The phrase
“Don’t judge a book by its cover”… couldn’t be more true when it comes to Businesses!!…
Here’s where I come in… My name is Tom Testone and I’m the founder of 360 Virtual Business Tours, based in the NSW Southern Highlands.
After ditching my mundane Monday to Friday, 9-5 position working for someone else, I decided it was time to take a leap of faith and pursue my true passion….Photography!! I’ve been an avid photographer since the time of film. My main passions have always been wildlife and landscape photography, but other areas of photography have been equally rewarding. Anything that gets me behind the camera, really!!
Our humble beginnings…
I am also passionate about conservation and animal welfare and have had images published in animal welfare magazines, such as WSPA and Animals Voice, promoting the work of the brumby welfare organisation ‘Save the Brumbies Inc.’. My interests also extend to travel and equine photography including event photography such as equestrian competitions and clinics.
I have completed the ‘Photography – Social Documentary’ course (UTS 2001) and also attended photography workshops and seminars conducted by renowned landscape and wildlife photographers Steve Parish, Ken Duncan and Darran Leal.
Over the years I’ve often been told by those around me that “I have been gifted with the ability to capture and convey the essence and mood of a scene, telling it’s story with vivid and captivating images.” In searching for new and creative photography techniques over the years, I have found panoramic and 360 degree photography to be great techniques that provide viewers with a more immersive experience. I came to the conclusion that whether it is a sweeping landscape or a business premises, there is a unique story in each that needs to be told….and so 360 Virtual Business Tours was born.
A family business that prides itself on honesty and integrity, and dedicated to providing our customers with a personal and professional service every time! 360 Virtual Business Tours services our local area of the Southern Highlands and Illawarra, but we are more than happy to go wherever the work takes us!
Ok, back to that phrase, being a small-business owner myself now, I can completely empathise with businesses and the efforts you go through (physically, mentally and financially) designing your business from the inside out. So after all that effort, how do you discourage potential customers from prejudging your business before they have even set foot into your premises? Well, that’s exactly where I come in and help you by inviting them into your business with a premium quality 360° virtual business tour!!….whilst they’re eating their cereal over the breakfast bar and madly getting the kids ready for school!! That’s right, 360 virtual business tours continue to work well after you’ve closed up business for the day! Available online 24/7 your business continues to be showcased and engaging with new and potential customers!
Why a virtual tour I hear you ask…
The forming of 360 Virtual Business Tours enables me to combine my passion for photography with my desire to help businesses better engage with their customers online. Many businesses have gone from being virtually invisible online to appearing in Google Maps Searches, which appear at the top of all location based Google Search results. 360 Virtual Business Tours helps enhance your presence online by offering high quality 360° virtual tours linked to Google Maps, Google Search and your Google Business Page.
The way Google ranks pages, particularly for location based searches has changed and continues to evolve. Google has moved away from pure keyword SEO and is encouraging and rewarding businesses for building their brand through providing relevant and engaging content online. This is not limited to your website alone but also covers your interaction on social media platforms as well.
As part of the Google Trusted Photographers Program, we here at 360 Virtual Business Tours are excited to come along side businesses and assist them to become more engaging online. One of the ranking factors Google looks at is dwell time on your site. Studies are showing that engaging potential customers with a virtual tour tends to keep them on your site longer than if you only have static images and text. The great thing about a virtual tour is that, while it appears on your Google Business Page, Google Maps and Google Search, it can also be embedded on your website and Facebook page. You can further enrich their online experience with the addition of an Enhanced Tour.
So what’s an Enhanced Tour?…
Enhanced Tours are embedded on your website and can make your virtual tour even more interactive, by providing a dropdown menu that helps customers navigate areas of your business. Enhanced Tours are available to everyone but are particularly useful for larger businesses, consisting of multiple departments, services or areas of interest.
The dropdown menus may include directing them to points of interest (Hotspots), displaying current Specials you may have, directing them to your eStore, booking a table in a Restaurant or Café or even making a Hotel room reservation all from within your tour!!
The Enhanced Tour allows for Hotspots to be embedded within your virtual tour. By clicking on any of these Hotspots, a dialogue box will display with any of the following actions: information of a product or service, videos, link to a Shopping Cart, Website, Enquiry Form, Menus etc. all without leaving your virtual tour.
Virtual Tours are one very dynamic way to showcase and advertise your products, services and bricks and mortar business all in one, 24/7!!
So let’s work together and help get you on the Map and engaged!! Drop us an email today to get started!!