Virtual Tour FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to our Virtual Tours FAQ – your go-to guide for everything you need to know about virtual tours. Whether you’re a hotel, venue, school, or business exploring immersive online experiences, this page answers common questions about how virtual tours work, their benefits, and how they can help boost engagement and visibility.
A virtual tour is an immersive digital experience that allows users to explore a real-world location remotely. Utilising 360-degree photography or 3D scanning technology, virtual tours enable viewers to navigate through spaces interactively, providing a realistic sense of presence.
While a video tour offers a linear, pre-recorded walkthrough of a space, a virtual tour provides interactive navigation, allowing users to choose their path and explore areas of interest at their own pace. This interactivity enhances user engagement and provides a more personalised experience.
A Matterport virtual tour is a 3D digital representation of a physical space, created using the Matterport camera, which is a specialised camera and software system. Used by many professional photographers like the team at Venue View, these tours offer high-resolution imagery, accurate spatial data, and features like floor plans and measurement tools, making them ideal for real estate, hospitality, and commercial applications.
The cost of a virtual tour varies based on factors such as property size, complexity, and desired features. For instance, a basic Matterport tour for a small venue might start around £950, while larger or more intricate projects can be priced higher. Additional services like drone footage or custom hotspots may incur extra charges.
The time required to produce a virtual tour depends on the property’s size and the tour’s complexity. Capturing a small abr or restaurant maty take around 2 hours, a larger space in a day, or larger venues across 2 days. V1 of a tour is usually back with clients within 2 weeks of the shoot date. Larger venues or tours with advanced features may take longer to complete.
Yes, incorporating drone or aerial imagery into virtual tours provides a unique perspective, showcasing the property’s surroundings and layout. These high-altitude shots can be seamlessly integrated into the tour, enhancing its visual appeal.
Information hotspots are interactive elements embedded within a virtual tour. When clicked, they can display text, images, videos, or links, providing additional context or details about specific features within the space. These hotspots enrich the user experience and can be customised to suit various informational needs. All 3D tours from Venue View contain interactive information hotspots.
While photos provide static views, virtual tours offer an interactive experience, allowing users to explore the space as if they were physically present. This engagement can lead to increased interest, longer website visits, and a better understanding of the property’s layout and features.
Individuals can sometimes be included in virtual tours to add a human element or demonstrate the use of spaces. However, because of the way a camera works (they typically spin around in a 360 rotation) it’s essential that the subjects stay very still whilst each picture is taken. It is also important to obtain consent from those featured, and in some cases, faces may be blurred to protect privacy.
Virtual tours can be embedded into websites using provided HTML code or iframe links – which are provided as part of your Venue View final products pack. This embedding of a tour allows visitors to interact with the tour directly on your site, enhancing user engagement and providing immediate access to the immersive experience.
Virtual tours are beneficial across various industries, including estate agents, hospitality, education, retail, museums and healthcare. They provide potential clients or customers with an in-depth view of facilities, helping to build trust and inform decision-making. Here at Venue View we specialise in supporting hotels and venues showcase their spaces, generating brand new enquiries every day.
A Google virtual tour is a 360-degree interactive experience integrated into Google Maps and Google Search. It allows users to explore the interior of businesses directly from their devices, enhancing online visibility and providing a virtual “walk-through” of the premises. It does however lack the additional lead generation and enquiry tools situated in more advanced 360 tours and 3D tours. Venue View provide both Google Streetview 360 tours and Matterport 3D tours.
Virtual tours in real estate provide prospective buyers with an immersive experience, allowing them to explore properties remotely. This convenience can lead to faster decision-making, reduced need for physical viewings, and a broader reach to potential buyers.
Absolutely. Virtual tours enable property managers to showcase rental units to prospective tenants without the need for in-person visits. This efficiency can streamline the leasing process, reduce vacancy rates, and attract a wider audience.
Yes, virtual tours are valuable tools in tourism, allowing potential visitors to explore destinations, attractions, or accommodations before booking. They provide a preview of the experience, helping travellers make informed decisions and increasing interest in the location.
Virtual tours can showcase interior design concepts, allowing clients to visualise layouts, colour schemes, and furnishings in a realistic setting. This tool aids designers in presenting their ideas and helps clients make decisions with confidence.
Virtual tours offer an immersive experience, allowing potential customers to explore your space remotely. This can increase engagement, reduce bounce rates, and provide a competitive edge by showcasing your offerings in an interactive format.
Yes, modern virtual tours are designed to be responsive, ensuring optimal viewing experiences across desktops, tablets, and smartphones. This accessibility broadens your reach to users on various devices.
Absolutely. Virtual tours from Venue View can be updated to reflect changes in your space, such as renovations or new layouts. Regular updates keep your content current and relevant.
Yes, virtual tours can incorporate e-commerce features, allowing users to click on products within the tour and be redirected to purchase pages. This seamless integration enhances the shopping experience.
A 360° photo captures a single panoramic view, while a virtual tour links multiple 360° images, enabling users to navigate through different areas of a space interactively. Single 360° photographs can be uploaded to your Google Business profile as well as being a great quick and easy post for Facebook. Every package from Venue View provides a library of individual 360° panoramas.
Embedding virtual tours on your website can increase user engagement and time spent on site, both positive signals for search engine rankings. Additionally, they can improve local SEO when integrated with platforms like Google Maps.
While full virtual tours can’t be embedded directly into emails due to technical limitations, you can include clickable thumbnails or links that direct recipients to the tour hosted on your website or a dedicated platform. You can also use a QR to add to your print marketing to auto start a virtual tour – Quick Start QRs are provided with all Venue View tours.
Yes, many virtual tours are VR-compatible, offering an even more immersive experience when viewed through devices like the Meta Quest.
Virtual tours can be hosted on secure platforms with SSL encryption, ensuring data protection. Access controls can also be implemented to restrict viewing to specific audiences if necessary. Matterport 3D tours can either be public, unlisted, or password protected.
The length of a virtual tour depends on the size and complexity of the space. However, it’s essential to balance comprehensiveness with user attention spans, ensuring the tour remains engaging throughout.
Yes, adding audio narration can guide users through the tour, provide additional context, and enhance the overall experience.
Turnaround times vary based on project scope, but typically, a standard virtual tour can be completed within a few days to 2 weeks from the initial shoot.
No special software is needed. Virtual tours are usually accessible via standard web browsers, making them easily viewable without additional downloads.
Ensure the area is clean, well-lit, and free of clutter. Highlight key features you want to showcase, and consider staging spaces to reflect their best use. During the preparation stage of any virtual tour, Venue View will guide you through the process, providing pre shoot check lists and creating a shoot schedule for the day.
Yes, analytics can be integrated to monitor user behaviour, such as time spent on the tour, areas viewed, and interaction points clicked. This data can inform marketing strategies and space utilisation.
While virtual tours offer many benefits, they may not capture certain sensory experiences, like ambient sounds or tactile elements. However, incorporating multimedia elements can mitigate some of these limitations.
Virtual tours provide an interactive, immersive experience, allowing users to explore spaces at their own pace, unlike static images which offer limited perspectives.
Yes, virtual tours can be tailored with custom colors, logos, and design elements to align with your brand identity, ensuring a cohesive user experience.
While there’s an upfront investment, virtual tours can lead to increased engagement, reduced need for physical visits, and higher conversion rates, offering substantial returns over time.
Meetings and Events Virtual Tour FAQs
Virtual tours provide event planners with an immersive, 24/7 accessible view of venues, allowing them to assess spaces remotely. This capability streamlines the venue selection process, reduces the need for multiple site visits, and accelerates decision-making. Planners can evaluate room layouts, amenities, and ambiance, ensuring the venue aligns with their event requirements.
Yes, virtual tours can be customised to display various event configurations, such as theatre-style seating, banquet arrangements, or classroom setups. This flexibility allows planners to visualise how the space can be adapted to their specific event needs.
Absolutely. Virtual tours can highlight a venue’s technological capabilities, such as high-speed internet, AV equipment, and dedicated streaming areas, which are essential for hosting hybrid or fully virtual events.
By providing a comprehensive view of the venue, virtual tours enable clients to make informed decisions quickly. They can explore the space, understand its features, and even identify potential challenges, leading to more efficient and confident booking decisions.
Yes, virtual tours can encompass both indoor and outdoor areas, showcasing gardens, patios, rooftops, or any other external spaces available for events. This comprehensive coverage ensures clients have a complete understanding of all venue offerings.
Interactive elements within virtual tours, such as clickable hotspots, embedded videos, or informational pop-ups, engage clients more effectively than static images. This interactivity can lead to increased time spent exploring the venue and a deeper connection with the space.
Yes, virtual tours can be a powerful marketing tool. They can be shared on social media, embedded in email campaigns, or featured on the venue’s website, providing potential clients with an immersive preview that can drive interest and inquiries.
Modern virtual tours are designed to be responsive, ensuring they function seamlessly across desktops, tablets, and smartphones. This accessibility ensures clients can explore venues at their convenience, regardless of the device they’re using.
By offering immediate, detailed insights into a venue, virtual tours can significantly shorten the sales cycle. Clients can quickly determine if a space meets their needs, reducing the time between initial inquiry and booking.
Yes, virtual tours can be updated to showcase seasonal decorations, recent renovations, or new layouts. Regular updates ensure the tour remains current and accurately represents the venue’s offerings.
Many virtual tour platforms offer multilingual support, allowing venues to cater to a diverse clientele by providing information in multiple languages. This feature enhances accessibility and broadens the venue’s appeal to international clients.
Virtual tours can include detailed floor plans and measurements, aiding planners in understanding space capacities, flow, and potential layouts. This information is crucial for adhering to safety regulations and optimising attendee experience.
Yes, many virtual tour platforms provide analytics that track user interactions, such as time spent on the tour, areas viewed, and engagement with interactive elements. These insights can inform marketing strategies and identify areas of high interest.
Virtual tours can be tailored to reflect a venue’s branding, incorporating logos, colour schemes, and other brand elements. This customisation ensures consistency across marketing materials and enhances brand recognition.
By reducing the need for physical site visits, virtual tours lower carbon emissions associated with travel. They also minimize the production of printed marketing materials, supporting environmentally friendly practices.
Google Streetview FAQs
An interactive, 360° panoramic tour allowing online visitors to virtually explore your premises directly from Google Maps, Google Search or inside an embedded version that sits on your website. A high quality virtual tour provider such as Venue View will be able to help you pick the right virtual tour product tour you.
Enhanced visibility, improved customer trust, higher engagement, better SEO performance, and increased likelihood of visitors turning into actual customers.
Engage a Google-certified photographer such as Venue view, who capture and upload the imagery to your Google Business Profile. Leading virtual tour companies such as Venue View will also be able to offer a range of other options such as video and Matterport 3D tours.
Typically 2–7 days after photography, depending on venue size and complexity. Speak to a member of the Venue View team for specific details.
Pricing varies based on size and complexity, usually ranging from £500 to £1250. A member of the Venue View team will be able to give you an accurate quote
On Google Maps, Google Search, your Google Business Profile, and it can also be embedded on your website or social media pages.
Yes, embedding the tour on your website is easy and recommended for maximum visibility as this will increase website dwell time and subsequently provide SEO benefits.
Yes, the tour can be updated by arranging a new photo session with a certified Google Streetview virtual tour photographer such as Venue View.
Yes, Google Street View tours are compatible with desktops, smartphones, tablets, and VR headsets.
Yes, you can set the default starting point and orientation when embedding the tour on your website. In fact you can have multiple links, starting the tour in any of the captured 360 panoramas.
Yes, Google provides metrics through your Google Business Profile dashboard, showing how many times each panorama has been viewed.
Indirectly, yes. Enhanced user engagement and better content quality typically contribute positively to SEO.
They are accessible to anyone online and compatible with various assistive technologies. However, Venue View also offer a range of accessible specific options – contact the team for further details.
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