Adding 360 Photos to a GMB Listing has Many Advantages

Shabbir Shaikh — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 17:42:00 +0000

Every small business that is aware of the benefits of digital marketing has a Google My Business (GMB) listing these days. It essentially gives them a better chance to appear in Google search results when potential local customers search for what they sell. However, simply creating a listing is not enough to rank high on Google (which is ultimately what you want). You need to make it as engaging, informative and convincing as possible. This is why adding 360 photos to a GMB makes absolute sense, especially if your business has a physical presence. So, find out why cafes, restaurants, hotels, gyms, golf courses and even educational institutions are making 360 photos an integral part of their GMB listings:

Better customer engagement – Since 360 photos offer a holistic view of your business, potential customers can visualize what it will feel like to eat at your restaurant or stay in your hotel or study at your college. Bright and crisp photos can grab eyeballs quickly, engage viewers and nudge them to explore more about your business. Another reason why adding 360 photos to Google My Business listings boosts engagement is because visual content is easier to register and recall than plain text. And potential customers consider your business to be well-established and professional when you make an effort to highlight its best aspects with the photos.
Read – Why Visual Marketing is the Future for Businesses
Better ranking and visibility – The more people click on your photos or engage with your listing, the greater will be your chance to rank high on Google. Why? Because this search engine is intelligent enough to figure out that your content is helpful since so many people are clicking on it. Naturally, it gives your website’s rank a good push. And the better your rank, greater is the visibility. Basically, adding 360 photos in GMB is your key to generating greater brand awareness and interest.
More transparency and conversion – If you add 360 photos to a Google My Business listing, it shows that you are transparent about your business and have nothing to hide. Good quality pictures that show panoramic views of your establishment, products or services can give them a fair idea about what to expect. This can help you earn their trust easily and more viewers will convert into paying customers. In fact, if your listing has 360 photos and your competitor’s doesn’t, prospects will tend to choose you over others. After all, using 360 photos also indicates that you are up to date and ahead of the competition.
Making the most of Google Maps – Did you know that 41% of business searches (on average) that take place on Google Maps lead to actual or onsite visits? So, with the help of 360 photography, you can make your listing more powerful and increase chances of getting more customers through Google Maps searches. It has also been observed that listings that feature photos or virtual tours encourage customers to buy something almost 30% of the time.

Read Also – Does Your Business Need a Virtual Tour?

Things to remember for 360 business photography

Unless you are an expert with the latest camera models (especially the ones used for 360 photos), hire professionals to do the job. Remember to check their past experience, portfolio and ask them questions about how they will decide the right lighting, angles, décor etc. Find out what kind of editing they might render to the photos. And don’t forget to describe the photos, preferably in a search engine optimized manner (with the right keywords), so that your GMB listing has a better chance to rank high on Google.

So, you now know why adding 360 photos to a GMB makes so much sense, right? They get your business the visibility as well as traffic it needs to become more profitable. As one of the best forms of visual marketing, 360 photos are attractive, convincing, trustworthy (unless heavily edited), and will lend you a competitive edge too. So, if you are all set to boost the uniqueness and credibility of your GMB listing and draw more local customers Call us.

Read – Does Your Business Need Google Street View? The Pro & Cons of Google Street View

All That You Need To Know While Adding Google My Business Photos

Shabbir Shaikh — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 17:58:00 +0000

If you are reading this, you are already aware how useful a Google My Business listing can be for your business. However, there are many business owners like you out there who share this knowledge. This is why adding Google My Business photos to your listing can help you stand out and gain a competitive edge. So, are you eager to get started? Read on to know exactly how such photos will help you and the things to keep in mind when you add them.

Reasons to add Google My Business photos to your listing

Establishes trust – Photos that clearly show the inside and outside of your business, the products you make or services you offer, and the people who work with you, help in building the trust of potential customers almost immediately.
Improves engagement and decision-making – The importance of Google My Business photos lies in the fact that they help customers understand what you do better. This way, prospects feel interested, tend to contact you for more details and make decisions quickly. They can compare your business easily with others and take a call without having to research much.

How to add Google My Business photos?

Make sure your business is verified by Google before you start. You can either use the GMB mobile app or a desktop to add photos. Just navigate to the Menu section and then the Photos section to add images or videos. Keep these points in mind:

Google My Business photos must be in PNG or JPG format.
720 x 720 pixels are the dimensions required.
The image file size needs to be between 10KB and 5MB.
Make sure that the images have a crisp resolution and are show brightly lit places.
Avoid altering the photos or using filters.
To add Logo or Cover photo, choose the relevant option in the Photos section and upload. The logo should be crystal clear and the cover photo should be one that looks well on both laptops and mobile devices.
Adding videos or Google virtual tours is similar to what you do for photos. Just make sure that the video is at most 30 seconds long and the file size is not more than 100 MB. Go for a resolution of 720p or higher.

Read – Does Your Business Need Google Street View? The Pro & Cons of Google Street View

Tips to add Google My Business photos that make an impact

To make the maximum impact with your Google My Business photos, keep these pointers in mind:

Your logo should be such that potential customers can identify your brand instantly.
The cover photo should ideally indicate what your business is all about.
General pictures, which can be uploaded by both you and customers, should highlight various aspects of your business. These should help other prospects make an informed decision.
Videos can offer behind-the-scenes information about your business or brand, how a product gets made or how your employees offer a particular service.
Try and upload both exterior and interior photos to maintain transparency about your business.
If you sell products, upload their high-quality photos to make the quality, colors, dimensions, easily understandable. If you offer services, show your workforce in action.
If you are in the food business, upload tempting images of your dishes. Same goes for beverages.
Upload photos of happy employees or those who directly interact with your customers to seem real and gain trust.