Module 3

360° Photos & Virtual Tours

360° photos and virtual tours let customers explore your space interactively. They're more advanced than regular photos, but can significantly enhance your listing for certain business types.

What Are 360° Photos and Virtual Tours?

What to do

Understand what these are and how they differ from regular photos before deciding if they're right for you.

Step by step

  1. 360° photos: A single photo that captures everything around a point — customers can drag to look in any direction. Like being able to stand in a spot and look around.
  2. Virtual tours: Multiple 360° photos linked together, allowing customers to move through your space. Like Google Street View, but inside your business.
  3. They appear on your listing in the Photos section and are also integrated into Google Street View/Maps.
  4. Customers can explore interactively: They drag to look around, zoom, and (in tours) click to move to different spots.

Should You Get a Virtual Tour?

What to do

Virtual tours are valuable for some businesses and unnecessary for others. Consider whether it's worth the investment for you.

Step by step

  1. Best for businesses where the space matters: Restaurants, hotels, gyms, retail shops, salons, event venues — anywhere customers want to see the environment before visiting.
  2. Less important for service businesses: Plumbers, electricians, and mobile services don't need virtual tours — customers don't visit your premises.
  3. Consider the competition: Do competitors in your area have virtual tours? If so, getting one keeps you competitive. If not, having one could differentiate you.
  4. Consider your space: Is your space visually impressive or a key selling point? A stunning café interior benefits from a tour. A basic dental waiting room might not.
  5. There's a cost: Professional virtual tours are typically done by Google Street View Trusted Photographers and cost £200-500+ depending on size. You can DIY with certain cameras/phones, but quality is usually lower.

Examples by industry

Generally not needed. Customers don't visit your location. Save your money for other marketing.
Can be very valuable. Lets customers see the atmosphere, seating, and vibe before visiting. Especially useful for destination cafés or those with impressive interiors.
Can help nervous patients see the calm, modern environment. Useful if your practice is especially impressive or you want to reduce anxiety.
Optional. Can show a professional office environment, but not essential. Most clients choose a solicitor on expertise and reviews, not office décor.

Getting a Professional Virtual Tour

What to do

For the best quality, hire a Google Street View Trusted Photographer to create your tour.

Step by step

  1. Find a Trusted Photographer: Search "Google Street View Trusted Photographer" plus your area. Or use Google's official directory at google.com/streetview/contacts-tools.
  2. Get quotes from 2-3 photographers. Prices vary. Expect £200-500 for a small business, more for larger spaces.
  3. Ask to see their previous work. Look at tours they've done for similar businesses. Quality varies between photographers.
  4. Prepare your space: The photographer will capture it as-is. Clean thoroughly, remove clutter, stage things nicely. This is like a professional photoshoot.
  5. Consider timing: Book when your business looks its best — fully stocked, clean, possibly with some customers to show it's active (with their permission).
  6. The photographer handles everything: They shoot, process, and upload the tour to Google. It typically appears within a few days.

DIY 360° Photos

What to do

If a professional tour isn't in your budget, you can create basic 360° photos yourself with the right equipment.

Step by step

  1. Option 1: Use a 360° camera. Cameras like Ricoh Theta or Insta360 capture full 360° in one shot. Entry-level models start around £200-300. They connect to apps that let you upload directly to Google.
  2. Option 2: Use Google Street View app (limited). The free Google Street View app can create 360° photos by stitching together multiple shots. Quality is lower, but it's free.
  3. Download the Street View app (free on iPhone and Android) and follow the in-app instructions to capture a 360° photo by turning slowly while it captures.
  4. Quality warning: DIY 360° photos rarely match professional quality. Stitching errors, inconsistent exposure, and blur are common. Consider whether a lower-quality tour helps or hurts your image.
  5. If DIY, practice first: Take several 360° photos in your home before attempting your business. Learn the technique before it matters.

Uploading 360° Photos

What to do

Once you have 360° photos, here's how to get them on your listing.

Step by step

  1. If using a professional: They typically handle the upload. The tour will be connected to your listing automatically.
  2. If DIY with a 360° camera: Most 360° cameras have companion apps that connect to Google Street View and upload directly.
  3. If DIY with the Street View app: The app lets you publish directly to Google Maps. Make sure to tag the photo with your business location.
  4. Check the 360° appears on your listing: After uploading, search for your business on Google Maps and look for the "See photos" option or an interactive photo.

Keeping Virtual Tours Current

What to do

Virtual tours can become outdated. Consider whether and when to update them.

Step by step

  1. Major renovations: If you significantly change your interior, your old tour becomes misleading. Get a new one.
  2. Minor changes are fine: New paint, rearranged furniture, updated décor — these don't necessarily require a new tour unless the difference is dramatic.
  3. Dated elements: If your tour shows Christmas decorations, that's fine in December but odd in July. Consider whether seasonal elements are an issue.
  4. Old tours are better than no tour: Unless your space has changed drastically, an older tour still provides value. Don't remove it just because it's a year old.

Virtual tour considerations: