Starting a Virtual Tour/Media Business: Your thoughts?

WGAN Forum Founder & WGAN-TV Podcast Host 31.24K Website Atlanta, Georgia Linked In Facebook Twitter YouTube TikTok Instragram Matterport Service Partner Google Street View Trusted Photographer Zillow Certified Photographer We Get Around Network Member	31.24K DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user	plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 6
	Quote: Originally Posted by @DylanWilcox Hi, I am starting a Virtual Tour/Media business in Wisconsin. I would like to build virtual tours for small business owners to help gain more leads and improve their google rank. My thought is businesses such as wedding/business venues, beauty & spas, nursing home, dental/health care, and local gyms. The idea is to target clients that would be paying for a monthly hosting fee for passive income instead of targeting high luxury real estate. If you've had any success/failures with any of the businesses I have listed please feel free to reach out. Would love to gain some insight from like minded individuals. I have completed a 3D tour of my house with the iPhone XS on Matterport but am looking at purchasing a real 360 camera and choosing a software. Deciding between the Insta360 One X2 / Theta Z1 / or wait for these programs to take full advantage of the iphone 12 Pro with the Lidar. Also deciding between softwares: Matterport / Kuula / Metareal. Open to other software as I have limited experience with 3D stitching. Hi All, Looks like Dylan has a ton of questions. Feel free to chime in. Happy holidays, Dan
	4 years ago	Post 1 • IP flag post

Hello @DylanWilcox I'll be watching your approach with interest. I have also began a company offering virtual tourism but the niche I am focussing is art and collectors. I've began by first gathering content to demonstrate the proposition. As I am an engineer I then intend to develop some custom solutions on top of these exhibitions.

Regarding your choice of software, I started with Matterport just for convenience, I just need to get something up and running asap and Matterport offered me the cross-platform ease I needed. I bought a camera and then started getting some exhibition bookings. I care more to focus first on the business model rather than any technology.

I think the challenge you and I have is demonstrating the value of virtual tours. I'll be very interested to see how you can demonstrate that value regardless of your industry sector.

325	325 Axis360Media private msg quote post Address this user	plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 6
	Great business, and lots of people to learn from as it’s a fairly saturated with providers in most markets. Lots of cameras, which work on multiple platforms furthermore make this an interesting business. Personally my investment would’ve yielded more gain if I had instead bought Bitcoin.
	4 years ago	Post 2 • IP flag post

WGAN Fan CLUB Member 5.73K Website Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Facebook Matterport Service Partner Google Street View Trusted Photographer Zillow Certified Photographer	5.73K lilnitsch private msg quote post Address this user	plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 6
	As for hardware unless specializing in 360 video I’d skip the insta360 the Z1 is definitely the winner in the consumer 360 cameras I cannot speak to selling a monthly fee as I primarily shoot residential properties with a large commercial job here or there & typically on those jobs if they are wanting to keep something like a Matterport tour up and running I set them up with their own account I have done a couple larger Matterport to street view jobs of which was just billed at my daily rate. Then the Matterport model was killed
	4 years ago	Post 3 • IP flag post

19	19 DylanWilcox private msg quote post Address this user	plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 3
	Thanks Dan for starting the thread. Hi everyone, I think it would help if people got to know a little about my background. I have a digital marketing degree with Google Ad Words Certifications and working on my Facebook Ad certification. I have not done any photography for work, only for my own pleasure (drones and video editing of my hobbies. I have connections with a lot of small business owners in the area and have spoken to a couple friends in real estate who would be interested in virtual tours. I'd like to target small businesses/operations and vacation rentals on Airbnb and Vrbo to get monthly hosing income. Like Dan said, I have tons of questions. 1. Camera... Insta360 One X2 / Theta Z1 / iPhone 12 with Lidar 2. Software... Matterport / MetaReal/ Kuula 3. What market niche works best for you? Thank you in advance, Dylan
	4 years ago	Post 4 • IP flag post

WGAN Fan CLUB Member 5.73K Website Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Facebook Matterport Service Partner Google Street View Trusted Photographer Zillow Certified Photographer	5.73K lilnitsch private msg quote post Address this user	plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 3
	@DylanWilcox As for vacation rentals ~ make sure you have a firm grasp on what external links/tours are supported ~ I’ve heard the Matterport integration is pretty wonky A lot of folks have been selling their vacation rentals in my area just because the market is hot & these types of rentals had a dip in business due to travel restrictions related to COVID
	4 years ago	Post 5 • IP flag post

19	19 DylanWilcox private msg quote post Address this user	plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 3
	@lilnitsch Vacation Rentals - Agreed COVID has created a dip in travel and rentals. Also agree that the market is hot and people are selling but I also know people who are holding and have seen more competition since fewer are searching. I can see virtual tours being a hot selling point that give the viewers a candid look into the house. Are there stairs? How far away will the bedrooms be apart from each other? Is it a open floorplan? Also, I am more optimistic than others but I think 2021 will be different in a better way than 2020. Cameras - Are you talking about the original Insta 360 One X or the X2? vs the Theta Z1. Software - do you use Matterport for your residential properties? If not, what software?
	4 years ago	Post 6 • IP flag post

74	74 wishing_well private msg quote post Address this user	plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 6
	Hello @DylanWilcox I'll be watching your approach with interest. I have also began a company offering virtual tourism but the niche I am focussing is art and collectors. I've began by first gathering content to demonstrate the proposition. As I am an engineer I then intend to develop some custom solutions on top of these exhibitions. Regarding your choice of software, I started with Matterport just for convenience, I just need to get something up and running asap and Matterport offered me the cross-platform ease I needed. I bought a camera and then started getting some exhibition bookings. I care more to focus first on the business model rather than any technology. I think the challenge you and I have is demonstrating the value of virtual tours. I'll be very interested to see how you can demonstrate that value regardless of your industry sector.
	4 years ago	Post 8 • IP flag post

Starting a Virtual Tour/Media Business: Your thoughts?13679