Use Mapping to help customers find you
Want to show customers on your website exactly where you’re located? You can, with a customized map from Yahoo™ or Google™!
Both companies have released the Application Program Interface (API) that allows you to embed their mapping interface on your website. It’s free, and much easier to do than you would expect.
The uses are as endless as your imagination. Maps can show store locations, be used to give specific directions, allow customers worldwide to show where they are, and more. Some companies have used maps to display where their equipment is sold, to draw attention to locations where people using their equipment have won contests – like boating or marathons, there’s even been interactive applications where customers and employees can highlight where the “fish are biting”!
To use, choose which map program is the best fit for your website. Yahoo™ and Google™ now offer all kinds of different display options; standard, satellite, terrain, and International. Google™ now has a feature that may allow visitors to your website to see a photo of the street you are on!
Once you have made you decision, the Yahoo™ API free download instructions are here. Google™ has a very easy to use instruction set here and developer-level instructions here.
Both allow you to enter a specific destination. You can choose multiple destinations and starting points (like the nearest exit on a highway). As with any design element, however, it can be best to start by keeping the interface as simple as possible.
