Category Archives: 360 degree virtual tours

Restaurant, bar & hotel marketing – the fast way to get more customers

Restaurant, bar & hotel marketing – the fast way to get more customers     

We’re in the midst of the Coronavirus lock-down at the moment but the restrictions on movement will be relaxed soon. Before we know it, pubs, bar, clubs and restaurants will be open again. The problem is, though, will the customers be as fast to start socialising and eating out again? How do we market our pubs, bars, clubs, and hotels? Is this even the right time for restaurant, bar & hotel marketing? 

Restaurant, bar & hotel marketing – the fast way to get more customers

Restaurant, bar & hotel marketing – the fast way to get more customers

The last recession was very tough for nearly all businesses but there were some very interesting lessons learned. The most important one, however, is that you can’t be complacent. The successful business that came out of the recession stronger than ever were the ones that realised they had to ‘up their game.’ They knew that it would take time for things to return to normal so they had to fight for the customers or go bust. Many of the organisations who simply ‘battened down the hatches’ and stopped investing in their business went under. Now is the time to start your restaurant, bar & hotel marketing

How to get more customers – restaurant, bar & hotel marketing the easy way

I’ve been in sales & marketing for as long as the internet has existed. Since before Google, Twitter and Facebook existed. Even before smartphones and mobile data. The amazing thing over this time has been the change in customer behaviour. We don’t ‘take a punt’ on a new restaurant anymore. Rather we ‘check it out online’ first. We check the website and read the menus. Look at the photos and explore the virtual tour. If we’re not 100% sure it’s the place for us we hot ‘back’ and go to the next listing on Google. This is why it’s so important to get it right first time

How to get new customers for bars, restaurants, and hotels

1 – First of all make sure your website is up to scratch from the visitors perspective. Your customers don’t need much – don’t make it difficult for them to find what they need! On your website, make the following information very prominent; Opening times, your location & parking (with a link to Google Maps), reservation information if available, menus (please not in PDFs!!!), and any specials or happy hour info. This is the most important thing to consider when thinking about your restaurant, bar & hotel marketing

2 – Make sure you have good quality and accurate photos (please no stock photos!)

3 – A good quality virtual tour is the number one factor in choosing a restaurant, bar or hotel. If your new potential customers are able to explore by themselves when it’s convenient for them, you’re much more likely to get them to visit in person.

4 – Next, make sure your website can be found. There is a very nice article on DIY SEO here, however, I’d recommend hiring an expert SEO to optimise your site and build a few links for you whilst they’re at it

5 – Make the most of what Google has to offer. Get your virtual tour on Google Maps, Google Search, Google Street View, and Google My Business. This is all part of getting a virtual tour done. See this article on integrating your virtual tour into Google

What next?

Here is a list of suppliers you may want to get in touch with:

Web development (click here) – make sure your website is up-to-scratch. Click here for good quality web development

Virtual tour & photography (click here) – good quality photos and a high-quality HDR Matterport virtual tour are two of the most important things you’ll need. Get a quote for a virtual tour here

Search engine optimisation (click here) (SEO) – get your site indexing on Google and make sure new customers can find you – Click here to find out more about Search Engine Optimisation

Google virtual tour integration (click here) – get your photos and virtual tour on Google Maps, Google Earth, Google Search and Google Street View with a Trusted Google Photographer

 

 

 

Reasons to get a virtual tour

Not everyone is sold on creating a virtual tour for their business but the below reasons will show you why they are definitely worth your time. 360 Virtual View are a professional virtual tour company operating in and around Sheffield, Derbyshire and the Peak District and they’ve helped many businesses showcase their properties, businesses  and showrooms using virtual tours. Don’t shy away from this technology as it can provide you with so many benefits.

Increase the likelihood of receiving bookings

A virtual tour allows potential customers to get a more accurate feel for what you have on offer, increasing their confidence in you and your product and making it more likely for them to visit. Google shows that businesses who have a virtual tour on Google My Business experience an average increase of 85% in on-line bookings so by helping your customers get to know you better from the comfort of their homes definitely boosts your bookings.

Increase interactions with potential customers

It can be difficult to engage with new customers and attract people to your business using social media and on-line tools. This is where a virtual tour comes in. Virtual tours offer an excellent, natural solution as they provide an engaging post that can be accessed by anyone and at any-time. A virtual tour generates more interest and once it’s been created and posted on-line you don’t have to do anything else but sit back while potential customers enjoy the opportunity and experience of touring your business before actually visiting.

Showcase your business around the clock on-line

As mentioned above, once your virtual tour is posted it is available to potential customers at their convenience. This means even when you’re closed for the day your virtual tour can still be accessed and viewed 24/7. This increased exposure helps your business sell more and gain more customers.

Reach more customers with little effort

Having a virtual tour available is a natural draw for people, you’ll experience an increase in the number of customers visiting your site as well as your store. A virtual tour is an interactive experience and people will like, comment and share encouraging others to take a look too. Your customer reach will naturally increase and people will find the virtual tour a more personal and inviting touch.

Give your business a competitive edge

By having a 360 virtual tour you can get your business displayed on Google Street View allowing potential customers to find your location and take a look around your business before actually visiting. Many people take a look at nearby businesses using Google Street View so there is no doubt this will give you a competitive edge and will generate more custom.

Find out more

360 Virtual View is a professional virtual tour company, working around Sheffield, Derbyshire and the Peak District. If you’re looking for a Sheffield virtual tour or would like to find out more about our stunning virtual tours then do not hesitate to contact us. 360 Virtual View offer a range of services suitable for all business types.

Call us today on 0114 383 0711

Sheffield virtual tour company

A Virtual Tour as easy as 1,2,3,4

Virtual tours are becoming increasingly sought after as effective marketing material. With the realization of their online value for potential customers, many businesses are now investing in virtual tours. With the sudden growth comes misunderstandings and uncertainties about what you can expect from a virtual tour company. As an experienced and highly regarded virtual tour company operating in the Sheffield, Derbyshire and Peak District areas we wanted to help customers get the most from their virtual tours, so below are 4 questions to ask your virtual tour company before hiring.

1) What equipment will you use for the virtual tour?

It’s important to ensure the company you choose is experienced, there are a lot of amateurs jumping into the business and if you don’t use the right equipment you won’t get the high definition that is needed for a virtual tour. Ideally, a DSLR camera should be used in order to get the image quality that’s necessary. A gimmicky camera will not produce the same level of quality and will not impress your potential clients so make sure the virtual tour company is using high quality and professional equipment.

2) Can I see some of your previous virtual tours?

Find out how many virtual tours the company has done before and take a look at their previous work. You can often find some examples of the companies work on their website so it is definitely worth taking a look. You can get an idea of how experienced the company is and by reviewing some of their work you can know the standard of the tours they offer. Pay attention to detail as if you were reviewing your own business’s virtual tour.

Not sure what to look for in their tour examples? Below are some top tips:

  • Lighting is very important for photos and this remains true for virtual tours. The lighting needs to be right otherwise you miss important details or your eye is drawn elsewhere.
  • Transition between rooms. You want the transitions to be smooth, it shouldn’t be clunky or feel unnatural.
  • Are your eyes being drawn to the right features?
  • Unwanted features. Are there features in the tour that take away from the experience? e.g. bins, faces, personal information etc.

3) What rooms will be photographed?

It is important to ask this so you can be clear on what will be included in the tour. This is an important question as sometimes photographers pick and choose which rooms to include, this can be for good reason and produce an effective end product but if the photographer isn’t experienced it could just be them trying to simplify the project.  

4) Should the business be empty for the tour?

The virtual tour company will be able to offer suggestions on whether staff or clients should be around for the virtual tour. More often than not, the virtual tour is more effective when there are no people so the focus can be on what your business has to offer customers.  There can be occasions where there are benefits to having people around so it’s definitely something to discuss with the photographer.

If you’re looking for a virtual tour Sheffield, Derbyshire or Peak District then 360 Virtual View will be able to help. Experience is key to producing seamless virtual tours, if you’d like to see our previous work, get in touch by calling 0114 383 0711 or via www.360virtualview.co.uk

If you’re looking for a virtual tour Sheffield, Derbyshire or Peak District then 360 Virtual View will be able to help. Experience is key to producing seamless virtual tours, if you’d like to see our previous work, get in touch by calling 0114 383 0711 or via https://360virtualview.co.uk