural shots. These are HD photos that include things like pictures of your decor, storefront, merchandise or restaurant dishes. All photos are professionally edited by our designers and electronically sent to you with the tour.

Quick Turnarounds

Most professional photographers understand that businesses have tight deadlines that require fast turnarounds. With CS3, photos are always delivered quickly without sacrificing quality. Turnaround times can vary depending on the project, but in most cases are completed in about a week. Once your Google Street View Virtual Tour is live on your Google listing, CS3 can provide the necessary embed code to host the tour on your website. You can even extract specific areas of the tour to be able to start it from any point you want to.

Madison Square Garden

The World’s Most Famous Garden

Having high-quality imagery like this on your Google business listing can not only boos user experience but also make it easier for potential customers to find your business online. These 360-degree tours provide an exclusive peek at your business or surrounding area without having to be on-site, as well as enhances your visibility.

Visit the Experience

We also provide highly detailed customized virtual tours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions about professional Google Street View virtual tour services?

Professional photography services like this are an investment and can drive plenty of new customers to your business online. That’s why having the answers to your important questions is essential to making the most informed decision possible. Check out the following Q&As to learn more.

Q: Who are the photographers?

No two photography businesses are structured identically. That means there may be different levels of certification and experience from company to company. At CS3 Photography, we offer a vast network of professional photographers located across the country and abroad. Our in-house editing team of experts is well-equipped to create quality images that match your brand standards. There are no hidden fees for flying out any of our photographers to your property — we have widespread coverage both nationally and internationally, so our team can easily come to you without any hidden fees or upcharges.
Q: What kind of camera equipment is used?

Depending on the company, different equipment may be used to capture imagery for virtual tours. CS3 only uses high-quality DSLR cameras and professional panoramic lenses.
Q: How long does the process generally take?

This often depends on the company, as different professional services can be structured in various ways. At CS3 Photography, we believe your time is best spent running your business, not working all day with a photographer for your shoot. That’s why our goal is to use less time on-site and more time in post-production. Once the shoot is complete, we go into post-production, where the process is both high quality and fast. This ensures you’re spending your time managing your business while we touch up your images, not wasting it while our team is on-site.
Q: How should I prepare my property for my upcoming Google Street View virtual tour shoot?

Getting your property and surrounding location can be a significant effort, but it’s an essential step toward achieving the end result you’re looking for in your professional virtual tour.

Depending on your specific needs, you may need to inspect your property from top to bottom. For those seeking exterior virtual tours, it’s important to clean and repair everything necessary on your property’s exterior, including your roofs (look for damage or discoloration), walls (look for chipping paint, graffiti or cracked windows), pavement (look for cracks or potholes), gardens/landscaping (look for unkempt grass or messy flowerbeds), etc. if possible. For businesses like hotels and restaurants, you may also need to do some day-of preparations in order to reduce the amount of time inconvenienced for guests or employees, as well as to optimize the degree of cleanliness. These preparations may include removing items like temporary/seasonal signage, parked vehicles, maintenance equipment or anything else that could be a distraction.

Should your property have any imperfections you’re unable to fix prior to the shoot, many photography companies may offer services to edit them out for you, depending on certain factors. Contact CS3 to learn more about our editing services and other ways you can prepare for your upcoming photoshoot.
Q: How much does a professional Google Street View virtual tour cost?

Some photography companies charge based on time on-site, where your business is located, the tier of service or other variables. At CS3, we offer flat-rate pricing on all photography services so there’s no negotiating based on your location. Learn more about specific pricing and how it fits with your needs by requesting a quote today.
Q: What is the average turnaround time for this type of service?

Most professional photography companies understand that businesses have tight schedules to tend to, which means they know that the sooner you can get your virtual tour up and running, the better it is for your business. At CS3, our team is committed to providing your photos quickly. Although there may be some instances that require additional services, which could extend the delivery slightly, in most cases, we’re able to complete everything within a week of the shoot.

How to Get Started

With the right partner, the process of creating your business’s Google Street View virtual tour can be easy, convenient and stress-free. Your first step is to identify your business’s goals for the project and what essentials you need to see in the finished product.

Once you’ve identified that, your next mission is to seek out the photography company that best meets your needs. The company of your choosing should be easily accessible for a quote and to answer any questions you might have about the service.

If it’s a mutual fit, you can then schedule your service and start prepping your location in advance of the shoot.

At CS3 Photography, we offer a wide network of photographers located throughout the U.S. and 20+ countries abroad who are ready to showcase your business and its surrounding area in the best light possible. Request a quote and learn how you can get started with your Google Street View virtual tour with CS3 Photography today

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