What is Virtual Tour?
A virtual tour is any digital solution that lets you walk around/explore a location or area without visiting it in person. As for the format of the tour, everyone has a different perception of it, but most stick to the description that virtual tours are presented with lifelike visuals that recreate the physical experience in one way or another.
What are the main advantages of virtual tours?
One of the biggest mistakes that companies in the tourism/hospitality/other industries make in regards to virtual tours is viewing them as an equal or altOne of the biggest mistakes that companies in the real estate/tourism/hospitality/other industries when they design a virtual tour is viewing it as an equal or alternative to a real physical tour. In reality, virtual tours are no replacement for visiting a place in person, but they can still be a valuable resource for any such experience, especially for people who have not made up their minds about visiting in person. Let’s examine some of the key virtual tour benefits:
Freedom of movement
Digital tourists are not constrained by time or physical ability – they can view the locations of a virtual tour at their own pace and get an unprecedented level of detail. For example, they can also “approach” exhibits and objects up close, seeing them with a beautiful level of detail.
Greater learning opportunities
Instead of listening to a tour guide drone on with boring information, digital tourists can instantly choose which information they want to learn and take their sweet time reading or listening. There is no pressure, expectations, or need to absorb everything on the first try.
No crowds or limitations
Most of the time, a virtual tour will be an independent experience, so you can get away from crowds, noise, and pressure, focusing only on what you see. This experience can happen at any time and anywhere, as long as you have access to the necessary hardware and software.
A powerful marketing tour
Taking the time to create a virtual tour is not easy or cheap but is a great way to break ahead of the pack and beat your competitors in presentation value, which is especially efficient for industries like real estate or hospitality. You can give new visitors a good reason to visit your locations in person or conduct their business online, as well as boost your online presence.
Show more than physically possible
Not all virtual tours are modeled after existing physical locations. Thus, you can create an experience (e.g., underwater, in space, in a fantasy world) that users would not be able to get anywhere else, stimulating their senses, imagination, and state of awe.
What are the most common virtual tour features?
As you consider the design and purpose of your app, you will probably devote much thought to the specific features that you offer users. You are welcome to create your own, or choose from some of the time-tested and highly-popular ones listed below:
Rotate and zoom
While some tours are highly curated and only show you items according to a script, others let you explore at your leisure, and zoom in on things that they want to pay special attention to.
Click and learn
Many tours have some way of interacting with the surroundings, at least in the selection of objects, buildings, etc. Thus, when something is selected, information about the object is presented, often in the form of text or an audio description.
Virtual interactions
Sometimes, interactions are more elaborate than text showing up on a user’s screen. For example, they might unlock animations showing some processes, or even handle objects – opening doors, picking up and moving items, etc.
Teleportation
Some tours are designed for gradual movement that mimics walking, while others let you jump around different locations at a moment’s notice. In some cases, users open a map and select the point that they want to be teleported to.
Virtual tour guide
To fully mimic a traditional tour experience, some providers add a digital avatar or AI to the tour, guiding visitors and providing information through audio tracks.
What are the Main Types of Virtual Tours?
360 Virtual Tour
Though a 360-degree virtual tour can be any that allows you to look around from all angles, the traditional definition of this tour is one filmed with a camera. This virtual tour is either created through a sequence of camera shots merged together, or one continuous shot filmed on a 360-degree camera.
Among the benefits of 360 virtual tours are high accessibility and ease of development since they can be deployed on any website and app. Some companies, namely real estate businesses, choose to create a Unity 360 virtual tour since this game engine has multiple plugins and extensions that make development easier.
3D Virtual Tour
As the name suggests, this virtual tour is presented through 3D models. In fact, the whole environment of the tour tends to be modeled in 3D. Such a 3D experience starts when a user opens an application (or it runs automatically), and then they see the 3D location on their screen.
3D tours can be created with beautiful details and a multitude of interactive options. They can be deployed on the web or packaged into apps for mobile, desktop, and other platforms. Amazingly, these tours can even be created for fictional and long-destroyed locations.
Virtual Reality Tour
3D virtual reality tours are the closest you can get to visit a place in person without actually being there. They offer an unprecedented level of immersion, realism, and user control. Essentially, it feels like you are standing in this location and taking in the views.
With a headset and proper software featuring the digital world in 3D, users are transported to the location, where they can look around just by turning their heads, and interact with the environment using the controllers that come with the headset.
Virtual tour design services
You don’t necessarily need to add developers and artists to your staff to create a digital tour since you can easily hire a company that creates these solutions on a regular basis. In many cases, the best virtual tour company will help you save time and money, and focus your company’s operations on other matters.
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