D.C. residents have a new way to experience their city, now that a competitor to Google StreetView and Microsoft Virtual Earth is on the scene.
EveryScape of Waltham, Mass., launched its virtual view of Washington on Monday. Like many of the mapping programs out there, it has used cameras to take shots along streets so individuals who visit the site can navigate through roadways online.
Recommended Stories
But EveryScape is distinguishing itself from its competitors by also providing interior tours of businesses, explained Chief Executive Officer Jim Schoonmaker.
“Those draw you to D.C. a lot more than just the streets,” he said.
The company makes its money by partnering with firms, who pay a fee to have a Web-based visual tour of their location featured on the site.
To get a basic storefront listing, it cost a business about $180 a year, while the more detailed WebScapes range between $250 and $1,000.
“For us, it gives a really true representation of how close we are to the Capitol and Union Station and the monuments, and that’s huge,” said Thomas Masters, revenue manager for the Washington Court Hotel, which is featured on the site.
Schoonmaker said he expected the service to appeal mostly to restaurants, high-end retail and hotels, but everyone from dentist’s offices to piano stores have signed on. The company now has about eight cities mapped and plans to expand significantly this year.
The company’s emphasis on interiors gives it a distinctive edge when marketing to clients such as hotels and restaurants, according to Michael Boland, senior analyst for The Kelsey Group . But EveryScape may run into challenges marketing services to the small-business market, he said.
“It’s a very fragmented base, and it can be tough to get your arms aroundit,” Boland said, saying the company might have better luck targeting trade associations or networks such as car dealerships. It may also make sense for the firm to license its technology for use on more traffic-heavy Web sites, he said.
