Source: Independent Record, Helena, Mont.迷你倉Jan. 12--Want to twist a friend's arm to visit you in Helena?Or how about checking out running gear at a downtown store, while you sit at your kitchen table sipping your morning espresso?Look no further than your computer keyboard or smartphone.Entrepreneur Tim Lewis of InsideMT will take you on a virtual tour.He offers a new, untapped tool for businesses to promote themselves -- particularly if you want to reach Millennials.So far, he's the only certified Google business photographer in Montana, Lewis said. And in his first year of business, he's created close to 100 tours, including the Original Governor's Mansion and the State Capitol."It's a powerful tool for businesses and a great way to show off beautiful buildings," he said.The tours are easy to share through social media and can be embedded in any website just like a YouTube video, he said.Two local businesses that immediately tapped into virtual tours were Tread Lightly and Taco del Sol.Elsewhere in the state, businesses like hotels, ski resorts, yoga studios and health food stores are on board.Customers can access the virtual tours from either the particular business's homepage or from Google maps street view. Just use the option to step inside.On the Capitol tour, you'll see some stunning panoramic shots -- like the gleaming marble and tile of the Capitol rotunda with dazzling light streaming through the stained glass windows.At Tread Lightly, you'll get a close-up view of the wide array of outdoor gear, nutritional items, books and a lot more packed into the store."It's a way to funnel business to your door," Lewis said of the tours."It's a great marketing tool that has great longevity and that has a great return on investment," he added. Some small businesses got an online presence for less than $1,000, and it's a one-time cost."I really enjoy working with this medium," he said. "And the biggest marketing company in the world -- Google -- is really betting on it.""It's so mobile, so social media friendly. This medium does speak to Millennials. It's like candy to them," he said."When I pull up a virtual tour on a smartphone and hand it to a 20 something ... they act like it's a video game," he said. "This is so cool," is a typical response.The business owners are excited as well.Sarah Slanger, owner of Tread Lightly, is using the virself storageual tour to reach out to more than just the hardcore runners. "We're trying to reach walkers and hikers," she said, and also recreational runners."People love my website," she added. One customer commented, "Ma'am, your store looked a lot bigger online," which she takes as a compliment. It gives her a chance to highlight her interesting inventory, which is quite extensive for a small storefront.What she likes is how customers can zoom in on items of interest."It does personalize your online visit," she said. "You can stroll past what doesn't interest you -- bypass the socks and go to the nutrition wall. It's customized for the person using it. It's pretty neat!"For Shalon Hastings, owner of Taco del Sol and Hub Coffee, it's a way for her to show potential customers how airy and bright and vibrant the Taco del Sol restaurant is.Customers have found her restaurant on the Internet and are talking about it on sites like Yelp, Trip Advisor and UrbanSpoon. These are the same Internet sites she uses when traveling to places like Boulder, Colo., and San Francisco and wants to discover unique local restaurants."It eliminates some of the expensive guesswork" of randomly wandering into a restaurant or coffee shop, she said.Hastings, like a growing number of entrepreneurs, embraces the new technology."I don't think there's anywhere to go but up," she said.It's definitely an untapped tool to reach tourists.Montana experienced a 2 percent increase in tourism last year, she said, quoting a new report out of the University of Montana Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research. And during the third quarter, tourism spending was up 20 percent."If there is any opportunity to bring some of that money to Helena ... I'm doing whatever I can, within reason," she said. "I think the Internet is a very viable way to communicate."The virtual tours are also a great way for Montana and Montana communities to share some of the very special places in the Treasure State, from museums and art centers to places like Lewis and Clark Caverns."I grew up in Montana -- in Colstrip," he said. "I just love this state. Anyway I can explore it and show it off -- I just love it."This is kind of my dream job."Copyright: ___ (c)2014 Independent Record (Helena, Mont.) Visit the Independent Record (Helena, Mont.) at .helenair.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷利倉
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