Some of you will remember the humble pool services company that uses Google Earth and Street View to build a database.

Well now there’s a way you can use Google Street View to show-off the internal workings of your business.

Called Business View it let’s you use the Google street camera technology to create virtual tours of your business and link these to your website and search results. Just as you crab walk with your fingers and mouse to navigate along a street, now you can do the same through offices and businesses.

Here’s how innovative Brisbane digital agency Orange Digital used it – note the emoji faces and see how many oranges you can spot.

The Orange team enter the spirit of the shoot…

Scott Peers from Orange Digital gives these tips for using the service:

• Feature point for social campaign.
• A reason for people to have a look through your place of business. You can make it fun or interesting in your own way.
• There has been speculation that it may help your business listing be favoured in Google search results. While this is just speculation it is usually the case that if Google make something available for business they like businesses to use it.

• Use a Google authorised photographer – Orange Digital used square-i.co

The special camera gets set up…

Tips for the Photo Shoot

• Be prepared – have everything clean/tidy.
• Brief staff and customers so they know what’s going on during the shoot. All faces need to be covered or they will be blurred – having no people in the photo shoot is also an option. Be careful which doors stay open.

Be prepared…

• (photo shoot) 1-4 hours depending on the size of the business.
• (editing & development) several weeks to prepare images and get approval from Google.

• $500 to $1500 depending on the size of the business. Need to check with an authorised photographer in your area.

You can contact Scott for further advice if you like.

I work from a home office, so not sure it’s appropriate for my business – you don’t really want to see what’s hidden in my closet…