Understanding And Commissioning A Virtual Tour - A Beginners Guide

A virtual tour is a complete 360-degree view of a space. The user can feel as if they're standing within a space, and then can control their movement within the area. They can look up above them, at the floor below them, and all around. Users are also able to zoom in and out, giving them the ability to focus in on areas of interest. Each virtual tour is usually made up from a number of photographs which are 'stitched' together

Where are they used?
One of the most familiar applications of virtual tours is by estate agents. These virtual tours tend to be small scale, and low-quality, as price is the biggest issue.

High-resolution virtual tours that can be viewed at full screen are the best option for any organisation for whom quality is important. A hotel group will use virtual tours to show the potential clients the quality of the rooms. Other examples of potential virtual tour customers include conference centres, museums, hospitals, car manufacturers, football clubs, universities, architects and property developers - all of whom benefit by showing off their space to its best advantage.

What extra features can a virtual tour have?
You can use the virtual tours in many different ways on your site, depending on how you'd like to display them. Virtual tours can be linked to a floorplan, so that users can feel orientated and choose how and where to move within a space. This is particularly useful for architects or property developers. Eye Revolution have created an example of this type for The Edison bar and lounge.

A Google Maps interface enables users to see virtual tours that are geographically removed from each other - a large number of virtual tours can all be linked via a map. Britannia Vista offers an excellent example of this type of implementation.

Many virtual tour providers will also be able to integrate hotspots - special links within a virtual tour. You may even want to include an audio script, a soundtrack or even some video in your virtual tours.

Talk to the virtual tour companies about the project, and they will be able to suggest interfaces that may be appropriate for you.

What's the advantage of a virtual tour on your website?
A virtual tour which is relevant to the viewer can help both build a brand and sell a product. So in the case of an architect's website, where part of their portfolio is available to be toured, the viewer is able to see the quality of the architect's work, choose where they'd like to focus on (rather than being dependent on the 'right' stills being provided) and then zoom in and see the small details. This gives the company a big advantage over their competitors as potential clients get a better insight into the product on offer.

How should I choose a virtual tour provider?
The good news is that there's a lot of choice out there. The bad news is that there are some very poor providers too. The best bet is to make a shortlist of virtual tour providers and then have a very thorough look through their portfolios. Look for 'stitching errors' - places where the photographs that make up the tour don't line up properly. Look for clarity - are the lines clear and sharp, or fuzzy, pixellated or indistinct? Can you see odd colours which don't look 'right', particularly on edges of objects in the tours. Check for over-exposure - so can you see through windows, or are they all white and hazy? Can you look around a full 360-degrees, or are the ceilings and floors blocked off?

If you're looking for a high quality virtual tour, it's vital that your providers are good photographers. If they're poor photographers, nothing will make your virtual tour look as good as it should.

So, going through their portfolio to make sure that you're happy with the quality of their virtual tour work and that they've got a good range of clients and experience is vital to the success of your virtual tour project.

Is it expensive?
This depends on the type of project that you're commissioning. Talk to the providers you've shortlisted, describe your project in as much detail as possible and ask them to quote. A 'menu' of prices (where you can see the cost per virtual tour, rather than the total cost for 10 virtual tours) is often useful, as it enables you to compare like with like.

The important thing to note is that the old adage still applies - if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys! Good virtual tour providers will be investing in new equipment, training and software on an ongoing basis. They will also be expert in retouching, and can use their skills to ensure your tours look as good as they can. This investment means that you get the best possible end result, and as you're going to live with it on your website - possibly for a number of years - you want to make sure that the virtual tours are perfect. If you're being offered a deal that seems to good to be true, again, look back carefully at the portfolio and assess the quality again.

How do I get it on my website?
Your virtual tour provider will provide you with files which can be uploaded to your site, or they can be hosted on your virtual tour provider's server. They will be able to liaise with your web designer to ensure the smooth delivery and upload of the virtual tours.

There are several plugins through which people can view virtual tours (for example, Flash, QuickTime, Java, Shockwave and OpenGL). Flash's high penetration (97% in developed markets) tends to make it the main choice, however, providers will be able to discuss the best options with you.

So finally...
Good virtual tours that stand the test of time and enhance your site visitors' experience will be likely to increase sales, will encourage people to return, and may over time increase the traffic to your website.

About the Author

Beth Menzies is a Director of eyerevolution.co.uk - a leading London-based virtual tour company. Prior to joining Eye Revolution she worked in top-10 Advertising Agencies handling advertising for clients like Volkswagen, Nissan, Hertz, Axa, Carlton TV & Odeon Cinemas.

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Stay at Home Moms: Make Money by Selling E-books

As childcare becomes difficult to afford, there are many parents who are making the decision to stay at home with their children. In most cases, it is the mother that chooses to be the fulltime parent. If this situation sounds alto familiar, you may be experiencing a problem that many others also are. That problem is limited income. Unfortunately, it is difficult for many families to adjust to having only one income, especially when both parents were working. Instead of relying on only one income, you are encouraged to search for easy ways to make money.

When searching for easy ways to make money, there are a number of things that you have to be on the lookout for. There are a large number of internet scams. These scams often entice you to pay money to learn the secrets of making money. These offers are not business opportunities, instead most are scams. If you are interested in participating in a real business opportunity, you are urged to examine private label resell rights, especially those for e-books. You may very well dig up that this is the chance that you were going through for.

In the Together States and all almost the globe, there are a amount of mortals who submit to a capacity for writing. A number of of these groups of people be converted into professional freelance writers. Professional freelance writers bring forth fulfilled and subsequently try and market it it to prospective shoppers. Other than, a few writers have a art for scripting, but not all submit to a knack for sales promotion. In specific, a few freelance writers end up establishing pleased, such as e-books, and subsequently keeping themselves for they couldnt dig up a buyer. This not effortlessly wastes their age, but it further causes them to lose money. This is where you would come in.

To block each other relishes trailing change, some freelance writers are having the election to award their e-books reachable for sale. This procurement is not a traditional procurement. Instead, they are dealing the resell rights. This device that they are probing for somebody to market it their e-book for each other. In addition to merchandising their own creation, there are some freelance writers that will allow you to allegation rights to their e-books. In a way, that gizmo that you will be programmed as the inventor. However, to do this, you may need to make a few permit. These modifies will be stipulated by the person responsible, but numerous just demand the altering of a few sentences.

If you are able to pay money for the resell rights to a trait e-work, above all one that is on an in-appeal theme, you may be able to variety a decently full-size amount of change. Each occasion you prosperous market it the e-textbook, you be able to pocket the cash yourself. The worth of buying e-book resell rights will amend. A couple of expert freelance writers have their own ways for determining how a good deal of their resell rights will price. Despite the different expenses, you may catch that the resell rights pay for themselves. The additional e-books you are able to persuade you to buy, the added currency you will make.

The sum of episode and fight you put into dealing the e-textbook, which you found out the resell rights to, will revise. That is anything is wonderful around this style of business opportunity. You could textbook as adolescent or as a good deal of as you may possibly equivalent to. You do not pass through to know-how a set list. As a stay at dwelling house mom, you may obtain this to be an astonishing opportunity. More of the esoteric business functions accessible imply long-lasting hours and a lot of book. By acquiring personal emblem resell rights to an e-textbook, you will be able to textbook anytime you requested and where you desire. This will not just grant you to control how a good deal of capital riches you will type, but likewise how a good deal of moment you are able to assign and your teens.

As before now named, you can variety change by exchanging the e-book, which you want the rights to, anyway that you want to know. A few stay at domicile moms know-how came across success by creating their own online pages, by pushing in browse cyberspace classifieds, by partnering along furthermore an alive web page, or by placing their e-books for procurement on surf the net auction web pages. Whether you select one of these guidelines or all of them, you should be able to class a decent, consummate or part-episode returns. You can certainly accomplish this cleanly by procuring the private brooch resell rights to an exciting and nonetheless written e-book.


Almost about the Architect

Uchenna Ani-Okoye is an information superhighway commercial advisor and co founder of

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Broadcast Your Message with Self Promotional Products

Who needs self promotional products Anyone that is selling or promoting anything.

What most self-promoters need is a way to keep their name and contact info in front of their prospects or "suspects"; in short they need a message that keeps on messaging.

We all have received promotions in the mail, by visiting salesfolk or at trade shows. At most trade shows, some businesses even give out custom bags so attendees have a place to put all their promo stuff; a promo bag to hold all those promo handouts.

Why do businesses bother with promotional materials The simple reason is they work by spreading messages, themes and images and keeping those messages in front of those that have been targeted.

Lets say you are a plumber that gives out magnetic business cards so folks can stick them on their refrigerators. Most plumbers have their business name and contact info on their trucks.

A self promotional plumber may also have his magnetic business cards stuck on his truck with a sign "Please Take One".

Sure its a silly idea and you may laugh. But plumbers that use this strategy report they usually replace all their magnetic cards every day.

Magnetic cards are cheaper than mass media, almost as cheap as some standard business cards, and have a lot more staying power.

And it makes sense if you have ever needed a plumber.

The key is to look at your sales process and sales cycle and determine where promotional products can be leveraged to deliver your message. Most promotional product campaigns fail because they fail to focus first and foremost on the desired results.

Before purchasing your promotional products determine how and to whom you will deliver them. This will help you narrow down your choices for appropriate products.

"And dont forget to track your results so you can improve" adds Wilcox.

Not only is there an endless array of self promotional products but also a seemingly endless way to "package" or merchandise your self promotional messages.

Take promotional caps. There are caps of all colors and styles. Some can have custom logos embroidered with a 3-D effect and even messages printed on the edge of the bill.

Given the right strategy many people could be wearing your self promotional caps. Strategy is why it is important to think through your desired results first.

Self promoters are strategic, not reactive. For instance, farmers in the Salinas Valley give their farmworkers company logo caps at the end of the growing season.

The idea isnt that the farmworkers will return to Mexico for the winter and wear their caps everywhere spreading the company message; the cap logo is simply a promotional reminder of the farms name and where to go for work at the start of spring season.

Self promotional products can take many forms. There are pens, HiLiters, letter openers, staplers, badge holders and dog tags. There are memo pads, PDA holders, calculators, clocks, radios, mugs, coasters and water bottles.

You can try backpacks, tote bags, coolers, velour pouches, tape measures, knives and flash lights. And key chains, pill cases, first aid kits, luggage tags, combs, fans and pedometers.

And candles, shampoo, hand lotion, hand sanitizers, lip balm, sunscreen and bug repellant. And golf tees, balls, towels and totes. And more.

It is helpful to remember that not all promotional items need to be useful like calendars or pens. You can also try fun items like stress balls, yo-yos and piggy banks. My favorite are those clear balls that flash when bounced. Next to food and chocolate.

Food and candy are always popular. How about gum, mints, gourmet food, cookies, coffee, hot chocolate, ice tea and bottled water. Customers, prospects and suspects love to eat and drink But then again, dont we all

And what if your promotional targets are chocolate lovers like many of us You can try chocolate wrapped in foil, coins, sports balls, squares, gift sets, bars, truffles or custom molds.

And of course the more traditional magnetic business cards, notepads, calendars and even custom business cards. Thats a lot to think about so where to begin

Start with your sales and promotional cycle and see where your customer and prospect "touchpoints" or points of contact are. Your messages desired result may be a phone call, an appointment or an e-mail inquiry.

Use your self-promotional products to leverage or "convert" to the next step toward your desired promotional results.

With focus and attention to results, self promotional products can add power and zip into your promotional campaigns.


About the Author

Jack Deal owns JD Deal Local Search marketing, Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley, California 831-457-8806. Related articles, ideas, strategies, tactics and tips can be found at

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