Google Street View technology provides the opportunity to give visitors to your Google Maps listing and your website the chance to take a ‘virtual tour’ through your premises before even setting foot anywhere near you.

When searching for businesses, consumers use mapping products 44% of the time.*

On average, 41% of these place searches result in an on-site visit.*

Choosing the right restaurant, bar or hotel can often be tricky, particularly if you haven’t been there before. With the updates to Google Street View, you now have the option to help build a level of trust by letting potential customers experience your location before they arrive.

By offering an experience which is immersive and fresh, a virtual experience can help to play a key role in drawing inspire greater confidence among prospective customer and visitors.

The Importance of Building Trust

Google quotes a survey** on their own website which highlights the positive impact that can be achieved by incorporating more images and offering a more immersive experience on your listing.

The parameters of the study are as follows:

  • An online survey was conducted with consumers who had searched online for a restaurant or hotel within the previous 30 days (using any device).
  • A total sample of 1201 respondents was collected between July 21st and August 2nd, 2015.
  • Different versions of a local business listing (one for a hotel, the other for a restaurant) were created to include basic info, photos and/or a virtual tour (the same media were used to create each version).
  • Respondents were asked to view one of the different versions for each business (in a randomised order). Each respondent viewed:
    • 1 hotel listing + 1 restaurant listing; and
    • 1 listing with a virtual tour + 1 listing without a virtual tour.

    Note: Presentation of alternate listings were randomized evenly and consistently throughout the field.

  • After viewing each listing, respondents were instructed to rate their interest in booking a reservation.
  • Ratings for alternate listings (with a tour versus without) were aggregated to understand the impact of virtual tours on interest in the featured business.

With 44% of consumers using map related products all of the time, this is an area which must be tapped into if you would like to take a step ahead of your competition.

Further Information

If you’d like to speak to us regarding any of our services, including our the creation of 360-degree images for your website and Google Maps listing, please give us a call on 01883 372488 or contact us via Facebook and we’ll be happy to talk you through your options.

Currently Browsing: Taking a Closer Look at Your Business

*Ipsos study 

[pdf in English]

**Download overview [pdf]