Virtual Tour Photography
Some Things to Consider
Visually Engaging
VR tours are still considered unique in this country and yet flat, two-dimensional, images continue to prevail for some reason. These images just sit there, hopefully providing information a customer is looking for. Visitors to standard websites have become complacent and bored with the traditional run-of-the-mill sites.
Consumers hire, at some expense, individuals to build websites. All in the hopes of reaching the consumer. Cell phone images or poorly processed photos on a well-built web page will leave a bad taste in most people. Single images, good or bad, capture a single source. It may or may not be what a potential client or customer is looking for. Why not give them the whole picture? And then give them control over what they see and what is important.
A professional, well-designed panorama will project the entirety of any given scene. It will capture the viewer’s attention and will provide them with an accurate visual representation from any angle that they control. All this from the comfort of their home.
Quality
As a photographer, I know better than most how a poor image can damage any professional reputation – not from personal experience mind you, but I’ve seen my share.
Whatever your market is, I can assure you that an image from your cell phone isn’t going to cut it. Nor is hiring your brother-in-law or uncle Bob with his expensive camera. Think about it, a three thousand dollar set of golf clubs isn’t going to improve your handicap or make you a better golfer. The same applies to cameras. They are just a tool, and the twelve inches behind the camera are what counts in the end.
Poorly designed websites with so-so images or videos can ruin the reputation of any business. You need to determine how to brand your enterprise, and how the world sees you. The effort you put into your website, and its content is an indicator of how you are perceived.
Be Suspicious
If you are considering adding an interactive panorama to your website, take the time to research and do your homework. Don’t settle for the first person that comes around. Know what they can, or more importantly, what they can’t do that other professionals can with the right equipment, software, and experience.
Have a plan and a clear picture of what you would like your website to look like, sit down with the photographer, and make sure you both are on the same page. Look over sample VR solutions, talk it out, and get the most bang for your buck.
Also, take a good look at what your competitors are doing. Determine what you like or don’t like – act as a visitor to your site. What would you like to see? Think outside the box! Then make sure they can do the job.
Just showing up with a dual-lens fish eye camera does not a photographer make. I have one and it’s only for specific occasions, not as a go-to camera. Yes, it gets the job done, cheap and fast is hardly professional.
You get what you pay for and your business image is everything.
Let The Client Drive
Let the visitor take the wheel and control their visual experience. It will go a long way in helping them make informed choices during their visit.
It’s all about building trust. Show them your business, your listing, shop, restaurant, or hotel/motel rooms. Let them see the whole scene with an interactive panorama. There’s no downside.
A potential buyer, virtually interacting with a listing, can view the entire property without having to leave home or set up an appointment with the realtor. If he or she likes what they see, then set up your viewing with a motivated buyer.
Take action, take the first step. Set the pace ahead of the competition.
Technology vs. Competitors
VR Tours have been around for many years now and were considered too much of a hassle. The software was/is intensive and generates large files that need to be stored on servers, and could only be applied via HTML to your website.
Times have changed, technology has advanced, and interactive panoramas are more affordable than you may think. Yet virtual tour presence on business websites has not caught on to any extent or even been considered as part of their online business model. You do see some in real estate and that’s a start. But take a good look at the quality of these products, or how much information is not contained within the panorama itself.
Content and quality issues stem from inexperience, lack of professional equipment, and the software required to get the job done right. And that’s the rub. As a military contractor for many years, when clients (generally the military), asked about delivering a service or product they had to answer one question towards the end; are you concerned with quality, speed, or cost? And you only get to pick two.
The objective of virtually interactive panoramas is to provide the viewer with as much information as possible. Let them control the environment and choose what is important to them, then make informed decisions. Do I want to go to this store, restaurant, or pub, or take the next step and set up a meeting to see a listing? This is not possible with online software companies that provide limited processing capabilities or individuals with little or no experience or gear.
Smart businesses after 2020 are faced with a new type of shopper or client. Staying ahead of the competition is accomplished with new technology and being one step ahead. Capturing new business with an innovative online presence is what a new generation is looking for.
Realistic Vision
Often websites seem to be missing something and we can’t put a finger on it. If you step back for a moment and think about it, look at the images. Are they what you or the person you hired to build your site believe represents your brand?
VR Photography provides a 360o by 180o realistic view of your space. The space doesn’t matter; a small shop, restaurant, pub, hotel room, or real estate listing, the viewer sees everything. Bringing them into your environment from the comfort of their home or mobile device will be a unique experience.
Once they are in your space, give them the reins to move about, viewing what’s important to them. Now make it interactive. Not only can they move around your space, but they can also interact with it by adding elements and components on top of the panorama (a ‘skin’). Now make it a tour. Add multiple panoramas (nodes), to form a tour. Then sit back and let the tour do the work you used to do.
Try doing that with a two-dimensional photograph. Be realistic!