DDi - October 2013 - (Page 64)

Photo: Sphereographic, Atlanta 64 | In-Store Technology A new latitude Google Business Photos puts retailers on the map with 360-degree photo tours By Janet Groeber H ere’s one more service from ubiquitous Google, the Mountain View, Calif.-based Internet product and services provider: Google Business Photos, a program that clearly has its sights set on retailers from indie shops to multinationals. Google Business Photos works with the recently redesigned Google Maps interface, which is now open to all users. This next-generation update uses vector data instead of graphical tiles, allowing maps to load faster, Google says, even when using the “zoom out” feature (the one that pulls back as far as outer space!). Back on terra firma, Google Street View offers a look inside any participating store thanks to the photography program. “The Google Business Photos program enables merchants to create 360-degree, interactive tours of their establishments,” explains Deborah Schenker, program manager for Google Business Photos. “This imagery is published on Google, so potential customers can look inside and explore businesses before they go.” Google, in fact, guarantees all virtual tours will appear in searches and will be part of Google Places and Google Maps. The 360-degree tour can also be posted on | October 2013 Facebook and Google+ pages, turning it into a social media marketing tool. Getting with the program is easy, Google says. Simply hire a trusted photographer or agency that has been vetted by Google to take pictures of the business. The fee can be as little as $300 for a “poke in the door” of a small shop and rises up to $1,500 or $2,000 based on several factors, including square footage. Using Street View technology, the photographer creates panoramic images from the photo shoot (still images also are included) and uploads them to Google. Photographers DJ Jennings and Karen Hagerman of Atlanta-based Sphereographic were among the first to work directly with Google on Business Photos (the program began in January 2012) and have traveled across the country completing close to 400 projects for both independent and corporate clients, ranging from showrooms and retailers to restaurants and innkeepers. “For most companies, just a flavor of their location is adequate for the virtual tour,” Hagerman says. “However, we have developed a subscription model for those retailers with changing inventory, such as showrooms or antique stores, who want to show their most up-to-date offerings. That way, they can ‘refresh’ the tour whenever they want.” Take Mike Morrison, owner of Wings Camera in Atlanta. The small shop Morrison took over from his father has ruled out traditional advertising because of its cost. He relies on a website to draw traffic to his store (established back in 1912, it’s the oldest camera store in the Southeast), selling vintage and newer pre-owned film cameras, along with lenses, tripods and other accessories to his customers enthusiastic about darkroom supplies, lighting equipment and studio necessities for film-based photography. Since adding the 360-tour to his site, Morrison says he’s now serving new out-of-state customers. Another new demographic Morrison says is 16to 30-year-olds, who have developed an interest in artistic black-and-white photography that digital photography can’t deliver. Since Google Business Photos’ launch, the phalanx of Google-trusted photographers have worked with more than 100,000 businesses to deploy virtual tours. The adoption of the program is accelerating and is expected to continue with the addition of new features, such as multilevel navigation. And it’s expanding globally—the program is now available in Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, Singapore, Switzerland, Poland and Russia. To email this article, visit www.ddionline.com/magazine. www.ddionline.com http://www.ddionline.com/magazine http://www.ddionline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - October 2013

DDi - October 2013
Contents
From the Editor
Newsworthy
Shopper Insights
Editor’s Choice
Design Snapshot
Restoration Hardware (RH)
Converse
American Express
State of the Retail Design Industry 2013
Right Light
In-Store Technology
Product Spotlight
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds

DDi - October 2013