Digital tools – LookInside.ie 3D Immersive Walkthroughs

Users Survey Report (2 of 2)

The 2^nd of our articles detailing the results of our user survey: Perhaps the most important part, what results are our users getting from their tours.

Survey Questions

5. To what extent have you observed change since using the tour?

67% say they observed up to 20% increase in website visitors.

50% say website visitors stay up to 40% longer on their sites.
100% say they saw up to 20% increase in google rankings.
50% say they have seen up to a 30% increase in sales.
50% say they have had up to a 30% increase in user feedback.

The 2 most important stats here are the 40% increase in time that visitors are spending on the websites and the 30% increase in sales.

Time spent on an embedded tour, is time on your web site and google likes this. Visitors like this as they are having an immersive experience and they are more qualified when they visit in person. This ultimately leads to an increase in sales.

We would all like these figures to be larger!! The use of 3D tours can underpin all other marketing investment via embedding existing content like video, audio, pdf brochures, e-commerce links and their multiple (easy) distribution methods.

6. Would you recommend the tour to a similar business?

A whopping 86% of our respondents said they would recommend a 3D tour to a similar business to their own.

3D Virtual tours are here to stay!! At the pace they are growing globally it appears more and more people are agreeing that they offer value.

“Digital engagement has been rapidly increasing with more than 2 billion views of digital twins served from all over the world. The number of Matterport digital twins has more than doubled since May 2020” * *https://matterport.com/news/matterport-accelerates-past-five-million-spaces-under-management.

Finally, we asked:

7. If you were to tell us the best thing about a 3D Walk-Through tour, what would it be?

See below some of the comments from users, need we say more??

“Enables people to have some research and choices made before visiting showroom making sales easier”
“Great marketing”
“The best thing about the tour is the ability to showcase a property to all without having to be there. It’s an excellent tool for us, particularly as we have so many overseas students who can’t view in person”
“Customers favorable reaction to realism”
“Quality has improved”

Users Survey Report (1 of 2)

We have been working with Matterport 3D Virtual Walkthrough tours now for over 2 years. So, in December last we decided to survey our users, you!

We wanted to know how you are using your Matterport 3D Virtual Walk-Through tours and what improvements you have seen in a variety of categories since having the tour carried out.

In this first of 2 articles, we detail and comment on the survey, what it told us and what strategies we can implement to further improve our users’ experiences of their tours.

Survey Questions

Please indicate when your 3D tour was created?

50% of the respondents had the tour less than 6 months, while 50% were between 1-2 years.

How often do you review the performance analytics of your tour?

17% review their analytics weekly while 83% look at them rarely if ever.

In an “Embedded space” (like a client web site) a visit is counted after the user clicks the play button to load the 3D tour. So, each Impression, Visit and Unique Visitors to our clients’ spaces are measured.

We feel it is a missed opportunity for clients not to be aware and monitoring what is happening on their tours. It could provide valuable insights into customer activity. We will be continuing to educate our clients about this as part of our strategy for 2022.

Which of the following digital functions have your utilised with your tour?

83% have embedded on web site

50% have shared on WhatsApp

33% have shared on Social Media Platforms

17% have used as part of their e-Mail signature

0% have linked to Google Street View

0% have used QR code

We would like to see all these figures in the high 80’s to be maximising the use of the tours.

Google Street view Integration is provided by default and not a user-initiated function. It can produce 1000’s of ‘image’ views when a viewer accesses the business via Google Maps or Google My Business search. This provides another great opportunity to promote your business and bring business to your site.

There is an increased use of and familiarity with the QR Code in recently times. With the return to in-person events and exhibitions there is an increased opportunity to utilise the QR Code due to its instant access capability. These can be used on brochures / promotions / backdrops / showcases.

Have you availed or utilised the analytics reporting?

67% indicated that they had not availed of it while 33% said they did not know it was available.

The Analytics Report functionality is an additional reporting tool available from Matterport providing more detailed analytics on tours.

Here the Average Tour Time and Heatmaps can tell you how long the people stay on your tour and where they spend most of their time respectively, allowing clients to target their promotional activity on other areas or maximise the user experience in this area. Either way it provides you with more insights on which to make your marketing and sales decisions.

We will be continuing to educate our clients about this as part of our strategy for 2022.

In our next article we detail the 2^nd half of our survey, we investigate what results our clients are seeing and whether they would recommend a tour to a similar business.

What the numbers say!

In this article we start to explore the Analytics that are available behind the Matterport 3D Virtual tour.

Numbers and data can tell a positive story very quickly and they certainly do so with 3D virtual Walkthrough tours.

Matterport Inc., the leading spatial data company, has passed an incredible milestone of 5 million spaces captured in over 150 countries around the world!!

As a service partner of Matterport we have seen a massive increase in visitors exploring our clients’ spaces also.

In August of 2020 the above figure was 15.9K, so in 15 months there has been phenomenal traffic and “eyes” on our customers’ websites. Our growth and the success for our clients is mirroring the growth seen globally by Matterport.

In an “Embedded space” (like a client web site) a visit is counted AFTER the user clicks the play button to load the 3D tour. So, each of these 207,000 are unique visit to our clients’ spaces.

An example of Matterport Space Statistics is shown below. These are updated on a daily basis with adjustable timelines.

In our next article we will explore the additional Analytics that Matterport users can avail of including:

· Average tour time

· Heat maps

· Google Street View

Lookinside.ie is a service partner of Matterport and utilises their Pro 2 Camera, the gold standard for professional 3D capture.

If you want to know more about the many digital uses of 3D Virtual tours view our previous blog. https://lookinside.proimageblogs.com/digital-flexibility/

*https://matterport.com/news/matterport-accelerates-past-five-million-spaces-under-management.

Digital Functionality

A Matterport 3D virtual walkthrough tour is a powerful digital tool which can be used to promote your hotel, venue, retail space, showroom etc.

Here are some of the digital functions of a Matterport tour you can use.

Share on Messaging: Text & WhatsApp links
Share on social media.
Embed on web site.
Link to Google Street View
Share a QR code
Link to your E-mail signature

Share on messaging

If you are in discussions with a client, you can share your 3D tour with them on WhatsApp or text message. It demonstrates your digital flexibility and can speed up a discussion or sales process by the availability to tour your venue on a handheld device.

Share on social media

A Matterport tour can be shared on your social Media platforms, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook etc. These are posts which get a lot of engagement and used correctly should increase awareness of your venue or retail outlet.

They can be repurposed for different posts also e.g., a shortened Fly-In version can be used in IG reels while a link to a full tour can be posted on LinkedIn.

Embed in Web site

A Matterport 3D tour can be embedded into your web site to allow clients to navigate around your space at their own pace.

This way your clients will spend longer on your web site, increasing your google ranking. It also means your clients are serious about buying when they come to visit your venue or showroom.

Link to Google Street View

Your Matterport can be linked to your Google Street View. Google is the go-to when looking for a business, and listings with photos or tours get more engagement. Embedding a virtual walkthrough of your business in GSV lets customers check out your business and allow their in-person visits can be more targeted.

Share a QR Code

If you are using more traditional off-line forms of marketing e.g., Fliers and brochures, then the 3-D tour can be distributed via a simple QR code. At an exhibition or showcase your clients can scan the code and visit your tour immediately on their device. A QR code can be used on packaging, pull-up banners, labels etc.

Link to your E-mail signature

Your routine sales emails can be a marketing tool by using a link to a Matterport tour on your email signature.

Digital Flexibility

A Matterport 3D tour is a powerful digital tool which can be used to promote your hotel, venue, retail space, showroom etc.

To highlight this, here are 4 of the digital functionalities of a Matterport 3D virtual tour.

Embed in web site.
Share on social media.
Add traditional video.
Share on WhatsApp.

Embed in Web site

A Matterport 3D tour can be embedded into your web site to allow clients to navigate around your space at their own pace.

This way your clients will spend longer on your web site, increasing your google ranking.

It means your clients are much better qualified when they come to you. If you are a wedding venue this will potentially save you time on unproductive 1-2-1 tours.

Share on Social Media

A 3D tour can be shared on your social Media platforms, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook etc. These are posts which get a lot of engagement and used correctly should increase awareness of your venue or retail outlet.

They can be repurposed for different posts also, using a shortened Fly-In version for some posts or a more detailed tour for other posts.

Add traditional Video.

You may already have invested in a traditional video for your venue. There is still a place for these. Matterport can combine a video into the overall “Doll House” and link to these throughout the tour. If there is a specific area you want to promote use the link to the video. So, it complements previous investments rather than outdating it.

Share on WhatsApp.

If you are in discussions with a client, you can share your 3D tour with them on WhatsApp. It demonstrates your digital flexibility and can speed up a discussion or sales process by the availability to tour your venue on a handheld device.

3D Digital Twins: The Retail Advantage

Last year, we were all forced to live a little differently and perhaps one of the biggest impacted areas was retail as companies and people adjusted to living virtually!

This speeded up the move to on-line or digital transformation that had been already underway. Looking to the future of retail, this is only going to develop further and to be competitive, companies are adapting and providing a better digital experience for their customers.

This unlocks extensive opportunities, and the virtual experience will parallel that of an in-person store experience.

A global survey* of consumers and research in several retail sectors revealed that:

Consumers appreciate the convenience afforded by shopping online but miss the feeling of an in-store experience.
The use of technology will be key to creating an omnichannel experience for consumers.

3D digital twins combine the simplicity of eCommerce shopping with the buzz, spontaneity, and excitement of visiting your favourite store.

A 3D tour of Paperchase stores in the UK was viewed over 20,000 times on Instagram, making it their most engaged post ever. A 3D digital store twin is a powerful digital marketing tool! (Ryan Becker, MD Visual Immersion, UK)

While consumers are enthusiastically adapting to this technology for their shopping experience, there are also many business benefits too. (Matterport, Blog: How retailers are adapting digital future)

Improved documentation and stock management.
Consumer Data insights to improve marketing efforts.
Faster remodelling and rebranding retail sites

As a Matterport Service partner Lookinside.ie has created 3D Virtual Walkthrough tours for many Retail clients. See our Portfolio Why not Contact Us for a quotation.