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Local Voices

Naperville Business Owners Use Google Street View Technology to Attract Customers

Local merchants get cutting-edge panoramic tours on top search engine from VHT Studios

Sept. 18, 2013 –Local Naperville shops, restaurants, salons and professional offices can attract more customers with 360-degree, virtual tours that combine Google Street View technology with stunning photographs allowing Google users to see inside their businesses, Rosemont-based VHT Studios announced today.

The new VHT Studios service, called See Inside Photography for Google, is designed for retail business owners in the Naperville area who want to enhance their listings on Google search results with state-of-the-art, interactive tours showing off their businesses and merchandise.  VHT Studios provides experienced architectural photographers to photograph all types of businesses, from boutiques and delis to doctors’ offices, gyms and funeral homes.

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Rosemont-based VHT Studios, a leader in architectural photography and digital marketing, recently was selected by Google as a Trusted Agency for its fast-growing Business Photos program.  

One of the first Naperville businesses photographed for Google by VHT Studios is Naperville Running Company, 34 W. Jefferson Ave.

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“It’s very exciting to participate in this program,” said Kris Hartner, the shop’s owner.  “With Google Business Photos, online visitors can walk around, explore, and interact with our shop like never before. VHT Studios made it easy for us to provide an online virtual tour so customers can ‘see inside’ our store on Google and visually experience what we have to offer. Then they can’t wait to visit our shop in person.”  

See Inside Photography works much like Google Street View on Google Maps by enabling consumers to virtually step inside business establishments with panoramic images which they can navigate with the click of a mouse. The photographs are seen on Google search results, Google Maps and Google+ Local listings.  Once completed, the photographs and virtual tours remain the property of business owners and can be embedded on their own websites or used in social media.

Search engines such as Google have become critical in marketing retail businesses.  Of the 10 billion monthly searches on popular search engines, 20 percent are aimed at finding local business listings or other local information, according to the Local Search Association.

”Consumers are less likely to visit a business they don’t know much about. Offering a quick and simple way to let them see inside allows them to see what they’re missing,” said Brian Balduf, VHT’s CEO.

“Consumers used to rely on phone books and newspapers to find local businesses. But now they’re using search engines, online maps and cell phones to find local products and services,” Balduf said.  “Our new panoramic tours help businesses stand out from their competitors in search results.  They entice consumers to stop in.”

Balduf offered three tips for local business owners who want to boost their visibility on Google search results:

· Be sure to claim your Google+ Local business listing.  Your business already has a listing page on Google and it’s free, you just need to verify it.  You can update your listing with more information about your business, such as a description of your products or services, your phone number, hours of operation, etc.

·Enhance your listing with professional photographs.  Once you’ve verified your listing page on Google, you can visually showcase everything you have to offer by adding a virtual tour of your business. Adding Google Business Photographs that let will help your business stand out among the competition and become more prominent in search results.

·Ask customers for reviews.  Reviews also help improve your Google rankings and attract more customers to your business.  You can keep updating your listing by adding coupons and even real-time updates like weekly specials to your Google Plus page. 

“Taking these steps will help new customers find you on Google, show them what your business has to offer, and encourage them to visit,” said Balduf. 

To learn more, go to www.SeeInsidePhotography.com.  To set up an appointment, call VHT Studios at (877) 471-3760.

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About VHT Studios

VHT Studios is the most trusted name in photography and digital marketing for homes and businesses.  VHT Studios provides the nation’s largest network of professional photographers, along with image optimization specialists and state-of-the-art technology for producing the finest visual imagery. VHT Studios has photographed more than $200 billion worth of real estate and processed over 10 million images for the real estate, hospitality, retail and health care industries. 

VHT Studio’s team has decades of experience in marketing, technology, search engine optimization and professional production, management and distribution of visual assets – including photographs, video, multimedia tours and Video on Demand television spots for over 3,500 clients companies.  Venture-backed VHT, Inc.is based in Rosemont, IL.  For more information about VHT Studios, visit www.vht.com.

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