Category: Google Business Photos project discussion

Google+ is quickly becoming a powerful tool for Small Business to use in the effort to increase online presence, notoriety and their bottom line.   Google Maps is arguably the largest business listing on the planet and now G+ the second largest Social Media platform with 500 million users.  With the integration of G+ into Searches, Maps and You Tube it is becoming a powerful tool with serious online visibility.  Images in the Google Search Carousels have to come from somewhere.  More often that not these appear from G+ pages that have been properly dressed. Google wants G+ pages to look good and attractive to online users.  Business owners should be concerned about their appearance as well.  

Enter Google Maps Business View!   GBV addresses this issue with quality imagery and a Street View Style Tour inside of a business.   Local customers searching for goods and services are introduced and invited inside the business to interact online.  In many cases customers can literally follow Google Maps right into a store, office or showroom.   The quality of the imagery is designed to boost a business above the mediocrity that has been commonly acceptable online.  Best of all for many small businesses Google+ is free as is many other Google services.  GBV comes with a minimal onetime fee for the labor to shoot and install this material to a business’s G+ page.  Tours are easily embedded into webpages over and over again including Face Book.

We are told that we have 1.5 to 3 seconds to capture a user’s attention and lead them to our content.    Some marketing experts have noted a huge increase of online users staying on pages with GBV Tours, from less than 30 seconds to 8 minutes and more.    They say, “You only get one chance to make a first impression!”   What impression are you making online?  What do you want customers to see first about your business of online?  Will they be invited in to see what makes you different? …inspired to stop by and sample what you have to offer?  With Google+ and GBV you can do a lot to attract customers no matter what size business you are.

Google Business View is another important part of Google+, Google Maps, Google Searches, You Tube and other Google tools for Small Business Marketing.

“Let’s Take It Inside Your Business!”  www.swtphoto.com 

Thanks, KC

by Ken Cox

I think, small business people are the busiest people on earth.  We are always racing around like we are on fire trying to do the job of ten people!  We are so busy trying to keep the boat afloat that we don’t have time to think about things like marketing, advertising and  next quarters sales.  We don’t have a board room and we don’t care too!

Think about this for a second, “How do you find something you need right now?”  Do you call the TV, newspaper or radio station where you may have heard an ad 3 weeks ago?  How about the phonebook? Not likely!  Almost 97% of people, like you, me and everyone else, say I look for online!  … or more specifically we say, “I Google It!”  We are all on the go all the time, right?  So we, “Google It!”… from our phones while we are running!   Everyone uses Google to find the things they are looking for everyday! 

So let me ask you this, “Where do you advertise your business?”  Try Google+ for starters…max out your free business listing!  How is free bad… when 9 out of 10 people are use it?  You can plug into G+ in 15 minutes.  It’s easy!  You probably already have a listing.  We can help you find your listing and help make it rock!

We dress these pages up so they get your customers attention the first time they see them!  Once we install your Street View style tour and photos they runs for free with no hassles because small business people, like us, don’t have time to mess with it!

“Let’s Take It Inside your business!”  with G+ and Google Business photos www.swtphoto.com   or call me http://swtphoto.com/?p=14  

google.com/+KenCox

Thanks KC

by Ken Cox

Let’s look at that question from a small business marketing standpoint.  I have heard several great stories along these lines.  One of my clients direct their phone-in customers to the store tour and verbally walk them through the store.  With what outcome?  In a few cases the tours paid for themselves by selling merchandise to the customer without ever coming to the store.  Another great Idea…Several clients have ran scavenger hunts with their in-store GBP tours. How?  First create a Google Short Link to your tour ( www.goo.gl ).  Why?  Because you can track a short link in your emails and posts.  The ones you are going to send out to all your clients inviting them to Like you on Face Book and add you to their Circles on Google+, thus qualifying to enter your free store scavenger hunt online.  Offer a chance to win a $50 coupon to spend in the store, shop, dealership or???  So you just interacted with your customers, created a ton of interest online, got people in your store, Oh, you had fun doing it!  Now That’s Marketing on a budget!!!  Please chime in if you have any ideas on marketing with your GBP tour.  Thanks for stopping by, KC

by Ken Cox

The name “Google Business Photos” can be a little misleading to many business owners. Google Business Photos is a lot more than just “business photos”.  Google’s effort to bring more customers inside businesses with Street View Technology from Google Maps, is called Google Business Photos.  Commercial Photography to promote business is certainly part of the program but the big deal is the Virtual Reality “Street View” style tours that allow customers to walk in and through a business online 24 hours a day.  Customers are allowed to get to know the business anonymously to see if this is a place that appeals to them.  Almost every kind of businesses is benefiting from GBP, car dealers, restaurants, retailers of every type, dentists, chiropractors, salons, barber shops and service businesses that want to showoff their locations.  GBP is only the tip of the iceberg though.  Google Maps, Searches and Google+ are all intricately interwoven to deliver as many as 9 out of 10 online customers to your doorstep and now right inside your business.  

Let’s Take it inside your business with Google Business Photos! If you have questions get in touch!  

by Ken Cox

Just a quick note, I posted a Case Studies page here on the website.   You might be surprised to find it under http://swtphoto.com/case-studies/ . I know it surprised me too!  The first two studies are directly from Google GBP Pages, under success stories.  Here is the link, http://www.google.com/help/maps/businessphotos/stories.html .

Some of you have asked for the numbers and I know that this is important in the marketing business.  Study two in my posts; “Just Food For Dogs” talks about a 25% to 28% boost in internet activity in the first 30 days!  Pay attention!

For you marketing Guys and Gals out there, many of you have told me your stories, I would enjoy your input very much.  Let’s detail it and I’ll post it to these pages as well.    Thanks, KC

By Ken Cox

The whole point of advertising is to get customers inside your business.  Big Business and Manufacturers spend a fortune to invite the customer to experience their products, services or ambiance.  Small business people can’t dump millions on advertising.  Most advertise online! Online we know a large percentage of your customers are coming to you on Google via their various platforms whether they know it or not.  With GBP Virtual Reality Street View tours the customer can feel as though they are walking through a business and personally getting to know it before they decide if the business is right for them.

This is a link to an interesting case study with comments from the Marketing Director,  http://goo.gl/E9ClvI .  This is the tour of 185,000 square foot store with 45 departments http://goo.gl/Tihof .  Here is another interesting study, Just Food for Dogs, in Southern California,http://goo.gl/8T2mE3 .   Here is one comment, “Our Google+ Page went from 892 impressions 30 days prior to the Google Business Photos, to 1104 impressions 30 days after. A 23.7% increase.” – Justin Bonatto, Marketing Coordinator

In summary Google Business Photos, Street View VR tours rock!!  Most of your customers are already using it!  Many small business people are not. This is a cheap fast and efficient way to advertise and it lasts a long time.

Get in touch if you need help with your business or have questions.

by Ken Cox

What is Google Business Photos? Simply stated it is Google Maps “Street View Technology” inside your business. I know the name may throw you off a little. The process does include high-res photos of your business but the big deal is the Street View style tour that lets a customer walk through your showroom or office online as though they were actually there. Static images (regular photos) are used to dress up your Google+ Local page where all of this material is installed. For a small tour there may be 2gb of data to edit and install to create this remarkable this VR Tour. Please understand this is not a video. This is a fully interactive Virtual Reality Tour in which the customer can walk through, zoom in and out, look right, left, up and down as they wish. Another interesting facet of this program is that shows up in Google Searches, Google Maps and Google+. Here is an example, Hunter Hall’s Haberdashery in Big Bear Lake, CA http://goo.gl/HX3gT G+ page http://goo.gl/PD7Rm There are several examples here in So Cal on my website http://www.swtphoto.com . I can still remember the first time I saw Google Street View. I thought to myself how cool it would be to let customers walk right into my store to get to know us a little better! Now they Can!
Enjoy!

by Ken Cox