Enhanced vs Google virtual tours
This is the most common decision our clients face, and the answer is not always the more expensive one. A Google virtual tour and an enhanced tour are built from exactly the same capture. The difference is what gets layered on top of it afterwards.
The short answer
Choose a Google virtual tour
- Your space is small enough to understand at a glance
- The main goal is being found on Google Maps and Search
- You want the lowest one-time cost with no ongoing fees
- Visitors do not need guiding through a route
Choose an enhanced tour
- Your building is large or spread across floors
- You want menus so people can jump to a specific space
- You need booking or enquiry buttons inside the tour
- There is information to surface: menus, prices, capacities
Side by side
Rows where both options are identical are left out, so what you see here is only what actually differs.
| Feature | Google Virtual ToursFrom £525 | ★ Most popularEnhanced Virtual ToursBasic + £495 |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Getting found on Google | Guiding visitors to act |
| One-time cost, no subscription | Included | £60/year hosting |
| Interactive hotspotsInformation points, images, video and links inside the tour | Not included | Up to 30 included |
| Custom menu and guided route | Not included | Included |
| Calls to action inside the tourBook, enquire or buy without leaving the tour | Not included | Included |
| Get started | Find out more | Get started |
They start from the same shoot
Both tours are captured in the same visit, by the same photographer, to the same Google quality standard. Nothing about the imagery changes. What changes is the layer built over it: an enhanced tour adds interactive hotspots, a navigation menu and calls to action, turning a space someone wanders into a route someone is guided along.
That layer costs Basic + £495 on top of the basic tour price, and includes up to 30 hotspots. Beyond that, hotspots are £100 per 10.
When the standard tour is genuinely enough
If your business occupies one main room, an enhanced tour is money you do not need to spend. A café, a barbershop, a single-floor showroom: people understand the space in seconds and there is nowhere to get lost. The standard Google tour puts you on Maps and Search, which is where the return comes from, and it does that for a one-time payment with no subscription attached.
We would rather tell you that up front than sell you a layer your space does not need.
When the enhanced layer pays for itself
Large or complex buildings are where a standalone tour starts to work against you. Without a menu, someone exploring three floors gets frustrated and leaves, which is the opposite of the intended effect. The Roundhouse in Camden is the clearest example we have: an enhanced tour with a menu covering the Main Space, the studios and the bars, running for over six years and averaging more than a minute of engagement per session.
A minute of engagement is roughly the point at which a call to action gets noticed, which is why the enhanced layer carries What's On and Venue Hire buttons inside the experience rather than hoping people find their way back to your website.
Questions people ask
Can I add the enhanced layer later?
Yes. The capture is the same, so an existing Google virtual tour can have the enhanced layer added afterwards without reshooting. It costs the same as commissioning it at the outset.
How much does an enhanced tour cost in total?
The basic tour price plus £495. For a small space that is £525 plus £495; for a medium space, £825 plus £495. Up to 30 hotspots are included.
Does the enhanced tour still appear on Google?
Yes. The underlying Google virtual tour still publishes to Maps, Search and your Business Profile. The enhanced version is what you embed on your own website, where you control the experience.
How many hotspots does a typical space need?
Most businesses use well under the 30 included. A venue might use one per room plus a handful for capacities and booking links; a showroom might use one per product area. We plan them with you before the build.
Still not sure which you need?
Our prices start at £435 and are based on your specific requirements. We endeavour to respond to all form submissions and email enquiries within 15 minutes.
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