Frequently Asked Questions
When will Google update Street View in my area?
Google is constantly updating Street View as new roads, businesses and infrastructure are being added every day. It’s pretty apparent that the more densely populated city areas are captured a lot more frequently than some suburbs or rural areas, but there’s no official schedule released as to when Google will update the Street View in your area.
What is the schedule of the Street View car?
Google operates on their own schedule and doesn’t really fill anyone in as to what their plans are. Although they do post certain states and counties they’ll be in during certain months, there’s no telling which day and what time they are going to drive by and capture Street View.
Thanks to Street View on Demand, this is no longer a problem for people who want to have a say in what their business looks like on Google. Clients get to choose the date of capture and can have their property prepared accordingly. No surprises here.
Is Google Street View the only service of its kind?
Google has certainly dominated the market when it comes to Street View, being that they were one of the first to come out with anyone like it back in 2007. Microsoft Bing Maps was launched shortly thereafter in 2009 and a couple of other services have made an attempt to replicate the technology, but none are as robust and widespread as Google Street View.
Why can't some streets be seen on Street View?
Google doesn't really publicize their reasoning behind leaving all the gaps when it comes to Street View. Some have theorized it has to do with construction, lane closures, and things of the like, but that doesn't seem to be the only factor involved. When looking at a map, it's easy to see at a quick glance which roads have been left off, because they won't have any blue lines over them.
Thanks to Street View on Demand, you no longer have to wait and wonder when your road might be added to Street View, since you can request that we drive it anytime you like.
How much does Google Street View cost?
Street View captured by Google is available to the public for free. However, Google does not take requests for new Street View from the public. Google also doesn't publicize when they are going to drive certain roads, so you won't know when to prepare your business exterior to look it's best, it'll simply be up to chance.
One of the great things about Street View on Demand is that you can choose the time of capture, knowing exactly when your property will be driven. This allows you to stage your property so that everything looks the way you want it before it's enshrined on Google forever.
Why should I pay for Street View on Demand when Google Street View is captured for free?
Google will only capture public roads with their Street View cars, so if your roads are on private land then Google will never come drive Street View in your location as it is against their policy. Google also doesn’t drive every single public road either, and they don’t give us any insights as to why they choose some roads over others. So ultimately, if you’re hoping that Google will one day drive your public road, that day may never come. It could also be tomorrow, we simply don’t know.
Street View on Demand offers complete control of what your Street View will look like whereas the Street View captured by Google will be completely determined by their own capture schedule.
Why does Google allow third parties to post on their platform?
Google wants the most up to date information as possible on their search engine, because it helps people who use their program have a better experience. Although they’re a fairly large company, they can only do so much in terms of data gathering, and so they rely on crowd-sourcing to keep their search engine well-informed.
In terms of Street View specifically, it was only just recently that Google started allowing third parties to capture Street View and post it to Google Maps under their own unique branding. In order to be eligible to capture Street View, you must meet some of Google’s required guidelines, like having a camera that meets necessary specifications for capturing detailed quality imagery.
Are there any recurring fees involved when I buy Street View on Demand?
No, you are only charged a one-time collection fee for your custom Street View. Once it’s up on Google, it’s there for good and you can access it there for free anytime you like. This is a huge benefit as the cost that goes into hosting your virtual tour on Google's servers is significant.
Will Street View on Demand quality be as good as Google Street View?
Yes, our cameras meet Google’s specification requirements for posting new Street View imagery to Google Maps, so you can be assured that everything we collect will meet their standards.
What is the final deliverable when I buy Street View on Demand?
After Street View imagery is captured it typically takes about 2 weeks to go live on Google Maps. At that point it's up to you to utilize your virtual tour in every way imaginable. Check out some of the samples we developed when it comes to linking your virtual tour in emails and social media posts.
Are there any recurring fees involved when I buy Street View on Demand?
As far as we know, forever!
