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Not sitting on your laurels!

Not sitting on your laurels!

Hi
There are thousands of successful businesses even in these difficult financial times, there are also many struggling…..

Some businesses have the motto ‘ its always worked as it is in the past’ and some look to the future and how they can make it grow and prosper.

Its the ‘glass half full or half empty’ syndrome I suppose. Some people see these hard times as a chance to make things better, while others prefer to be cautious, sit back and take whatever comes. We have a client who has a background in marketing and as now moved into the holiday property business. His outlook is so positive and he is constantly reviewing his website, changing, adding and renewing – as you would in any business. Its working! He is so successful and growing his business constantly.

Richard does the same with our website, he also constantly researches and improves the service and it is paying great dividends! We are well on the way to our 700th Virtual Tour.

Just my opinion, but we have never had a client yet who said a Virtual Tour has damaged or regressed their business!! So maybe its time some came out of their comfort zone and forged ahead with their business.

Yeeeha – respite at last!!

Yeeeha – respite at last!!

Hi
Well having just completed another 35 Virtual Tours has been hectic to say the least!! So now there are a couple of days respite until Richard starts the next lot – time to get him started on a few DIY jobs around the house – me thinks!

Its great for Richard to be so busy but it does tend to mean that all other jobs at home go onto the backburner. Still, am not complaining work is work LOL.

We have had some great positive feedback from customers lately and it really does put the icing on top of the cupcake so to speak! For people to take the time to email and say how thrilled they are with the work Richard did is just great! It is so encouraging and motivating. He really is getting a reputation for his work and he so deserves it! He has spent hour after hour perfecting what he does and I think the proof of the pudding is in the viewing. His Virtual Tours are excellent quality and so reasonably priced compared to some. I am so proud of him – keep going my love, in the meantime get your tools out for a few jobs I have in mind at home ……….hahaha!

Beautiful Lake District

Beautiful Lake District

Hi
How lucky Richard is that his job now takes him to some of the most beautiful and picturesque parts of Britain. Having travelled around the world in his former employment, he still reckons the UK offers some of the best scenery to be enjoyed.

Today was Gamblesby, on the northern reaches of Cumbria and the Lake District. Gamblesby is a tranquil, picture postcard Lakes village with its village church, community hall and pub! Idyllic.

Mark and Patricia own Church Court Cottages and provide a lovely base for tourists to start their exploration. Mark has worked all around the world and speaks several languages fluently! He has translated his website into Dutch, French, German, Italian and Spanish. He is fully behind the marketing value of Virtual Tours and says he is convinced they have impacted on his business.

Church Court Cottages, Gamblesby

So now we have got Richard out of the Children’s Adventure Playground (though I know he secretly loved it!) its back to reality! :o)

Richards Playtime Experience!

Richards Playtime Experience!

Hi
Well, Richard had a first this month! A children’s indoor adventure playground! Rufty Tuftys is in Ambleside in the Lake District and is a phenomenal place for children to let off steam and energy!

Anyway they decided they would like a 360 Virtual Tour – so off Richard went with camera and tripod.

Well……..if I could have sold tickets to watch – I would have done! I would think that any flies on the wall would have died laughing – but work is work LOL!

Now, for anyone who has ever met or seen Richard he is NOT a racing snake!! (sorry darling!) His belly shows evidence of his enjoying his food :o)

Now picture this cuddlesome 50+ fella going through an adventure playground with camera and tripod, negotiating padded rollers, coming down slides and tackling rope walkways! (Raiders of the Lost Ark?? – I think not!!! hahaha)

Anyway, bless him he pulled off a tremendous job, its bright, colourful, great detail

Rufty Tufty’s Tour

What next!! LOL

Accessibility Benefits

Accessibility Benefits

Hi
One of the benefits of a detailed Virtual Tour must surely be from an Accessibility point of view.
One of the Virtual Tours that Richard undertook was a Bunkhouse in Brechfa, Wales. The owner Gilly was telling him that very often groups such as Scouts had to send along someone to do a Risk Assessment and check that Health and Safety and Accessibility facilities were in order.
So when Richard was doing the photography of the Bunkhouse he took still images of the various Safety notices and Regulations, then inserted them into the Virtual Tour with hotspots, so when someone clicked on a hotspot a still image of the notice could be read by whoever was considering booking.
Other features such as Fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, heat detectors and outside taps were highlighted on the Virtual Tour. (Click here to view)
The importance of Virtual Tours in regards to Accessibility and Health and Safety has maybe not been utilised as much as it could be and I think this is a great way to go. Also for wheelchair users things like floor level entry showers, room layouts and wider doors can be observed.
Far more efficient than still photography, no matter how arty-farty (scuse my French LOL) the production! :o)

360 Virtual Tours in St Brides Bay, Wales

360 Virtual Tours in St Brides Bay, Wales

Hi
Another Holiday property company that Richard is fortunate enough to work with is St Brides Bay Cottages based down in South Pembrokeshire, a beautiful and largely undiscovered part of Wales.
Ceri and John, who own the cottage company, along with their team, are local people and know their area well. There are some lovely properties in fabulous locations just waiting to be visited, and Richard has done Virtual Tours of most of them!
For those not familiar with the area, it has some tranquil little fishing harbours like Solva and the world renowned St Davids, Britain’s smallest city with its stunning Cathedral and Bishops Palace to be explored.
Have a look for yourself at some of the holiday choices they have:
St Brides Bay Cottages
Bye for now

Superb Marketing

Superb Marketing

Hi
Little to do with Virtual Tours I suppose, other than the fact that Virtual Tours are a way of people marketing their properties / venues / services, but I just wanted to give credit to which ever Marketing Team came up with ‘Compare the Meerkat’ .
Richard is a great fan of Aleksandr and follows him on Facebook, even having his voice as his message alert on his phone, but thats by the by LOL
I can imagine the team briefing when someone said ‘We thought a Meerkat might promote the business!’. But whoooo! did it work! LOL
Not many of the TV adverts grab your attention, some are almost nauseous, but everyone knows who Aleksandr and Compare the Meerkat are! So well done who ever had the bal……Confidence to go with it! :o)
Oh for a good idea like that to come my way!!!!!
Simplze!

Do Virtual Tours appeal more to women?

Do Virtual Tours appeal more to women?

Hi
Do Virtual Tours appeal more to women than men? I am not being sexist in anyway, but I think on the whole women ‘buy’ with their eyes more than men. I know as a woman, when I am buying something, say a dress, it has to attract visually first, then I want to feel it, check the cleaning instructions, try it on etc etc…….
so the more I can find out about that product before purchasing the better! A lot of men tend to see something on the rack, say ‘thats ok’ and buy it! (Not ALL men – I know!)
My theory is that in the main when booking a holiday together, after choosing location together, many women will then want to see a range of available accommodation and the more of those properties that you can show them the better! Virtual Tours give people the confidence to see what they are buying, while single images can be ‘selective’ shall we say? LOL. How many bridegrooms have chosen their wedding venue? My bet is they were ‘guided’ to the right decision by their partner.
I always look at Virtual Tours when I come across them, natural and professional curiosity and I am sure many other women do too.
I like a good nosy!! :o)
Oh well – just my opinion…. feel free to disagree

House Sales in hard times?

House Sales in hard times?

Hi
OK OK OK!!
Am going to have a bit of a rant again.
Why do Estate Agents not see the benefits of a good Virtual Tour on their properties for sale?
Some have started to do their own (ahem! quality malfunctions most of the time!) Why do they feel that a poorly presented Virtual Tour is going to do the job? Is that not just paying lip service – and charging customers for poor quality work (oops! did I say that?) Must be that Estate Agents are soooo poorly recompensed for their work (did I say that too??? LOL)
Come on guys – you Estate Agents – at the forefront of property marketing – invest and sell your properties as they should be sold and get some decent Virtual Tours done for your customers.
Richard did a Virtual Tour on our property, which is on the market, and EVERY viewer so far has said they have seen the Virtual Tour and that prompted them to view!
Makes you think!

Is the glass half full??

Is the glass half full??

Hi
As Richard does his sales pitch for 360 Virtual Tours, it never fails to amaze the different slant people have on the current economic climate.

Phone calls and emails to potential clients seem to divide very neatly between the ‘things are not too good at the moment so we will leave things till later’ group to the ‘we need something to give our business a kick – so yes we think a Virtual Tour might help us’ group.

Surely if things are not brilliant with your business, anything that gives it a boost and an edge over competitors has to be an investment? Just a thought ……….

 
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