A virtual walk through the organic grocery store “Ekologiczne Delikatesy Smak Natury” in Warsaw’s Wilanów district. I made the 360° walk so that customers can explore the store in Google Maps before they set foot inside. Below I show what you see in such a walk, why a store needs one and how the project works.
What customers see in a virtual walk through a store
The walk leads through the store the way a customer would walk it. You can go through it in the frame below: click the arrows or drag the image. Along the way you pass the checkout area with the illuminated store logo, the meat and deli counters and shelves with pasta and other groceries.
Why a store needs a virtual walk in Google Maps
Customers often check a store on their phone before they go there. They see the address, opening hours and a few photos. A walk adds what photos cannot show: how the store is laid out, what the counters look like, how wide the aisles are and whether this is the place they are looking for. With a store that has a clear profile, such as an organic grocery, customers can judge for themselves whether the interior suits their shopping.
The walk appears next to the business listing in Maps and in Street View, so it needs no separate app and no installation. You can also embed it on your own website, as I did here.
Which places in a store are worth showing
The route should lead where a customer would go on their own. In a grocery store that is usually:
- the entrance and shop window, so customers recognise the place when they arrive,
- the checkout area, where the character and brand of the store show,
- service counters, where customers decide what to buy,
- shelves with the main range, so it is clear what the store really sells.
In Smak Natury the route covers the entrance, the checkout with the logo, the counters and the shelves. I agree the exact route with the owner before the shoot.
How a 360° virtual walk is made
First we agree which parts of the property will be on the route and what matters to the audience. Then I shoot panoramas with a 360° camera and process each one separately from the camera’s source file. Finally I link them into a route and publish it in Google Maps. The number of panoramas depends on the layout of the store, not only on its floor area.
Frequently asked questions about a virtual walk through a store
Does the walk work on a phone?
Yes. The walk opens in Google Maps and in a browser, on a phone and on a computer, with no app to install.
How much does a virtual walk through a store cost?
The price depends on the number of panoramas, the layout of the property and the way it is published. That is why I confirm the route and scope before the shoot and prepare a quote on that basis. The starting point is described in the offer linked by the button below the text.
Can the walk be embedded on the store’s website?
Yes, the frame is the same as in this post. I describe how to do it step by step in the guide to adding a walk to WordPress.
Does it make sense for a small store?
A small store has a short route, so fewer panoramas. I set the scope after we talk about the layout of the premises and what customers should see first.
See also another project: a virtual walk through a beauty salon.
Want to show your store so that customers can see it before their first visit? I make 360° virtual walks for stores, salons and other venues in Warsaw and the surrounding area.
