The main difference from a basic Google Street View Tour (GSV) and an Interactive 360 Virtual Tour (VT) is the User Interface and therefore the User Experience.
The only things GSV tours have in common is that they are made from the same 360 Panoramic Photographs, the floor Hotspots used for navigation around the tour, and the need to be hosted on a web server somewhere, predominantly cloud based.
Below we will look at the main elements in many VT’s. There are many different VT software providers, and each produce tours that look slightly different from the others, just the same as the inside of different car manufactures looks different even though they have many of the same elements; radio, air-con, seat adjustments, mirrors etc.
There are 2 main groups of elements. Skin Elements, which always stay on top of the tour and do not change with each new scene as we move around the tour and Pano Specific, which change from one scene to another. Lets look at Skin Elements first
Skin Elements
Branding: This is where your Company Logo and contact details go. Contact name, telephone number, email and web page address
Lead Generation Form: The lead generation or lead capture form pops out when you click its icon. From here your prospective clients & customers can request you return their message. You receive their message via email in real time so you can respond as ASAP and demonstrate your great customer service. Their details then can be used in future email marketing campaigns
Live Guided Video Streaming: Click thecamera icon to bring up the video streaming logo on page. From here you & your customers can log on to the Live Guided Video Streaming service. You log on as an existing user as the host, and your customer then logs on as a client. It really is that simple. Along with Video & Audio you can text chat as well as share documents in real time. Up to 4 users can connect from anywhere in the world. If your client has not pre booked a Live Session, they can order and book one from here. You receive email with their full details. Never say no to a customer again.
Film Strip: This is where you can see all the 360 Panoramic Images in your tour. You can toggle hide/show the filmstrip using the little down arrow along the top of the strip. Navigate to any scene you desire by clicking on the thumbnail or travel in order by arrows at either end. The current scene is highlighted by a blue border around the thumbnail.
Nadir Patch: The nadir patch covers the very area where the tripod stood. This area can be a little trick to look good when the various elements that make up the 360 image are stitched together. The nadir patch can be your branding or ours if you do not have a round image to use or if you have received a discount.
Control Panel: The control panel holds various useful icons including, share link, volume on/off, VR Headset, Live Guided Video Chat & Fullscreen. The icon at the top toggles the control panel to show/hide.
Non-Skin Elements - Image Specific Elements
Infospots: These are clickable icons that can be placed anywhere on any image highlighting important information, such as booking forms, price lists, directions, social media, menu’s etc. The list is endless.
Hotspots: Hotspots are how you navigate around a tour. They link one 360 panoramic image to the next creating fluid movement between scenes. Generally, these are on the floor, but can also be on doors, windows or even in the sky for aerial drone shots which look really cool and are very effective for keeping your client’s attention.
