Bartosz Bos is a technologist, which means he’s an expert in all the latest tech. He helps manufacturers adapt to 3D printing processes, and in his spare time he learned how to take 360-degree photographs. At first he photographed local landmarks, and processed the photos into virtual tours for Google Street View. But he started noticing a trend in his uploads.
“My photos of businesses got way more views than anything else I uploaded,” says Bos, who now offers virtual tours through his company, Revolvr. “It makes a lot of sense with the growing popularity of online shopping — especially due to COVID-19. Before consumers commit to a purchase they want to make sure a business is trustworthy.”
Google’s statistics back up Bos’s personal experience — 41 per cent of shoppers will visit a business if it has photos or a Street View virtual tour on its Google profile. When a business has an enhanced Google profile, 29 per cent of visits lead to a purchase.
“Virtual tours are also essential for improving your search results in Google’s algorithm,” Bos says. “The more complete that Google profile is, the higher your ranking is going to be.”
A picture’s worth 1000 words; a 360-degree image is worth 360,000!
Bos’s business, Revolvr, is here to help brick and mortar West Shore businesses climb those Google rankings.
“25 years ago very few businesses had websites. Now a business without a website might as well not exist. It’s going to be the same with virtual reality tours,” he says.
The process is simple:
- Connect: Start your project at revolvr.ca, email info@revolvr.ca or call 778-968-1554.
- Site assessment: “We’ll visit the space for a quick assessment and plan the shoot.”
- Photoshoot: Businesses should be clean and organized. Turn on all lights, and clear out personnel. “The ideal time is outside business hours, because Google requires there are no people in photos, or faces are blurred” Bos says. Photoshoots take 15-30 minutes.
- Upload: Revolvr will assemble your tour and upload it to Google Street View. Google processes tours in about 10 days, and then your business is on the map!
Revolvr also offers in-depth services for retailers who want to tour individual products, and interactive tours of museums and other sites for customers with mobility issues or other limitations.
“We can create a virtual tour of a vehicle or RV so customers can see what it’s like to sit in the driver’s seat, create 360-degree house tours for realtors, photograph fitness studios, restaurants and retail stores — there are lots of opportunities.”
Contest alert
The first three businesses to respond to this article will receive a FREE Google Street View tour — that’s a $300 value! From Feb. 15 - Mar. 17, all West Shore businesses who mention this article get a Street View tour for $99. Learn more at revolvr.ca.
