Category Archives: Miscellaneous

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

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

Sheffield Virtual Tour Company

With so much marketing and promotion now happening online, businesses are looking for new ways to catch customers eyes and stand out from the competition. This is where the innovative virtual tour comes in, by bringing the best aspects of your business to the spotlight you can grab customers attention and increase sales with ease. Read on to discover what a virtual tour 360 actually is and the benefits for your business. If you are in need of a virtual tour company and you are based around the Sheffield, Derbyshire and Peak District areas contact, 360 Virtual View for more information today.

Taking a closer look

A virtual tour is basically a simulation of a location created using photography, 360 panoramas with the photographs carefully stitched together and narration, sound effects or text added in. This allows potential customers to see and experience your location before actually going there, giving them a sense of the location. The customer can explore the location as they’d like by clicking or dragging on the screen. This interactive take can benefit a range of locations from restaurants and hotels to estate agents to theatres. Hospitals have even used them to make kids feel less nervous about visiting the children’s ward. The goal of an interactive tour is to create a realistic representation of the establishment to truly immerse the customer in the experience.

Benefits of getting a virtual tour

Increase Exposure

An interactive tour catches people’s attention, it generates interest and impresses potential customers. The virtual tour will bring more traffic to your website and your establishment will appear on Google Street View.

Packed full of visual information

A photograph simply does not do your business justice; a 3D tour immerses the viewer and allows them to appreciate what you have to offer.

Around the clock “open house”

Once your virtual tour has been created it will go online and can work its magic whenever someone goes on your website. It is a revolutionary marketing tool that is available for your potential customers 24/7.

Cost effective

By having this feature you are likely to increase sales as the more information you offer, the more confident the customer will be in your product. A virtual tour 360 is a cost-effective way to increase traffic to your website, increase sales and help grow your business.

Interactive and engaging

A potential customer will spend more time on your website if you offer a virtual tour. It separates your business from the competition and brings a unique interaction between your business and your customer.

Why use a virtual tour company?

On first glance, you may think you’ll be able to create your own virtual reality tour without going through a company but this is a very difficult thing to achieve. A virtual tour 360 requires professional photography, editing and mapping in order to work effectively. A virtual tour company will often use specialist cameras and software to create the finished tours you see. In fact, if you work with Sheffield virtual tour provider, 360 Virtual View, your tours will be made with 4K photography meaning they will be of the highest quality.

Get in touch with 360 Virtual View today on 0114 383 0711 or via the website www.360virtualview.co.uk to get started with your virtual tour

What is a backlit sign?

An important consideration for any business, event or promotional drive should be signage. Signs can be used to not only help spread your message but also attract customers and set yourself apart from your competition. Investing in a sign is a significant step towards reinforcing your brand but it is not surprising that many businesses aren’t sure where to start when deciding on a sign that suits them. If you’re asking yourself what kind of sign is best for your business then we can help. There are various formats available in order to ensure you can create the eye-catching impact desired in every circumstance, but today we are going to focus on just one: the backlit sign.

One of the most popular sign types (and one that we absolutely love) is the backlit sign. Ultimately, these are signs that are illuminated using a light source behind the design in order to draw peoples eye and spread the desired message loud and clear. The backlit sign is highly versatile and works in your favour around the clock, something many signs are unable to do after sunset which results in your business losing out on valuable marketing time.

A backlit sign is great for use both inside and outside and are often seen in shopping centres, airports, bus stops and building signage. There are many benefits to choosing a backlit sign including:

Increased visibility at night
Clear and easy to read – even from afar
Colourful and eye-catching
Stand out from the crowd
Perfect for promoting your business or message

The sign is created with a light source behind and the printed graphic over the top. LED lights are most commonly used as the light source due to their effectiveness. On top of this, they are also incredibly energy efficient; the LED lights provide an impressive level of brightness while using small amounts of energy, this makes them an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes. Your design will not only stand out but will also be full of detail and clarity. The back lighting even helps your sign design to appear enhanced.

Printing backlit signs is becoming more and more versatile thanks to the technology available today and this means you can literally create exactly the kind of sign you require without breaking the bank to afford it. The combination of the durability and the eye-catching vividness of backlit signs plays a vital part in their ever-increasing popularity.

If you have an idea in mind for a backlit sign, contact Image Sign Studio today for professional, high quality and carefully designed signs that will help you spread your message in a loud, clear and refined way. We operate in the Sheffield and Rotherham areas and pride ourselves on helping businesses realize their creative goals.

For more informaiton on Backlit Signs, get in touch

Making a Difference with Sheffield Shop Signs

Image Sign Studio design and manufacturer the highest quality shop signs here in their Sheffield workshop. They manufacture a huge range of type of shop signs & business signs to suit every business from high-street shops to warehouses – in fact They’re still to find a job they can’t do! However, it’s always useful to have a list of our their popular shop sign types – you never know when you’ll be in the market

Image Sign Studio’s Most Popular Business, Shop Signs, and Letter Types

Fret cut signage – fret cut signage, also sometimes known as fret cut lettering or computer cut lettering, is where the letters and images are cut from a sheet of material usually using a CNC router or laser cutting machine
Aluminium tray sign – aluminium tray signage is where the business or shop sign is cut from or attached to an aluminium tray. The fixings are usually hidden, and the sign stands proud from the wall
Backlit sign – our signs can be easily backlit, usually using LEDs, to create a slick and modern looking sign. In other words, the sign is placed in front of a light-source. The light can either create a ‘floating’ effect or can shine through translucent areas to make the sign more visible at night.
Fret cut illuminated signs – fret cut illuminated signs are often made from aluminium panels. They often comprise of front and back trays which can be any colour and usually used when illumination is required. Great to create a lit 3D effect
Acrylic letters, flat cut letters, sign letters, acrylic cut out letters and aluminium letters – these letter types are created in our workshop and used for many purposes including in conjunction with the other types of signs
Perspex letters signage – letters cut in our workshop usually using a CNC router are used to create this popular and cost-effective signage. Good for back-lit or internally lit signage such as aluminium composite tray or aluminium tray sign
CNC signs – CNC signs are cut from material using a CNC router which is computer controlled. As such, these signs can be intricate and use images as well as standard letters
Light box sign – a lightbox sign is a type of illuminated sign using a frame and lighting source
Directional signage – this type of signage is used everywhere from shops and warehouses to schools and hospitals. It’s designed to be practical and clear giving people instructions and showing the way
Sign tray – a sign tray is used very commonly in shop signs and business signage and can be made from a wide range of materials. Often backlit or internally lit, this type of sign is a very popular choice for many businesses
Aluminium composite sign tray – similar to the aluminium tray sign, this sign is made from composite material and can be used for many purposes
Dibond signs – dibond signs are most commonly used when strength is an important factor. These signs provide resistance to physical impact and heat and are most commonly used for shop signs, wall signs, information and directional signage.

Find Out More About Our Different Types of Business Signage and Shop Signs

Get in touch with image Sign Studio today through their contact page or call them directly on 0114 261 7617 for more information on their range of shop signs, business signage and manufacturing workshop

Boost Your Christmas Sales with a New Shop Sign Sheffield

Now is the time to ensure that you make the most of attracting the shoppers into your retail store. According to Mintel’s Christmas 2014 predictions, although online sales are again set to increase, a whopping 87% of all retail sales will be made in shops in December 2014.

Online business Website City AM recently reported that although fewer shoppers visited shopping centres and high streets this summer, retail spending was actually at its highest since January.

Footfall in Out of Town Retail Parks Decreases

The Director of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Helen Dickinson said that although footfall had decreased, the amount of money that was spent by shoppers per trip had actually increased. The data went on to reveal that although footfall has decreased on high streets and shopping centres, it increased by 2.9% in out-of-town retail parks during August 2014.

“It seems that customers are hitting the high streets with purpose – knowing what they want to buy ahead of time, supported by online research – and doing more shopping in a single trip,” Helen Dickinson said.

Expert Sign Makers Sheffield

As expert sign makers in Sheffield, Image Sign Studio are well aware of the increasing popularity of online shopping, but we firmly believe that there is plenty of scope for retail shops to claim their fair share of the market. There’s nothing like going into a shop and physically holding a product, then to come home with the item in your shopping bag on that very day. For all the convenience of online shopping, there’s only so much you can find out about the item from looking at it on a screen and reading reviews.

Online shopping may be as popular as ever, but the research suggests that there is still an enormous amount of people stepping out on the high street, shopping centres and retail parks.

Stand Out This Winter with an Illuminated Shop Sign Sheffield

One of the ways that you can attract these customers is by investing in a new shop sign Sheffield ready to catch those festive shoppers. As the nights draw in and the weather becomes autumnal, perhaps an illuminated shop sign Sheffield may be the perfect choice for your business?

If you are looking for a shop sign Sheffield that will increase your visibility on the high street over the festive season, Image Sign Studio can help. The staff at their Sheffield sign shop will offer you all the helpful advice and direction you need to ensure that your business makes a great first impression. Call them on 0114 261 7617 for more information today.

Keeping Your Planer Blades in Great Working Condition

As a rule of thumb; planer blades tend to be sturdy and resistant to heavy duty work – as long as they are properly maintained. If they are not, then understandably the work that you carry out will suffer as a result. Understanding why it is important to properly maintain your woodworking tools is the most important step to take.

82mm planer blades are just one example of woodworking tools that need to be kept sharp. If they are not, your end product will suffer significantly. The result for taking care of maintenance issues can only be positive; and will help you achieve the best possible end product result. It will also showcase your knowledge of issues surrounding in quality control and help you impress in the process.

No Better Place to Get Your Planer Blades

Here at Knife-Point we stock an entirety of different blades. Thanks to our incredible range of products, you will always find the right tool with us – no matter what trade you work in or task you need to carry out. We are confident that you will come back to us time and time again; thanks to our dedicated, experienced team. You can view all of our products here, at www.knife-point.co.uk.

Without understanding both the importance of keeping your planer blades in good condition – and also how best to utilize it – not only will your planer blade not work properly, it will also subsequently result in you being unable to produce a high standard product.

Understanding Planer Blades Maintenance

If ones of your planer blades requires maintenance, then you will need to follow a number of simple steps to carry out the job successfully. There are a number of resources available to tell you how you can do it best; which include guidelines on using an oiled whetstone, the importance of removing chips on the blade and ensuring that the blade is worked with a pushing action and not a pulling action

When it comes to understanding whether your product needs to be maintained, it is helpful to do your research (we often provide advice through this blog). Perhaps the best way to test the sharpness of the blade is by tilting it up to the light. By observing how the light reflects off the bevel of the blade, you can gauge its condition. If the blade is sharp, then the bevel will appear flat.

Take Time to Maintain Your Planer Blades

It is useful to wait a few seconds when you start up your planer to carry out work. This enables the motor to reach full speed; and the blade can now be eased into contact with the material. From this point, you can push forward at a steady pace, ensuring that you continue to apply pressure on the front of the planer as it meets your piece of work.

When actually implementing the use of planer blades proper balance is essential. Distribution of body weight – by keeping your feet apart in a comfortable position – enables you to maintain the closest control when using a wood planer. Naturally, the end product will emanate accuracy and quality as a result.

Swann Morton and Stanley Knife Blades Help Design and Architecture Students Excel

For design students; the constant pressures of having to meet deadlines; alongside working the late nights that ensure they can meet them; can make the little things so much more valuable. If you are a design student, taking a course such as architecture or product design, you will understand the emphasis that it constantly placed on achieving accuracy in your work. It can be the single most important factor between obtaining poor and excellent grades.

You can ensure that your are well on the road to the latter by taking accuracy seriously, and you can do this through the choice to use Swann Morton and Stanley knife blades in your work. This will pay off in the long run; helping you to achieve an excellent impression in the process. An example of this being put into practice would be a product design student who is making a scale model.

The quality of the components making up the model will be the difference between its success and failure. As such; the standard of your cutting blades will be the decisive factor towards that model making a good impression; and in the process could be the main thing that ensures your concept bears fruit.

Don’t Waste Time

If you are a student who finds yourself in this situation; evidencing that you are able to work to only the highest levels of accuracy – right from the off – could be the key contributing factor towards your idea’s success.

Wasted time having to remanufacture models because they haven’t been cut accurately can be extremely demoralizing. Achieving precision first time is endlessly satisfying; and understanding that you can do this through purchasing the best cutting tools is invaluable.

By taking ownership of the importance of attention to detail; you are also making your own life easier in the process. When dealing with the pressures of university life; taking such measures can be extremely rewarding.

Swann Morton and Stanley Knife Blades Always a Sharp Choice

Blades from both of these established producers can ensure that the level of your work is only of the highest standard – helping to ensure good grades in the process! Consistency and quality of finish are two qualities that will shine through in the components that make up your product.

Having taken the time to research and understand the importance of accuracy; you need to do the same thing when deciding on the tools that you should use in your work. Swann Morton and Stanley knife blades are guaranteed to help you achieve the quality that you require. With many years of experience, it is easy to understand why they have been such successful suppliers for so long.

Industry Leaders

At Knife-Point; we understand the importance that needs to be placed on meeting the individual needs of each and every customer. We can always ensure that you get your hands on the knife products that will allow you to achieve the greatest success in the tasks you are carrying out – whatever they may be.

Both of these established manufacturer’s blades can be bought in an array of different quantities; directly from us here at Knife-Point. We are vastly experienced knife providers; with extensive knowledge of both the supply and production of a whole host of blades.

Our passion and dedication shines through in every customer transaction that we enter in to; and our satisfaction comes from knowing that we are able to provide you with any number of products that will allow you to carry out high quality work.

Achieving Craft Perfection Through Swann Morton and Stanley Knife Blades

The world of work is always varied; and accuracy can never be overstated. In trades such as the craft industry, this takes up even more relevance. There are few things worse than knowing that you have wasted your time on a piece of work; only for it to go to waste thanks to the poor quality of cutting tools like knives. Stanley knife blades and Swann Morton knives can ensure you are able to obtain the essential precision for carrying out hobby craft tasks.

Keeping your blades sharp is so important in industries that include the production of card making, model making and artwork. Anything other than the best knife tools will result in the creation of a product that is severely lacking in quality.

Recognized Reputation

Craft industry professionals and those interested in craft that may be working on projects for sectors such as card production and model making; will see the obvious value in these sentiments – Swann Morton and Stanley knife blades have been helping them to achieve great results in their work for many years.

The benefits of using knife blades from established manufacturers are obvious. They have a reputation that has been founded through years of dedicated work; which has enabled them to guarantee quality assurance. Swann Morton and Stanley knife blades are excellent examples of this.

The Cost of Inaccuracy

Achieving consistency and a quality finish is so important in craft production. It is a profession that requires serious care; and thorough and comprehensive attention is vital. For example; a card maker whose products evidence inaccuracy when cutting features would see their business sales substantially drop.

Inaccurate features on craft products can leave customers feeling extremely dissatisfied; and resultantly sales of their products would be significantly affected. The knife chosen by the craft artist making the card can be the difference between achieving success and failure in their business.

Experience Pays

Here at Knifepoint we stock products by a whole host of manufacturers; ensuring that you will always be able to find the knives and knife blades that are best suited to you. We manufacture our own knives as well; further evidencing the professional versatility of our products.

With many years of valued experience in the manufacture of knives; we continue to be a leader of knife supply within the area and further afield. Our quality and dedication towards what we do is just one of the many reasons that our customers continue to come back to us.

Both Swann Morton and Stanley knife blades can be used in the production of a whole host of materials; including paper, card and plastics. Blades can be bought in packs; and are often made to be easily swapped around; ensuring only the highest quality of work is being undertaken when using them.

Swann Morton Providers Keep Sharp Eye on News

Chief Scout in the UK – Bear Grylls – has suggested that it is important to encourage children to use knives from an early age. The man behind recent reality TV survival show ‘The Island’ cause serious controversy with his comments; telling the Radio Times that children should learn ‘how to embrace and manage risk’. He also inferred that parents should assume more responsibility for educating their kids on knife safety.

Grylls has previously been seen helming the global TV success show ‘Bear Grylls: Born Survivor’; which sees him pit his wits against the most daunting elements in the world to teach audiences how to survive in extreme survival situations. The national press has taken real interest in this latest story; with The Telegraph and The Independent sharing their views on his controversial comments.

TV Superstar

The popularity Grylls commands in the UK means that any comments that he makes are analyzed to the extreme. Mixed with his laid back attitude; many have responded negatively; resulting in the received response.

One of the standout quotes from those latest comments included Grylls suggestion that handling a knife as a child could be ‘empowering’; if done under the appropriate constraints: “Sometimes in life we get cut,” he was quoted as saying. “My six-year-old recently cut himself on a knife, and came in with blood pouring everywhere, but, you know what? He’s not cut himself again. He learned how to handle a knife.”

Some of the UK media felt that this was an insensitive and ill-informed view on the situation. Grylls has also said, however, that knives must be treated with the utmost respect and that children are taught how to use them properly: “When I say to budding adventurers, ‘Listen – a blunt penknife is a dangerous knife. Make sure it’s really sharp’ – the kids’ faces light up. Like all kids, they want a mega-sharp penknife – great, but teach them to respect it and use it properly,” he said.

Swann Morton Knives

The topic is certainly up for debate; but we at Knife Point are glad to simply stick to delivering the best possible knives for both new and existing customers. As a company; we deliver both our own specifically-tailored knife blades; and also branded knives from established industry businesses such as Swann Morton.

Our experience and dedication is the key. As leaders of knife production in the industry for decades; we have worked tirelessly to deliver only the highest levels of customer satisfaction for many years. We achieve this through the application of our care and attention; ensuring that customers come to us for their knife needs time and time again.