wikipedia virtual tour

360° Panoramic Creations:

We create high-quality stabilized video having 8k and 4k resolution, 48 or 24 frames per second together with high-quality post-processing. Videos are supported by the most advanced technologies, such as virtual reality headsets (including Samsung Gear VR), different electronic devices and YouTube channels.

We use different types of moving and fixed objects (tripods, monopods, cars, helicopters, building cranes, etc.) to record videos. For aerial shooting we usually use drones with fully gyro-stabilized unique suspension. Panoramic video covers up all the space around the camera 360x180 degrees without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle.

360° videos are available in any format you choose: .mp4, .avi, .mov, etc. All the videos are made and kept in frames, making it possible to encode them into any available format and bitrate with the resolution up to 8k.

360° PHOTOGRAPHY

Our team creates high-quality 360° photo-panoramas with 35000x17500 pixels resolution (in the equidistant projection) and carries out professional post-processing and corrections of any complexity. We develop virtual tours which are suitable for all browsers, support both Flash and HTML5 technologies and are compatible with different mobile devices and virtual reality headsets (including Samsung Gear VR).

We use different types of moving and fixed objects (tripods, monopods, cars, helicopters, building cranes, etc.) to record videos. For aerial shooting we usually use drones with the fully gyro-stabilized unique suspension. Panoramic video covers up all the space around the camera 360x180 degrees without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle.

Ready 360° photo-panoramas cover up all the space around the camera 360x180 degrees without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle.

Info-points (description buttons that can be placed in the panorama), embedded pictures, video and audio can be added to the virtual tour.

360° GIGAPANORAMA

Our team creates high-quality 360° photo-panoramas with resolution from 1 to 3 gigapixel and carries out professional post-processing and corrections of any complexity. We develop virtual tours which are suitable for all browsers, support both Flash and HTML5 technologies and are compatible with different mobile devices and virtual reality glasses (including Samsung Gear VR).

Info-points (description buttons that can be placed in the panorama), embedded pictures, video and audio can be added to the ready virtual tour.

360° TIMELAPSE

We can make panoramic timelapses with the given viewing angle and resolution up to 12k with professional post-processing and without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle. 360° timelapses are supported by the most advanced technologies, such as virtual reality glasses (including Samsung Gear VR), different electronic devices and YouTube channels.

360° timelapses are available in any format you choose: .mp4, .avi, .mov, etc. All the timelapses are made and kept in frames, making it possible to encode them into any available format and bitrate with the resolution up to 12K.

Content sales:

VIRTUAL TOURS

On the basis of 360° panoramas we create virtual tours of any complexity, branded with logos and design elements of the company’s website together with embedding interactive elements, such as photos, slideshows, videos, descriptions, switch-points to other panoramas, audio descriptions, 3D sounds.

Our clients receive a fully functional virtual tour developed in HTML5 and supported by any computer or mobile device (iOS, Android, Windows Phone).

360° Photo    Price List

STOCK PHOTOS

For almost 10 years of travelling around the world our team has gathered an extensive stock of pictures, taken from both flying devices and the ground.

Any picture presented at our stock can be licensed for any kind of possible use. We can also offer the photos of ultra-high quality (the longer side up to 103,000 pixels).

You can also take a look at the spherical panoramas published on the website www.airpano.ru . Any of the 360° panoramas represented on the website can be converted into a printed image of very high quality.

Photogallery    Price List

STOCK 360° VIDEOS

By filming 360° video since 2011, our team has gathered an extensive stock of clips, taken from both flying devices and the ground.

Any video presented on our website can be licensed for any kind of possible use.

360° videos are available in any format you choose: .mp4, .avi, .mov, etc. All the videos are made and kept in frames, making it possible to encode them into any available format and bitrate.

360° Video    Price List

APPLICATIONS

We are one of the software developers of applications based on 360° photos and videos. Currently, there are 7 applications in our portfolio. One of them was top-rated in 84 countries and listed among the best applications of the year 2014 according to App Store.

These applications can also be used for demonstration of panoramic content with the help of virtual reality devices, such as Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard and analogues.

Exhibition installations:

EXHIBITION INSTALLATIONS

AirPano team has the experience of creating panoramic cinemas and video-walls, making it possible to demonstrate our panoramic content at different kinds of events, exhibitions and in museums. The size is only defined by the premises, the quality of projector and the dimensions of plasma screens. Such solutions usually make a deep impression on visitors.

The control is carried out by a tablet or Kinect devices.

TOUCH SCREENS

We are ready to create applications with panoramic content working on touch screens of any size. Both AirPano panoramas and the client’s material can be the basis for this kind of software.

We create virtual tours of any complexity, branded with logos and design elements of the company’s website together with embedding interactive elements, such as photos, slideshows, videos, descriptions, switch-points to other panoramas, audio descriptions, 3D sounds.

VR HEADSETS

Our virtual tours and 360° videos are supported by all the types of virtual reality headsets (VR): Google Cardboard, Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR, Sony Morpheus and others.

We can also develop special software for operating on Samsung Gear VR, if required.

AirPano in cooperation with Polden Studio carries out the installation of the binocular usage of the client’s or our own content. With the help of binoculars, the client can present the panoramic content at different kinds of events, exhibitions and in museums. This kind of devices usually attract a lot of visitors and leave a deep impression on them.

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What are Virtual Tours

Brandon Shaw Last Updated: November 18, 2022

With the world on lockdown, the tech world has given us an opportunity to stay connected. In this article, we will explain what is a virtual tour and the different types of Virtual tours. Many museums throughout the world have opened their doors virtually during the pandemic.

What is the Purpose of a Virtual Tour?

I have heard the much-trodden argument that technology has made us less free and more tied to our devices. While that may be true, one positive aspect of technology has been the ability to see the world without leaving your home. While the majority of people would prefer to visit the world in person, there are certain circumstances ( like pandemics or personal mobility issues) that can hinder one from doing that.

Today, with the click of a few buttons you can be in the British Museum looking at the Rosetta Stone or watch the sun rise over a mountain in Bhutan. Or perhaps you prefer to walk the streets of downtown Rome or learn how to cook Boeuf Bourguignon in Paris.

So how does it work with these tours? Do you have to pay or are they free? Let’s explore the different options that you have when wanderlust starts creeping in.

Virtual Tours VS Guided Virtual Tours

I will break it down moving forward between the virtual tours that you pay for and those that are free. The main difference between the two is free tours tend to be a self-service type of experience where you go at it alone. In contrast, a paid virtual tour is one where you will have a guide. Let’s look at the table below to compare the two of these different types of experiences whether in a museum or a city.

Which Virtual Tour Should I Choose?

Think of google street view. You can go to their website and peruse the museum by clicking arrows to lead you into various rooms. I find that most of these options do not have any commentary or explanations of what you are looking at. Therefore it can be difficult to get a firm understanding of the artwork.

In my opinion, this option is ideal for those who have already visited that particular museum or site. It allows one to relive what they have already seen. Since they have visited it already, they have some sort of orientation of the building and the art pieces.

The top museums in Europe are offering these types of virtual tours such as:

• The Louvre in Paris
• The British Museum in London
• The Vatican Museums
• The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam
• The Picasso Museum in Barcelona

Our Private & Group Virtual Tours

Only you and the Guide

Virtual Private Tour with Local Expert Guide

This Private Virtual Guided Tour is designed to create a fun, memorable, and educational event with your very own guide. Whether it’s a corporate event, family reunion, birthday party, or another event, touring the Ruined City of Pompeii or learning the history of Versailles with your very own expert will bring your group closer together. Each webinar is packed with photos, videos, polls, and a fully interactive chat function which makes each one anything but a lecture video.

Best Selling Virtual Tour

Napoleon’s Personal Treasure Trove: Louvre Virtual Tour

What is a Virtual Guided Tour? It is not virtual reality. It is a licensed guide-led webinar packed with photos, videos, polls, and a fully interactive chat function which makes this anything but a lecture video. There is also a live Q&A at the end satisfying all your questions about the Louvre and Paris. Whether you’ve never been abroad or spent every summer in France, enjoy this exciting, interactive experience from the comfort of your home.

Guided Virtual Tours

The guide on a virtual tour could be a licensed tour guide or just a local in his or her city that wants to show you around. The possibilities are endless.

Many tour operators have begun selling Virtual Guided Tours of the cities that they operate in. This is a great way to support tour guides, who have not been able to work during the pandemic. I would say this is one of the biggest success stories so far with the offering of virtual tours.

The idea behind guided virtual tours is to make them interactive. There is the added benefit of learning little-known facts about the artists. The tours vary from a guide being on-site to a multi-media webinar set up. Lets explore these two options below:

Which Guided Virtual Tour Should I Choose?

The majority of guided virtual tours are Multi-media where the guide explains the city/ monument from the computer. The reason is that many more things can go wrong with on-site tours. You have to worry about internet dead spots and difficulty in hearing ( like from local traffic). Also if you are in a different time zone, you have to match up with real-time opening hours.

On the other hand, if the guide has the correct hardware and microphone, the experience can be extremely rewarding. Imagine you can watch the sunset in real-time at Cafe del Mar in Ibiza? Or how about the sunrise over the Himalayas in Tibet?

Many times it comes down simply to budget. I have experienced both types and have found both to be fulfilling. Especially in moments of a lockdown or when it’s not possible to travel.

Virtual Cooking Classes

With the emergence of virtually guided tours, the concept of virtually guided cooking classes has also swept the world by storm. Not only can you go and visit Tibet virtually to learn about the culture, but you can then take a virtual cooking class with an expert taco maker in Mexico or make fresh pasta with a chef in Rome.

Therefore not only tour guides have taken advantage of the lockdowns, but also chefs. Remember that most restaurants have been closed for extended periods of time, so it has been a great opportunity to support chefs in the same way.

When you sign up for a virtual cooking class, you allow yourself to cook in real-time with a real chef. I have to admit that this is one of my favorite experiences I have done because it allows you to demystify certain cuisines such as Persian or Indian. It is one thing to watch a youtube video about making a curry, but quite another when you see a chef creating a dish and you can ask him or her questions in real-time.

What are the Best Virtual Tours

In my opinion, the best virtual tours are those that give you the best value for the experience. This will obviously depend on the individual, but personally, I prefer to have a guided tour with a real guide. The reason being is that the best value is when someone is able to answer your questions. And as you can imagine, when you are in a mega museum such as the Louvre or the Vatican, many questions will arise!

So at that point, you need to decide is it better to be on-site or in a webinar set up. As I have mentioned already, doing a live, onsite tour can be problematic due to all the external variables, not least the constant problem of the internet coming and going. On the other hand, in a controlled environment, you will be sure to understand the guide and more material will be able to be covered than if a guide is walking around in real time.

If you are going to do a live guided virtual tour, I recommend reaching out to the guide first to make sure their equipment is up to par. Ask them to offer a free, 10 minute demo so you know what you are getting yourself in to.

How do you Do a Virtual Tour?

Since Virtual tours are done through the internet you will need either a computer, tablet, or telephone with strong internet. You will usually be sent a link where you can connect to one of the various platforms that are used. Below are the two most common platforms used to host virtual tours

• Zoom- Already widely used in the business world for conferences, this has spilled over as one of the main platforms that hosts use as a platform to connect with their audiences. I would say that at the moment, this is the platform that most people are used to using. The only negative aspect for me is that you have to download the software first.
• Bigmarker – This is the platform that our company uses and I have to say that I am very satisfied. It can be a bit trickier to use when you first start and is also a bit fussier when it comes to browsers used and internet speeds. However, one great aspect is that you don’t have to download any software. Just log in and enjoy!

About Brandon Shaw

Brandon is a co-founder and owner of The Tour Guy and its subsidiary The Roman Guy. He left the States to travel the world at 18 and never looked back! As an official Tour Guide of Rome and Certified Sommelier, he loves to travel the world and share these experiences with his readers.

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August 22, 2021

Does your BigMarker platform have closed captioning available for deaf/hard of hearing clients?

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Top 10 virtual tours: see museums and the world without leaving home

Stuck at home? You can still enjoy amazing sights and experiences

Many of the world’s most iconic locations now offer virtual tours, meaning you can visit museums, world heritage sites and other attractions from the comfort of your couch. You don’t need a VR headset , either, although some attractions do support virtual reality for a more immersive experience.

So if you’re looking for things to do at home, and in need of a change of scenery, simply grab your laptop, tablet or phone, and join us on a world tour filled with history, nature and – of course – technology.

1. Machu Picchu, Andes Mountains, Peru

A simply stunning UNESCO World Heritage site, Machu Picchu is a visual wonder that just has to be seen. You no longer need to fly all the way to Peru to see it in all its glory, however, as the virtual tour is comprehensive, immersive, and filled with fascinating insights.

With 360-degree views of the ruins of Inca settlements and lush green landscapes, you can visit every popular vantage point and learn more about the history of the famous site thanks to a helpful voice narrator. OK, you can’t feel the warm breeze around you, but if you turn on the heat and have a handy desk fan set to low, it’s almost as good as the real thing. Almost.

Behold the marvel : Machu Picchu

2. The Louvre Museum, Paris

An attraction visited by millions of tourists in person every year, the Louvre Museum has also created a selection of virtual tours based on its permanent collections. Explore Egyptian antiquities, the Remains of the Louvre’s Moat, and the decorative arts of the Galerie d’Apollon. 

The tour is easy to navigate, with an expandable minimap that lets you highlight exhibits to view with just a couple of clicks. You can also find out more about each room in The Louvre, with detailed descriptions that will probably make the room you’re actually sitting in feel frightfully dull in comparison. 

Take a trip: Louvre Museum

3. The National Museum of Computing, Milton Keynes, UK

The National Museum of Computing contains the world’s largest collection of working historic computers. That means one of them probably runs Microsoft Vista and is still working...

The museum features a fantastic, intuitive, virtual 3D tour. You can zoom in on each exhibit’s details, and find out more about every aspect of computing history, such as the world’s oldest working digital computer. Impressive stuff.

Discover a digital treasure trove: The National Museum of Computing

4. Georgia Aquarium, Georgia, USA

Nothing beats the beauty of nature, so it’s good to know you can still get your daily dose of “aww” from the safety of your sofa. The Georgia Aquarium has over 50 species ranging from sea lions to underwater puffins, with many available to view via webcam. There’s also a daily and weekly livestream that’s aimed at piquing children’s interest in animals, and a great at-home educational tool if you want to entertain the little ones. 

Ever wondered what a Beluga Whale gets up to in its spare time? Just click on the link below and find out. Water-way to have a good time. 

Sea more: Georgia Aquarium

5. A 3-Minute Tour, Tokyo

What if we told you that you could ride in a Tuk Tuk, walk across the famous Shibuya crossing, win a Pikachu from a claw machine, and make friends with a robot… all in under three minutes. That might be physically impossible, but with VR it’s a breeze.

If you’ve ever wanted to take a whistle-stop tour of Japan, the Japan National Tourism Organization has created a 360-degree virtual reality video that lets you do all of the above, and lots more. 

Simply put on a VR headset to experience a surreal thrill ride, where you’ll go from feeding a deer to facing off against a sumo wrestler in a matter of seconds. The video is also viewable in 2D, and well worth a look. 

Check it out below.

6. The British Museum, London

Home to a remarkable collection that spans over two million years of human history and culture, The British Museum has nearly 50 online exhibits to view. From Bonaparte and the Battle of Waterloo to exploring the history of LGBTQ, there’s plenty of informative content to delve into.

For a more interactive experience, check out the Museum of the World tour . You can browse through a large selection of exhibits that are dated by century, continent and category – such as trade and conflict or art and design. Each exhibit offers a detailed description as well as accompanying audio, which helps provide a fascinating backstory to each piece. 

Browse the exhibits: The British Museum

7. The Vatican, Rome

Filled with spectacular architecture and historic monuments, The Vatican is within your virtual reach, with a host of museums providing online tours. Step into the Sistine Chapel and Raphael’s Rooms, which are adorned with simply sensational artwork. 

The tour is compatible with WebVR, so you can pop on a VR headset to get an even closer look at some of mankind’s most memorable creations. It’s truly breathtaking, even when viewed through a screen.  

When in Rome, visit: The Vatican

 8. Musée d’Orsay, Paris

Located in the center of Paris, this historic museum was installed in the former Orsay railway station. It was originally built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900, and displays collections of art from the period 1848 to 1914.

Take a leisurely virtual stroll through the opulent hallways and witness works from dozens of famous French artists, including Monet, Gauguin and Van Gogh. With no other visitors to contend with, you can soak up all the culture on display to your heart’s content – and there’s a lot to soak up. 

Take the tour: Musée d’Orsay

9. Athens Acropolis, Athens

A must-visit destination for history buffs, the Athens Acropolis includes the world-famous Parthenon, and is a cultural hotspot for tourists. Choose between popular sites such as the Theatre of Dionysus and enjoy in-depth videos that provide a fascinating and educational insight into ancient Greece. 

There are plenty of photographs to view and engrossing facts to learn, so don’t be surprised if you become an armchair expert in no time. Now, where’d you put that amphora of wine? 

Get to the Greek: Athens Acropolis

10. The Royal Academy of Arts, London

If you’re amazed by architecture, the Royal Academy of Arts has a virtual tour that will make you go “ooo” and “ahh” for hours. The Sensing Spaces exhibition uses high-quality 360-degree photography to give visitors a taste of its structures and remarkable exhibitions – it really does feel as if you’re actually there. 

Each exhibition is complemented by further information for users to read through, but you’re encouraged to come to your own conclusions, and think about what each space means to you.

Visit the exhibition: Sensing Spaces

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Adam was formerly TRG's Hardware Editor. A law graduate with an exceptional track record in content creation and online engagement, Adam has penned scintillating copy for various technology sites and also established his very own award-nominated video games website. He’s previously worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor and once played Halo 5: Guardians for over 51 hours for charity. He is now an editor at The Shortcut.

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• By: Jahir Chowdhury Last updated on: April 19, 2024 26 mins read

What Is A Virtual Tour? Learn All About Virtual Tours – Detailed Knowledge Base [2024]

Virtual reality has been booming since late 2019. And after the Covid-19 outbreak & lockdowns, more and more people started to embrace advanced technology.

In fact, virtual reality is now one of the prime technologies in demand.

It is estimated that the VR industry will reach about $57.55 billion market value by the year 2027.

The most significant form of VR technology today is virtual reality tours or simply virtual tours.

In fact, virtual tour technology is a revolutionary element in the 21st century, for many industries such as real estate, hospitality, hotel & tourism, etc.

Today, you will be able to get a thorough understanding of ‘what is a virtual tour’.

We’ve gathered every essential information you may want to learn, starting with the basic definitions to advanced uses of the virtual tour.

After reading this article, you’ll learn:

• What a virtual tour is and it’s purpose
• Knowledge on different type of virtual tours
• How a virtual tour is beneficial to your business
• Affordable solution to creating a virtual tour
• Basic knowledge on creating a virtual tour on your own
• Example implementation of virtual tours.

In short, you will know exactly why you should start using virtual tours to grow your business.

So let’s get started.

Table Of Contents

• What Is A Virtual Tour?
• Types of Virtual Tours
• Who Uses Virtual Tours And Why?
• Traditional Virtual Tour Creation
• Affordable Solution For Virtual Tour
• Some Example Virtual Tour Ideas Implementation
• Common Q & As Regarding Virtual Tours

Learn All About Virtual Tours

1. What Is A Virtual Tou r?

Virtual Tour Meaning :

A panoramic view or video simulation of an existing or conceptual place that can be viewed online, i.e., exploring a realistic place virtually.

Imagine you live somewhere in the US and you always wanted to visit the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

What you can do is use your smartphone and search for ‘Eiffel Tower virtual tour’ on Google or Duckduckgo. On the search results, you will find the first choice is a virtual tour of the Eiffel Tour. Click on it and you will be looking directly at the Eiffel Tower through your phone screen!

Notice that you can listen to the tourists’ chitchat and move your phone to look around the place. It’s as if you are really there and you are enjoying a tour of the Eiffel Tower.

This is exactly the realistic experience you can get with any virtual tour.

A virtual tour is usually a virtual representation of a real place, which you can explore remotely from your phone or computer.

Just like the Eiffel Tower, you can create virtual tours of any place for various reasons. For example, realtors often use virtual tours of properties to attract buyers.

Virtual Tour Definition:

A virtual tour is a type of semi-immersive virtual reality where you view a virtual environment for a semi-realistic experience.

Let us look at it more elaborately.

Virtual reality comes in many forms and the virtual tour is one of them. While defining a virtual tour, you may look at a few features that make a virtual tour different from other forms of VR.

It’s when you view a virtual environment through a device, but you do not necessarily need to move to view the tour. Neither you control a character.

You simply get a view of the environment as if you are looking at it in reality (often referred to as the first-person view), and you can look around using a mouse or a keyboard on a PC, or by swiping your fingers on a smartphone screen.

The first example of a virtual tour dates back to 1994 (as per Wikipedia ). An interpretive tour was created for a museum that included a 3D walkthrough of Dudley Castle (1550) virtually reconstructed.

Most virtual tours have Gyroscope support, which somewhat gives you a near-realistic experience since you have to move the phone to look around.

The ones that are supported by VR boxes, those virtual tours feel more realistic as when you experience one, you will feel like you are standing in the center of the place.

However, you will only be moving your face or turning around – movements of your body parts won’t have any impact on the tour.

Nevertheless, it is still the most effective and affordable VR solution.

Is Virtual Tour And Virtual Reality The Same?

Virtual reality can be referred to as any form of a virtual environment that requires engagement. This could be fully immersive (e.g. virtual medical training), non-immersive (e.g. RPG strategy games), semi-immersive (e.g. virtual tour), etc.

A virtual tour is a type of semi-immersive virtual reality experience.

2. Types Of Virtual Tours

Apparently, virtual tours evolved gradually with technology to increase the engagement it has today.

In the past, guided video tours were often referred to as virtual tours.

Let us look at a few types of virtual tours.

i. Guided Video Tours

ii. 360 Virtual Tours

iii. Google Street View Tour

iv. Virtual 360 Video Tours

v. Visual 3D Dollhouse

  i. Guided Video Tours  

When thinking about developing virtual experience, the early so-called virtual tours were actually guided video tours where a sequence of videos was used to give you a tour of a location.

Though it can be considered as a virtual experience, it is rather a tour where you, as a viewer, have no control. You will only look at what is being shown in the video.

As per modern-day knowledge, a guided video tour is no longer considered a VR experience.

 ii. 360 Virtual Tours 

People have long advanced from guided video tours and started using 360 virtual tours.

A 360 virtual tour is basically where you can get a complete virtual 360-degree view of the environment – you can view the place from the center, with more control over navigation.

Virtual 360 Degree Meaning – You will be able to completely turn in a circle in any direction whether top and around or sideways within a virtual environment.

This is the modern-day virtual tour that most businesses use nowadays. In fact, it is the most affordable form of virtual tour solution out there today.

Google also came up with an exclusive solution for virtual tours. Since Google already has the Street View feature in the maps, they decided to allow users to extract the virtual view of a certain location and embed it on their website or mobile app.

This Street View tour is a typical virtual tour connected to the Street View world in Google maps. So initially, you will start at the intended location, but then you can navigate yourself to other places just like you do in Google Earth. As this technology gains popularity, often near tourist attractions scanable brochures or banners can be seen for virtual tours on a QR code .

 iv. Virtual 360 Video Tours   

Then emerged the new form of virtual reality, 360 video tour. It is a form of a virtual tour where you get to experience a 360 video and navigate in a 360 view while the video is playing.

These types of virtual tours became possible thanks to the high-quality 360 digital cameras that were invented and released in the last two decades.

However, as amazing as it sounds, it still didn’t get as much popularity as an ordinary 360 virtual tour simply because of the high expenses involved, and the lack of engagements compared to a traditional virtual tour.

 v. Visual 3D Dollhouse 

The most advanced form of a virtual tour was developed by a handful of companies, the most notable one being Matterport.

They introduced the Visual 3D Dollhouse form of virtual tours. It’s the only form of a virtual tour that is closest to a real walking tour.

However, it is also the most expensive form of a virtual tour (ranging from 2k to 8k dollars for a single tour).

Initially, you will get a 3D model of the house, and then you may enter the house to get a virtual tour where you can click to move here and there within the house. It doesn’t stay limited to the center of a room; rather you can move positions within a room.

The dollhouse concept was mainly used by Home Development Companies and Architects before a house was built. But many large firms invested in creating a Dollhouse virtual tour for themselves and to get more online traction.

Comparing A 360 Virtual Tour And A Virtual 360 Video Tour

So in short, use 360 virtual tours when it is a business purposes, and use virtual 360 video tours when it is for fun and entertainment.

3. Who Uses Virtual Tours And Why?

In the last decade, a lot of industries started to use virtual tours more expressively and are definitely seeing positive results. However, many businesses are yet to explore this emerging technology and should get on board ASAP. In parallel, the field of enterprise mobile application development is increasingly integrating virtual reality elements to enhance user engagement and provide innovative solutions in various sectors.

Here is the list of industries or businesses that should use virtual tours (if not using already) as a part of their marketing strategies.

i. Real Estate

This is probably the industry that is using virtual tours more than any other.

When selling a house or property, or simply renting out an apartment, a virtual tour can help buyers get hooked immediately.

The potential client will get to experience a realistic view of your property, which is way more engaging than regular images. So you will have a better chance to get calls from interested clients.

Sadly, many prominent realtors are still hesitant about using such technology and prefer going the old traditional way. This will have to change soon if they want to stay in the competition for long.

ii. Hotel & Resort

You will find that a lot of international hotels are now using virtual tours to attract tourists and travelers.

Most people usually like to find out how a hotel looks and get information on the services and charges, before deciding where to reside during vacation or tourism.

And you can show them every little detail about the rooms you’re offering by adding a ton of information inside the virtual tour itself using tooltip hotspots and other customizations.

iii. Museums:

Since the pandemic began, most museums have gone through some really tough times.

But a few museums managed to keep their reputations up by offering free virtual tours of some of their sections while promoting paid virtual tours on other sections.

Virtual tours are also a great way to preserve historic relics online.

iv. Restaurants & Bars

When visiting a bar or restaurant, people tend to notice if the environment is suitable for hanging out or comfortable, else they refrain from coming back.

If you are confident about your restaurant or bar, then you may create a virtual tour and place it on your website. This will help to grab the attention of the people who are researching online to find out a suitable place to hang out or probably dine in.

A well-made virtual tour of your restaurant will always encourage your customers to consider taking a visit and if they enjoy their first visit, they will definitely become returning customers.

You may also provide your menu and contact details on the tour, or even add a contact form for home delivery.

v. Art Gallery or Exhibition Halls

One of the more potential industries that can flourish using virtual tours is Art Galleries or Exhibition Halls.

Most art galleries and exhibitions regularly organize live events to showcase the artworks which are often open to auctions or purchasing.

The good news is, these creative arts can be auctioned and sold online as well. But rather than creating an e-commerce style online market, you can consider using a virtual tour.

In that regard, online visitors will enjoy the tour and will get to view all the available arts in a realistic way.

Plus, you can use tooltip hotspots to provide extra details about the arts such as the meaning or the thought behind the artwork or the artist details, etc. And you may even add a contact form for inquiries related to purchasing and auctions.

If your artworks are not for sale and you are organizing a paid event, then you can use virtual tours for two exclusive purposes:

• All a free virtual tour of a small section of the exibit and ask your visitors to buy tickets to the actual event.
• You can run an online virtual event and allow people to take access to the exibit for a small fee.

Whichever way you use virtual tours, it will get you great exposure and good business.

In fact, a virtual tour will mean people from all over the world can take part, and you can get visitors 24/7.

Also, you will still have a running event despite any mishaps such as the lockdown during the recent pandemic.

There are tons of other industries that can benefit from using virtual tours such as:

• Tourist Destinations – to promote tourism
• Universities and Colleges – to highlight the exclusive campus to potential new students
• Local Pubs – to attract more local customers
• Departmental Stores – to get extra sales online
• Clothing Stores – to create a virtual shopping store
• Car Showrooms – to showcase available car models
• Beauty Parlors and Spa – to highlight the comforting environment

And many more.

4. Traditional Virtual Tour Creation

Once you know the basics about virtual tours, your next question is probably “How to create a virtual tour?”.

Creating a typical virtual tour can be very affordable or expensive depending on how you create it or what purpose you are creating it for.

Normally, to create a 360 virtual tour, you will need 360 panoramic images and a virtual tour builder.

360 Panoramic Image –

A type of image that is captured through Panoramic photography and can be converted into a 360 virtual tour using an appropriate tool.

You may seek professional help to create virtual tours, which can be quite expensive since 360 photography costs a lot (ranging from 1500 to over 3000 dollars), and agencies tend to charge a high fee when building virtual tours (commonly around $500). But you will get quality output.

However, it is possible to reduce that cost by capturing 360 panoramas on your own and using an online virtual tour builder.

Creating A Virtual Tour On Your Own

If you have time, then it’s best to create your own virtual tour without any professional help and believe me, it’s not as complicated as it sounds.

To create a virtual tour on your own, you will simply need to follow the 3 steps below-

i. Collect the right virtual tour equipment to capture 360 images

When capturing 360 images, you will need a digital 360 camera and a Monopod. We suggest you use the Ricoh Theta V camera.

Initially, a digital 360 camera may seem expensive. However, as you saw earlier, professionals would charge almost twice as much just to create one single tour. But with your own camera, you can capture as many as you want.

Once you have the two pieces of equipment, you can capture the 360 panoramic images easily. Simply follow few smart tips and you will be good to go.

• Tips To Capture A 360 Panoramic Image On Your Own

It’s best to capture images of multiple scenes or locations of your house/property that you can include in the virtual tour. For example, if you are creating a virtual tour of a house, you may capture a panoramic image for each room it has.

ii. Use a reliable virtual tour creator

You will find several tools out there that you can use to create virtual tours.

However, you should go for a virtual tour builder that is

• Easy to use and has actionable tutorials,
• Customizable for optimized engagements,
• Cost-effective with quality output.

If you run a WordPress site, then you will find a reliable plugin, called WPVR. WPVR is currently the best virtual tour builder in WordPress that is both cost-effective and convenient as it has detailed actionable tutorials to start using the plugin immediately. Plus, you will be amazed with some of the tours that it’s users have made so far. Take a look.

Simply use the virtual tour creator to convert your captured 360 panoramic images into a virtual tour.

iii. Optimize the virtual tour for your target audience

Now, a virtual tour is only as good as its engagement potential.

Even if you use high-quality panoramic images, how well the visitors will respond to it completely depends on how you optimized it for engagement.

Most VT creators will allow you to add extra details such as tooltip hotspots, website links, custom hotspot icons, etc.

But it’s up to you how well you make use of them.

For example, in an art gallery tour, it’s ideal to add a small tooltip for every artwork to give more details about the art and the artist.

For restaurants, you may rather use a hotspot near the counter to add a click-to-view menu.

Plus, as I mentioned earlier, it’s best to have multiple panoramic images so that you can allow visitors to move between each scene within a single virtual tour for a realistic feel.

You may also include a scene gallery to let the visitor know of all the available scenes in a quick preview.

Try to use all the relevant features you will get with the tool and aim to create a welcoming and engaging virtual experience.

For example, in the case of WPVR, you can use:

• Auto-rotation.
• Company Logo and Information.
• Tour Location Details.
• Interactive hotspots.
• Custom Controls.
• Gyroscope Support.

You may also use engaging hotspot actions to view:

• Website URL.
• Contact Form.

The idea is to use the engaging elements that you think your target audience will find appealing. Give the visitor the most interactive experience possible and get him/her interested and intrigued right away.

5. Affordable Solution For Virtual Tour

By now I believe you probably can realize that a good virtual tour depends a lot on the tool you choose. But you should also look at the cost.

Simply put, using an expensive solution may not generate as many conversions as required to cover up the cost.

Choosing a tool that is both affordable and provides enough features to create engaging virtual tours is a vital factor for your business.

If you’re using WordPress, then you won’t have to worry about it. WPVR is a plugin that was built to meet these requirements.

Take a look.

 Virtual Tour Pricing

i. WPVR Yearly Plans

So, just for $59.99, you can create unlimited premium virtual tours and use them on your website for 1 year (Annual Virtual Tour pricing).

ii. WPVR Lifetime Plans

The lifetime plans may seem a bit high at first glance. But keep in mind that, you’ll be paying only once and you can use the plugin for as long as you want (One-time virtual tour pricing).

• Get WPVR – Easy Virtual Tour Builder For WordPress

WPVR comparatively costs way less than most other virtual tour creators when considering the quality of output and ease of use.

6. Some Example Virtual Tour Ideas Implementation

Below is the implementation of some virtual tour ideas that you can experience:

i. Virtual Tour of A Property

Here is a virtual tour idea of a real estate property .

Here you can see how beautifully the hotspots were used to make it engaging.

You can create a similar virtual tour for your house as well.

ii. Virtual Tour of Hotel Room

Take a look at this hotel room tour which is ideal for tourists.

**Click on the Form Icon on the yellow wall. You will see, there is a contact form to book the room.

This is a great way to promote hotel room booking.

iii. Virtual Tour of A Car Showroom 

You can even promote your car showroom using a virtual tour.

**Hover on the hotspots above the cars to see how you can highlight the car details elegantly.

Whether you are the manufacturer or simply own a car showroom to sell cars from multiple brands, a virtual showroom tour such as this one can be a great medium to increase sales.

iv. Virtual Tour of Grocery Store

Online sales have seen a great surge since the pandemic, And online grocery sales have reached their peak this year.

And having. a virtual grocery store tour can be a great way to sell your grocery products.

**Click on the hotspot icons for each product to see how you can sell WooCommerce grocery products through a virtual tour.

Here is a virtual grocery store tour you can check out.

This is a great, modern way to sell on eCommerce sites. You can use the same type of tours to promote a supermarket, bakery, general convenience store, clothing store, or whichever store you may have.

v. Virtual Tour of Pub

So local bars or pubs have embraced virtual tours to attract more local regulars.

Most people want to feel comfortable about how a pub looks like when visiting and a virtual tour online can definitely attract the ideal prospects.

Take a look at how this virtual tour of a Pub is so welcoming to the locals.

Just like these amazing virtual tours, you may use your creativity to craft your own virtual tours that can bring you more business.

Common Questions & Answers Regarding Virtual Tours

Let us look at some common questions people have regarding virtual tours.

1. Do People Like Virtual Tours?

People will stay 5 to 10 times longer on your website if have at least one virtual tour.

This is justified since virtual tours are interactive and users can control and look around them.

So the answer is Yes, people love virtual tours.

2. Do Virtual Tours Increase Sales?

According to TIG Global, using virtual tours as a marketing method resulted in up to a 67% rise in conversion and successful bookings.

Remember, engagement is the key to conversion. And a virtual tour can definitely connect with visitors more effectively than texts and images, or at times, even videos.

3. How Big Is The Virtual Reality Market?

The global virtual reality market was estimated at $15.81 billion in value in 2020 .

By the end of the year 2021, it is expected to reach $21.83 billion.

4. How Many People Are Interested In VR?

Needless to say, this is the century of the millennials, i.e., people aged between 18 to 34. Any technology that can target this age group successfully will definitely flourish.

– The millennial population of the US is 72 million. – 44% of the millennials  are interested in purchasing a VR device.

This is a clear indication that any VR content is ideal to grab the attention of millennials.

– According to Yulio Technologies, 41% of all adults would give VR technology a try, if they’re more available.

So the question is how many VR users are there in 2021?

– Approximate  58.9 million people  are using VR technology once a month in the US.

This number is around 17.7% of the total US population, i.e., almost 1 out of every 5 US citizens are now using VR technology every month.

Though it’s hard to craft an exact number on how many people may prefer virtual tours, looking at the numbers in the US, it can easily be said that billions of users are interested in VR technology all over the world.

5. How Do I Make A Virtual Tour for Free?

Some of you may have the question “Are virtual tours free?”

Well, most VR tools are very expensive, while a few are more affordable.

The good news is, there are a few virtual tour creators that released a FREE version with limited features.

In WordPress, you will find the plugin WPVR, which will allow you to create great virtual tours for free.

Though many of its exclusive premium features are not available, WPVR free version will still let you create high-quality virtual tours which you may use on your website.

– Follow this guide to learn to  make a virtual tour for free .

6.  What Makes A Good Virtual Tour?

A quality virtual tour for your business should have these features:

– Proper indications to help you move around the tour. – List of the rooms and spaces in the tour. – High-quality image support. – Hotspots or pointers where you can learn more about any specific place or object. – A way to contact your business for inquiries or booking.

At the end of the day, the tour has to be interactive.

8. How Do I Create A Virtual Tour Completely On My Own?

It’s quite easy to create a virtual tour on your own with a little guide.

– Read this complete guide to  create a virtual tour on your own .

9.  What Is A Virtual Tour of A Property? / What Are Real Estate Virtual Tours? / What’s A Virtual Apartment Tour?

Real estate virtual tours are created using multiple 360 degree panorama images of that property combined together. They give you a realistic view of a property or apartment and move in and out inside the property.

You can visit different locations inside the house, choose to view every room, and interact with the materials inside the apartment.

10. How Do You Do A Virtual Apartment Tour? 

You can easily create a virtual tour of your property or apartment using panorama images taken by you.

Use a 360 virtual tour software to convert the panorama images into a functional apartment virtual tour.

However, if you’re aiming for superior quality, you can use a camera specialized for capturing 360 degree panorama images.

Then your job will become even easier with the 360 virtual tour software.

11. How Much Does A Virtual Tour Cost? 

The average cost for 360-degree photography is around $350 in the US.

A quality 360-degree shot takes time to perfect and adjust for the photographer.

You’ll be paying this price one time only and then you can keep on using them.

12. Are Virtual Tours Profitable? 

According to Entrepreneur, A virtual tour business can generate  up to $100,000 per year  in revenue.

On the other hand, if you’re planning to use virtual tours as a marketing strategy for your business, you can consider these 2 stats:

– In the real estate industry, using virtual tours decreased wasted viewings by 40%.

– For the hospitality industry, customers aged between 18 to 34 are 130% more likely to book a place if there is a virtual tour.

13. Should I Start A Virtual Tour Business? / How Do I Start A 360 Virtual Tour Business?

If you’re already providing any photography service, then adding 360-degree photography to your list will give you an opportunity for extra income .

Most of the latest DSLR cameras can capture 360-degree panoramic images and there are a few moderately priced 360 virtual tour software that will help you to create the tour.

At first, you’ll have to invest some time to learn 360-degree photography and the virtual tour software itself (which is less than $100).

However, since you can charge around $350 for a single project, you can find it profitable after just 3 projects. In the beginning, you should focus on creating virtual tours for your local businesses like:

– Your local real estate agents. – Small shops, cafes, & restaurants.

Once you’ve gathered some experience and learned your way around it, you can move to expand your service even more.

14. Do Virtual Tours Help Sell Houses?

Here’s a simple rundown of the impact of virtual tours in the real estate industry, run by  realtor.com :

– Property listings with a virtual tour  received 87% more views  than the regular ones. – 54% of the potential buyers  choose to skip a listing that doesn’t offer any virtual tours. – 75% of the buyers think that virtual tours are a significant factor in taking decisions like, whether to visit the property in person & rent/purchase the property.

15. What Is The Best Virtual Tour Software? 

This actually depends on the requirements and features you’re looking for in the virtual tour software.

There are 2 tools that you can check out: – Matterport – Popular for their Dollhouse virtual tour. However, they do have a simplified virtual tour creator. Price:  $200 to $7000+ per year.

– WPVR – A plugin that is currently the best virtual tour creator for WordPress. It includes the features you actually need to create an engaging virtual tour and has an easy-to-use interface. Plus, it is among the most affordable virtual tour solutions out there. Price:  $79.99 to $269.99 per year.

16. What Is The Best Free Virtual Tour Software? 

If your website is made with WordPress, the best free virtual tour software for you is WPVR – Virtual Tour Creator.

This free virtual tour software has the following features: – Unlimited virtual tours. – Super high-quality image support. – Image, Text, Video, & GIF file support inside the tours. – Keyboard, mouse, & mobile control. – Made with a mobile-first approach.  

Wrapping Up

“What is a virtual tour?” is probably no longer a question in your mind. You also saw how a virtual tour can help businesses attract prospects. Plus, you now have the guidelines to start creating a virtual tour on your own.

Now the next question is when will you start using a modern-day virtual tour?

If you run a WordPress site or run an agency that develops WordPress sites, I suggest you try using WPVR once just to see how you may benefit from using this virtual tour builder. – Try WPVR Free version – Get WPVR Premium

If you have more questions regarding virtual tours or if you find any particular topic regarding virtual tours was missed in this article, feel free to let us know in the comments section.

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Jahir Chowdhury

Jahir writes about WordPress plugins, themes, guides, and mostly Virtual Reality. He works as a Product Manager at RexTheme.

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What Is A Virtual Tour?

Introduction

Do a quick Google search, and you’ll find Wikipedia’s definition. “A virtual tour is a simulation of an existing location, usually composed of a sequence of videos or still images. It may also use other multimedia elements such as sound effects, music, narration, and text. It is distinguished from the use of live television to affect tele-tourism.”

But to us here at Momentum 360, virtual tours are much more than this. Let us explain.

Since 2015, we’ve been serving small businesses in Philadelphia and the surrounding states. Sure, we provide virtual tours. But we don’t just think of them as just that, it’s a lot deeper than what appears to the naked eye.

We see them as master keys, having the capability to open doorways to small businesses that their owner’s never even fathomed before. This sounds cliche, but it’s not. We tried to look for things that benefit small businesses..most of which have already been created.

Google My Business pages, Local SEO , and coffee stands that never close (haha)..we tried to think of things that could be of equal value to small business owners!

We began to think about how we could make it easier for customers to get into contact with your small businesses. We looked at restaurants and real estate websites, and tried to think of ways to make it easier for the consumer. We thought to ourselves….what if a person could see inside of a restaurant to make a reservation? Or see inside of a residential house to make the viewing experience a lot better?

So we made it happen. 5 years later, Momentum 360 was born. Ever since our inception, we’ve been thinking about virtual tours this way. We don’t think of it as a way to get a “quick buck.” Rather, we use this tremendous opportunity to help our small business owners that are struggling more than ever right now.

Ever since the corona virus has captured the world’s attention, it’s been extremely hard to find any positive light in this pandemic. We encourage our small business owners to not panic, even when it seems like that’s the only thing that we can do. We need to stand tall, and stand together.

We can’t let this virus kill our human spirit. We need to keep innovating, keep investing and stand united! We need to show the rest of the word that we can make a difference in this crazy world. We need to continue our support of this incredible virtual tour technology at Matterport. If we continue to do this, we will continue to further humanity.

Now, back to our originally scheduled programming! As many of you know, we use Matterport as our virtual tour provider. They do an extraordinary job at capturing small businesses in the way that we want for our clients. Matterport uses a few of their homegrown applications to make their practices as best as possible.

This is the Matterport Capture app . This app allows you to sync your camera with your phone to begin shooting a location! Matterport also goes into more detail on their app that you check out below.

Matterport Capture

This essential app makes capturing any space as simple as a press of a button, automating the entire process. Use the app to quickly capture depth, data, and imagery of a space when connected to a supported camera.

Then simply upload to the Matterport Cloud and all processing of assets is taken care of for you. Download the Matterport Capture App to any compatible iOS device and see how easy it is to create a 3D digital twin.

• Works with select 360 cameras, Pro2, and Leica BLK360
• Makes it easy for anyone to capture in 3D
• Compatible with iOS devices
• Android applications coming soon

This application is called Matterport Workshop. This is an application that can be found inside your matterport account. Although it’s best to use this on a desktop. We’ll provide more information on this technology aspect below.

Matterport Workshop

Once the Matterport Cloud creates your digital twin, you can edit your space in Matterport Workshop to customize it, add additional details, and share.

• Create and customize your highlight reel
• Measure your space
• Add Mattertags™
• Label rooms
• Select 4K print quality photos
• Customize your VR experience
• Invite collaborators to view, upload, and edit your space

Another application that Matterport has is called their Showcase App. This is found on IOS or Android. This app shows off the spaces you’ve created inside your Matterport account. This is a great app to share to friends and family, as well as your competitors to make them understand that you mean business!

Matterport Showcase App

Matterport Showcase is how you and your audience view and explore your space in its final format. You can download it as an app or access it through any web browser.

• Experience your space in walk-through mode, dollhouse view, and floor plan mode
• Copy the sharing link and paste it into: email, text message, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media
• View your space in VR
• Access and explore your digital twins offline

What’s a VR brand without some VR Goggles? These Matterport goggles put you in touch with how a human would actually interact with the space. The 360-degree capability allows for flawless accessibility inside the space. This is like our version of Elon Musk’s flamethrower.

Matterport VR

Experience your digital twin in virtual reality. Download Matterport VR and pair with a compatible device or launch straight from the Matterport Showcase when using WebVR — you can walk through and experience a space as if you were really there.

Matterport has a specific system on how to use their camera! In this section, we’ll be showing off how easy it is to use their technology for virtual tours.

Matterport is the fastest 3D data solution on the market. Our simple yet powerful Capture app connects wirelessly to any Matterport compatible camera and makes it quick and easy to capture a space with just the push of a button. You can create a digital twin of any real world space in dimensionally accurate 3D and access it from anywhere- then customize it, share it or publish it online to reveal its full potential. Paired with the Matterport Pro2 camera , you get professional image quality, superior dimensional accuracy, and many powerful features. Capture app highlights:

• Capture your space with a simple press of a button
• Works with compatible iPhones and iPads
• Control a single camera or multiple cameras
• Collect accurate depth, data, and imagery
• Capture 360 panoramas and 3D spaces
• Manage your capture process as you move from point to point
• Invite collaborators and create multiple accounts
• Use a 360, Matterport Pro2, or Lidar camera, depending on your needs

Our Cortex AI platform is a powerful deep learning neural network that creates your 3D digital twin and automates many of the tasks associated with customization. Cortex handles the most complex tasks from 3D reconstruction, image processing and color correction, to labeling rooms and the objects in each room. Additional features include:

• Auto generate the most appealing photos and videos from within the digital twin
• Create accurate measurements and dimensions of entire spaces
• Automatic face blurring for privacy, and much more

Once your 3D digital twin is created, customize the 3D walkthrough, add to, modify, and annotate your space.

• Create videos and guided tours
• Trim your video and setting starting points
• Incorporate Mattertags™ with texts, links, and videos

Share your digital twin and related assets with anyone on any device. It’s as easy as sharing a photo. You’ll be able to increase collaboration and productivity, as well as expand your customer engagement and reach.

• Share on social media
• Email to anyone using a simple link
• Embed your 3D digital twin in your website
• Publish to Google Street View, VRBO, and Realtor.com
• Send schematic floor plans
• Generate 4K print quality photos, videos, animated GIFs, OBJ, XYZ, JPG, and PDF files

Matterport SDK extends the capabilities of our platform. Take advantage of our SDK to integrate third-party services, customize functionality, and create new experiences for your customers.

• Build entire applications using Matterport’s 3D data and Showcase App
• Provide an immersive, interactive experience for your users
• Utilize our APIs to programmatically enhance your Matterport space
• Integrate the Matterport experience with your company’s branding and workflows, such as third party tools or apps

So this wraps up how to use Matterport! We’ve been using them since our inception of Momentum, and we’re loving every second of using their technology. We strongly encourage any photographer that is looking to build their income stream with virtual tours to consider working with Matterport. Hell, they’ll even send you leads! You can sign up here using this link, also please reach out to us if you want any more information or high praise from Matterport, you won’t be disappointed.

Like we’ve mentioned in the past, Google also has their version of a virtual tour. Although we prefer Matterport, Google is a close second. On top of their virtual tours, they also have AR/VR that takes a simple search into something much more.

However, we’ll save that one for another blog. Google doesn’t do that great a job at showing off virtual tours. In fact, it’s safe to say that Momentum was actually founded on beating Google in virtual tours. Whenever we see Google tours, they look extremely choppy with no proper editing. It’s not how a regular person would go through a tour.

On top of that, their virtual tours don’t offer mattertags like ours do. It’s extremely lackluster to the business and their owners, it’s work that isn’t even close to par. That’s where we take the initiative to show off exactly what a virtual tour is, and how to give a business the tour of their dreams. Whenever I hear someone ask, “what is a virtual tour?” I get pretty excited.

Why may you ask? Because no disrespect to Google, we just simply have a better product than they do. They might have their own search engine, but we have a product that will have the capability to transcend modern technology. Matterport just uses better technology to give the business owners what they want.

360VirtualBusinessTours wrote about what is included in a Google tour.

Google Business View Prices start as low as $350 and include:

• Google Street View Virtual Tour and panoramic photo editing using Google Maps technology.
• 5-10 still photography shots to use for your Google Local Page, your website, your social media pages, your online directories and marketing/publishing material.
• Uploading your still photography shots and Google Virtual Tour to your Google Local page and taking it live.
• Your interactive Google Virtual Business tour will be hosted on Google servers and appear on your Google local profile and on Google Maps. There are no monthly or annual fees to worry about. Pay Once and keep it forever on Google.
• The starting fee of $350 covers a typical, small uncomplicated layout. An in-person walk through is needed for accurate pricing. We offer free estimates and usually conduct them on Saturdays and Sundays.
• Ask us about repeat/multiple shoots to keep up with your seasonal changes and updated changes to your shop.
• We offer excellent discounted rates if we can shoot you and a neighbor on the same day. Get them to do the tour and you both save.

This is great and all, but we still beat them on features and ultimately the customer experience. The only thing that is comparable is price. But, if you’re a business owner who truly wants to succeed while getting exactly what you want, contact Momentum 360. We’ll get the job done in a way that will have customers coming to you years after we shoot the tour. Don’t believe us? Check out our case studies page here.

All in all, that’s pretty much what a virtual tour is. Pretty cool right? We think so too. If you’re considering getting a virtual tour, you can give us a call or email us for more information. You can schedule a call with Sean or Mac and always get more information on our website!

Our owners Mac Frederick and Sean Boyle have over 20+ years of digital marketing experience and are ready to help take your business to the next level! Our team members have also worked at Google and Facebook before, so we have the most up-to-date knowledge in the business. All to help your business rank at the top of Google and kickstart your journey to be a future lead generation machine!

You can email us or check out our website for more information!

We hope this blog informed you on how to correctly publish your tour to Google Street View and the neat features that come along with this!

For more helpful content like this, you can follow our social pages!

We post our Momentum Monday and Small Business Saturday blog every week, so feel free to subscribe and make sure you’re up to date on the latest trends in the industry.

If you have any questions or concerns, leave them in the comments below! From everyone at Momentum 360, thanks for the love and until next time, build Momentum!

About The Author: Sean Boyle

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What is a virtual tour?

• Last Update: April 19, 2023

A virtual tour, as the name suggests, is a tour or visit to a place, but not physically. How is that possible? Thanks to virtual reality, you can now explore a place or area on foot without visiting it in person. A 360° video tour can be viewed on any device with a screen. It is an immersive experience that makes the user feel like they are in the place.

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Bringing your map to life, one image at a time

Street View stitches together billions of panoramic images to provide a virtual representation of our surroundings on Google Maps. Street View's content comes from two sources - Google and contributors. Through our collective efforts, we enable people everywhere to virtually explore the world.

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A visual way to travel

Where Google is collecting Street View next

Discover where were headed next with the Street View car or the Street View Trekker.

Explore iconic Street View locations

Take in the majestic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Explore on Street View

Explore the ancient temples of Machu Picchu

Scale Yosemite's El Capitan with a pro climber

Enjoy the beautiful Paris skyline atop the Eiffel Tower

Drift along with an Icefjord

Meet the world's only flightless parrot

Explore your world or create your own imagery.

No subscription. One time Payment. Unlimited Virtual Tours.

Some Clients:

Panorama Excellence

Virtual Tour Pro

The best for virtual tour creation.

Hosting Service

Online with one click, 3dvista now supports.

Experience the power of virtual tours like never before with our advanced 3D models interactivity feature. Bring your pre-existing 3D models to life with our user-friendly 3D tour editor. Take complete control over camera angles, lighting, shadows, animations, textures and more to create truly unique and immersive experiences.

This powerful feature allows for endless possibilities in industries such as architecture, engineering, marketing and education, providing new perspectives and enhanced visualization capabilities.

& Training Tours

For more scalable training with content that sticks, introducing live guided tours, the new concept to communicate with your clients.

A virtual meeting room on top of a 360º tour, this feature can be best described as a marriage between a video call and 3DVista. Use your standard virtual tour on your website and allow your audience to dial in and have you talk and guide them through the virtual tour. They can look around on their own or follow your screen to have you point out details and give a personal (sales) presentation. They can also request to have their screens be mimicked on your and everybody else’s screen to ask questions on specific parts of the tour.

3DVista Software

Compatible with panoramas from all 360º & dslr cameras.

Ricoh Theta C/S/V/Z1

Demos & Samples

3d model demo – orbital.

This demo aims to show how you can present a product using a configurable 3D model. For this, we took a classic car and added various customization options.

3D MODEL OF A SITE – FLY OVER

In this demo, we're connecting a 3d model of the historical complex of Uplistsikhe (Georgia) with a series of panoramic photos taken in the same place, allowing the user to navigate seamlessly between both media types.

VIRTUAL MEDICAL TRAINING

Virtual paintball sample, animated panorama - parfum shop, virtual staging - 3d stereo virtual tour, live panorama of ny, real estate virtual tour, villa turquoise zanzibar, get the free 3dvista app, manage all your tours & show them on/offline.

• Links to your 3DVista Hosting and Vistazoo account
• Sync all your tours and keep them updated
• Read your tours directly from your SD card
• Your tours always with you, offline and online
• Find the best tours of other users

Support & Tutorials

Learn, discover and get new ideas with our step-by-step video tutorials. download our sample projects and get started immediately..

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Sample projects, latest news.

3DVista: Accessibility capabilities for Virtual Tours

May 17, 2024

Committed to web accessibility. In an increasingly digital world, equal access to online information and experiences is essential for an inclusive society. However, many people with…

New demo with 3D Model support for VR

Apr 24, 2024

Shadows in the Station – A VR Noir Game. Welcome to the 1920s, on a cold night in the harsh London winter. An atrocious crime has been committed on the train back to the capital, and all…

Update 2023.2: 3D Models in Dual Viewer, VR Apps publish option, and more…

Dec 12, 2023

Support for two 3D Models in Dual Viewer component. (Development sponsored by R2DS) Allows viewing and comparing two different 3D models with dual viewers. With this feature, we can see in a split-screen...

How to View Your Virtual Tours on Specific VR Devices (Quest, Pico, HTC)

Nov 10, 2023

Simplify and Optimize the Publication of your Virtual Tours for VR. In response to the growing popularity of virtual reality devices, 3DVista has implemented significant improvements in…

HOSTING SERVICE

Upload and share your tours with one click. Once you finish creating your tour, simply click "Upload" and the tour will be stored on your personal hosting account. Within minutes, you'll see two buttons – one to copy and send a direct link to the tour and another one to embed the tour into your website.

This is an excellent option for all those who don't have their own servers or don't know how to upload files onto the internet using FTP programs.

*This service is optional. You can always upload your tours to your own or external servers .

Starting at 99 €/year

Experiences

Testimonies:.

(Architect, NCARB)

360d, Look Around

Doug Baker Media

Entire Design

Meisterfotograf

Milenium Gallery

10 reasons why to choose 3DVista:

1. because we offer high-quality solutions for any level of proficiency..

Whether you’re a beginner or a demanding professional, 3DVista Virtual Tour is the right solution for you. Easy for beginners but highly versatile for advanced users. 

2. Because we offer robust, multi platform solutions

3. because we offer you a full-feature 30-days trial version, 4. because we make uploading your tours to the internet a real piece of cake., 5. because our software’s customization possibilities, 6. because all parts of the software are coded and developed in house, by us., 7. because we are dedicated to customer service., 8. because we help you understand every step of the process., 9. because our constant drive for innovation will supply you with state-of-the-art technology and unique features., 10. because we make the creation of virtual tours possible for absolutely anyone., some of our clients:.

Category : Virtual tour

Media in category "virtual tour".

The following 6 files are in this category, out of 6 total.

• Movie of Virtual Tour of CCHS.ogv 1 min 21 s, 320 × 240; 3.53 MB

• Photography
• Types of tourism
• Uses of Wikidata Infobox
• Uses of Wikidata Infobox with no image

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The Frick Collection Virtual Tour

Discover the Frick's East 70th Street galleries online while our historic buildings are temporarily closed for renovation.

Frick Madison Virtual Tour

Encounter masterpieces at the acclaimed temporary residency at Frick Madison, which closed on March 3, 2024.

EXPLORE ONLINE

Connect with the collection digitally. Our renovated home opens late 2024. Members receive priority access!

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Top 1 Free & Premium Virtual Tour software

The most simple and intuitive virtual tour platform which supports Self-Hosting on your own domain

The only platform that offers free to use & only pay when you need advanced features

Surprisingly simple with an instant update that helps you design your Virtual Tour interface & add information in minutes without any line of code

Display high-resolution Panos & improve load speed on multiple devices

UI work great on PC, Mobile & VR

Put your virtual tour private, publish or password-limited access

No limit on the number of Projects or time to use with premium plan

Customizable meta title, description & social media thumbnail

Track your virtual tours with your own Google Analytics code or our Analytics dashboard

With an innovative mindset in customization, Lapentor provides 8 types of hotspots, 21+ plugins & lots of templates

Thousands of people over the world use Lapentor. Here are some unique examples of Virtual Tour 360 created by Lapentor’s clients

we will answer all of your questions as soon as possible

We would love to hear your feedback or wishlist. So talk to us whenever you have ideas or problems

Message us whenever you need. We will answer you as soon as we can

We will update FAQs regularly to cover all your frequently asked questions

Round.me is a highly popular Virtual Tour software that has been around since 2015. However, it’s worth noting that Round.me ceased operations in 2017, leaving its users in search of alternatives to continue their immersive storytelling and virtual tour projects. Meet Lapentor.com, a dynamic...

In this article, we’ll explore how to create free virtual tours on iPhone using the built-in Panorama feature. Virtual tours have become a popular tool across many industries, including real estate, tourism, and education. They provide a unique and immersive experience for viewers and allow...

Virtual tours have revolutionized the way we experience various locations, from museums and landmarks to businesses and real estate properties. These immersive experiences allow users to explore and interact with virtual environments as if they were physically present. One way to enhance virtual...

There are several reasons why exporting virtual tours using Lapentor’s export feature can be highly useful for businesses. One of the most compelling benefits is the ability to back up your virtual tours or use them offline (with the help of some local web server). This feature is...

Apple has officially introduced its new virtual reality (VR) eyewear at the WWDC 2023 event. The product is called Apple Vision Pro and is designed to provide users with a premium and versatile virtual reality experience. “With Vision Pro, you are no longer limited by the screen,” said...

Virtual tours have become increasingly popular in recent years, providing an immersive experience for viewers to explore space without physically being there. They are especially useful for real estate, hospitality, and tourism industries, but can also be used for personal projects and creative...

Learn how to add Virtual Tour on WordPress website in a few easy steps. Elevate property value and get numerous benefits as we provide step-by-step instructions on embedding a virtual tour with ease. WordPress is a widely popular and powerful content management system (CMS) that empowers...

Learning how to embed a virtual tour on your website. Embedding Virtual Tour offers a wide range of benefits, from improved user experience and engagement to increased conversions and competitive advantage. It allows you to showcase your space or products effectively, providing a unique and...

Virtual tours are really taking off these days and it’s no surprise why – they provide a totally immersive experience for viewers! Let’s take a look at the top 3 use cases for virtual tours in the real world. Top 1 use cases for virtual tours: Real Estate Real estate is one of the...

Your panorama photo appears upside down or rotated when you uploaded it to Lapentor but it’s normal when viewing it on your computer or mobile device. This is a common issue that can happen due to a variety of reasons, such as using the wrong camera orientation or transferring the image...

Are you a real estate agent looking for a new way to showcase your properties? Then creating a virtual tour for real estate may be the perfect solution! Virtual tours offer potential buyers an easy and engaging way to view a home from the comfort and safety of their own space. In this blog post,...

For 360-degree photographers, Virtual Tour Software is an indispensable tool to publish a complete Virtual Tour with the full support of interface, features & hotspots. Apart from the Offline Virtual Tour Software, there is a new trend of new Cloud-based solutions, catching up with the trend...

The real estate market nowadays requires playing hard to get more than ever. Theta S is an awesome 360 real estate virtual tour gadget to capture your client’s attention. The number of sellers and brokers always outweighs the number of buyers. So, standing out from the crowd plays a key role in...

In the digital age, more and more real estate agents are utilizing virtual tours to help them market their properties. But what exactly is a virtual tour and why should you start using them now? In this article, we will discuss the many reasons of using virtual tours can help you sell more homes,...