Google Street View is a great tool, allowing users to go inside virtually anywhere on Earth using Google Maps.
It goes one step further by allowing a local business to have a virtual tour of their interiors.
A 360 virtual tour both influences customers decisions on which business to visit and enhances a business’ Google listing. This makes it an amazing marketing opportunity that any smart business owner should take advantage of immediately.
But some business owners are still clueless on how to get their tour onto their website and attracting customers fast.
Would you like to find out how to easily embed a Google Street View 360 virtual tour into your website? Then read on.
How to Embed Google Street View Virtual Tour on WordPress
WordPress is one of the most popular website hosting systems, so let’s start with how to you can show your business on Google Street View on your WordPress site. These instructions will apply to both posts and static pages.
Go to Google Maps first at https://maps.google.com/.
Write your business name in the search box and pinpoint the exact location then click the Share or Embed link in the left corner of the map. Click on Embed Map and you’ll see a preview of what the custom map will look like.
Note that you can choose Small, Medium, or Large or even a Custom Size. If the image looks good, copy the HTML code, it should be a link that begins “Go to your WordPress post or page, click HTML text and paste the map code. Click update, and your embedded map should now be visible.
For an idea of what that looks, like, check out this restaurant’s virtual embedded on our website. Your website visitors will not even need to leave your site to see the business’ storefront, and if you have created a virtual tour, they can see the inside of the business as well.
Put a Google Street View Virtual Tour on Blogger
Blogger is a popular blogging host that is also used for websites. Embedding Google Street View in Blogger is also a relatively simple procedure once you follow these instructions.
Embedding a Map or Virtual Tour in a Blog Post
Just as with WordPress, get on over to Google Maps and find your business in the search box.
Click on the link icon that is below the search bar. A link to customize and preview embedded map should be visible. Click on that and a popup with a preview of the map will appear.
Center your exact location and set the size of the map. An embed code starting with “iFrame” will be visible. Head over to Blogger now and open your posts or pages, a common place to put a map is on the contact us page for example.
Make sure you are in HTML editor mode. Go back to Google Maps and copy the HTML embed code from item 6 on this list. On Blogger, paste the embed code.
A preview of the map will be available if you switch to compose mode, or you can preview the total page. Click the Publish button.
Finally, view the post again to make sure that everything looks OK.
Embedding a Map or Virtual Tour in the Sidebar
Blogger does not currently have a gadget or widget that will add a Google Map or Street View in your blog sidebar. However, you can add these to your sidebar with a simple procedure similar to the above method for adding to a blog post.
Firstly, copy the “iFrame” embed code. Set a custom width and height that will ensure the size of the map or tour fits into your sidebar. Go your blog dashboard and go to the Layout section.
Then, click to add a Gadget. Select “HTML/JavaScript gadget” in the options and paste the embed code into the content box. Click on Save.
That’s it, you have now added your business location to the blog sidebar.
Embedding a Google Street View Virtual Tour on Any Website
Google has a way for developers to insert a code into their websites that will display a Google Map in an interactive form. The embedding technology, the Google Maps Embed API, is highly customizable.
This means that features like indoor floor plans, directions and Street View can be included. Visitors to your site can see a preview of your virtual tour right on the page, no matter what backend system you used to build the site, stopping them from navigating away to a different page.
Here’s how to insert the Google Street View virtual tour on any website.
The first step will be to search a location in the normal Google Maps page in your browser. Enter Street View mode, then click on the settings cog, which is in the lower right hand corner. There is an option to embed your image, as well as the necessary code.
Take the code and drop it into your site on the appropriate page. You’ve now shared the virtual tour on your site.
As a developer, you have the option to specify a latitude and longitude or panorama ID to pick your location, and the pitch of the camera. There are no usage limits, so you can embed as much as you want.
Getting a Google Street View 360 Virtual Tour for Your Business
Getting a virtual tour can be an incredibly valuable tool, which draws attention to all the best features of your business. It takes a potential buyer into the coolest spaces, allowing him or her to visualize themselves inside of them and putting them one step closer to actually experiencing it in real life.
The bottom line here is it attracts even more customers and sets you apart from the competition.