Monthly Archives: October 2018

Worldwide metals sector report

Of particular interest to many Sheffield companies in the steel and metals sector are the recent protectionist moves and volatility worldwide as the trade-war looms. According to recent research, the worldwide metals industry, valued at 2,700 billion USD, is currently a high risk for investors and enterprise following lack of credibility in management of overcapacity (steel), commodity price volatility, and exposure to environmental and sustainability issues. Notable events in sub-sectors include Iron ore price rises late 2017 and early 2018 on the back of demand switch, but Chinese port inventories stand at record highs, global overcapacity but the high level of import taxes protects some specific markets such as US and Canada, and the non-ferrous sector has returned to earnings growth on the back of strong price recovery. The LME Index has risen 17% in 2017.

The key players in the metal markets are China as the world number one producer and the world number 2 consumer, and Germany as the number 2 producer, the number 2 exporter, and the number 1 importer. The market is capital intense, low profit, and fragmented leading capital investors to err on the side of caution.

Strengths include the recovery of the European automotive sector, successful restructuring in the US, and strengthened cash flow generation in the mining sector. Weaknesses continue to be lack of credibility in management of steel overcapacity, commodity price volatility, and exposure to environmental and sustainability issues.

Within the sectors relating to metals other than steel, prices have increased due to strong demand – in particular, copper, nickel, lithium and cobalt (Especially those particularly used in batteries and electronics). Restraint on supply expansion is likely to lead to a continuation of demand growth exceeding incremental supply. Companies like MetaConcept (bismuth ingots suppliers and suppliers of soldering sticks) continuing to do well.

Contrary to popular belief, the precious metals, gold and silver, are not traded on the London Metal Exchange, but on the over-the-counter market usually referred to as the London Bullion Market, by the members of the London Bullion Market Association. Platinum and palladium are traded on the London Platinum and Palladium Market. Both members of the LBMA and LPPM trade the precious metals spot market on. Many companies involved in minor metals are members of the Minor Metal Trade Association. The LME used to provide trade matching and clearing services to the London bullion market and distributes gold, silver, and gold IRS forward rates on behalf of the LBMA.

Get a Great Virtual Tour with These Questions

Virtual tours are becoming increasingly sought after as effective marketing material. With the realization of their online value for potential customers, many businesses are now investing in virtual tours. With the sudden growth comes misunderstandings and uncertainties about what you can expect from a virtual tour company. As an experienced and highly regarded virtual tour company operating in the Sheffield, Derbyshire and Peak District areas we wanted to help customers get the most from their virtual tours, so below are 4 questions to ask your virtual tour company before hiring.

1) What equipment will you use for the virtual tour?

It’s important to ensure the company you choose is experienced, there are a lot of amateurs jumping into the business and if you don’t use the right equipment you won’t get the high definition that is needed for a virtual tour. Ideally, a DSLR camera should be used in order to get the image quality that’s necessary. A gimmicky camera will not produce the same level of quality and will not impress your potential clients so make sure the virtual tour company is using high quality and professional equipment.

2) Can I see some of your previous virtual tours?

Find out how many virtual tours the company has done before and take a look at their previous work. You can often find some examples of the companies work on their website so it is definitely worth taking a look. You can get an idea of how experienced the company is and by reviewing some of their work you can know the standard of the tours they offer. Pay attention to detail as if you were reviewing your own business’s virtual tour.

Not sure what to look for in their tour examples? Below are some top tips:

  • Lighting is very important for photos and this remains true for virtual tours. The lighting needs to be right otherwise you miss important details or your eye is drawn elsewhere.
  • Transition between rooms. You want the transitions to be smooth, it shouldn’t be clunky or feel unnatural.
  • Are your eyes being drawn to the right features?
  • Unwanted features. Are there features in the tour that take away from the experience? e.g. bins, faces, personal information etc.

3) What rooms will be photographed?

It is important to ask this so you can be clear on what will be included in the tour. This is an important question as sometimes photographers pick and choose which rooms to include, this can be for good reason and produce an effective end product but if the photographer isn’t experienced it could just be them trying to simplify the project.

4) Should the business be empty for the tour?

The virtual tour company will be able to offer suggestions on whether staff or clients should be around for the virtual tour. More often than not, the virtual tour is more effective when there are no people so the focus can be on what your business has to offer customers.  There can be occasions where there are benefits to having people around so it’s definitely something to discuss with the photographer. If you’re looking for a virtual tour Sheffield, Derbyshire or Peak District then 360 Virtual View will be able to help. Experience is key to producing seamless virtual tours, if you’d like to see our previous work, get in touch by calling 0114 383 0711 or via https://360virtualview.co.uk
Sheffield virtual tour

Businesses stand out with virtual tours

With so much marketing and promotion now happening online, businesses are looking for new ways to catch customers eyes and stand out from the competition. This is where the innovative virtual tour comes in, by bringing the best aspects of your business to the spotlight you can grab customers attention and increase sales with ease. Read on to discover what a virtual tour 360 actually is and the benefits for your business. If you are in need of a virtual tour company and you are based around the Sheffield, Derbyshire and Peak District areas contact, 360 Virtual View for more information today.

Taking a closer look

A virtual tour is basically a simulation of a location created using photography, 360 panoramas with the photographs carefully stitched together and narration, sound effects or text added in. This allows potential customers to see and experience your location before actually going there, giving them a sense of the location. The customer can explore the location as they’d like by clicking or dragging on the screen. This interactive take can benefit a range of locations from restaurants and hotels to estate agents to theatres. Hospitals have even used them to make kids feel less nervous about visiting the children’s ward. The goal of an interactive tour is to create a realistic representation of the establishment to truly immerse the customer in the experience.

Benefits of getting a virtual tour

Increase Exposure

An interactive tour catches people’s attention, it generates interest and impresses potential customers. The virtual tour will bring more traffic to your website and your establishment will appear on Google Street View.

Packed full of visual information

A photograph simply does not do your business justice; a 3D tour immerses the viewer and allows them to appreciate what you have to offer.

Around the clock “open house”

Once your virtual tour has been created it will go online and can work its magic whenever someone goes on your website. It is a revolutionary marketing tool that is available for your potential customers 24/7.

Cost effective

By having this feature you are likely to increase sales as the more information you offer, the more confident the customer will be in your product. A virtual tour 360 is a cost-effective way to increase traffic to your website, increase sales and help grow your business.

Interactive and engaging

A potential customer will spend more time on your website if you offer a virtual tour. It separates your business from the competition and brings a unique interaction between your business and your customer.

Why use a virtual tour company?

On first glance, you may think you’ll be able to create your own virtual reality tour without going through a company but this is a very difficult thing to achieve. A virtual tour 360 requires professional photography, editing and mapping in order to work effectively. A virtual tour company will often use specialist cameras and software to create the finished tours you see. In fact, if you work with Sheffield virtual tour provider, 360 Virtual View, your tours will be made with 4K photography meaning they will be of the highest quality.

Get in touch with 360 Virtual View today on 0114 383 0711 or via the website www.360virtualview.co.uk to get started with your virtual tour