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All politics is local Attract customers to your front door with data-rich mapping

Posted by tom klein July 11, 2007 at 2:30 am

We get it - mapping has been conquered by Mapquest (AOL), Google, and Yahoo!. What is an online map anyway? So many people are stuck with the notion that it’s an electronic version of a flat, lifeless piece of paper. Locations are plain points. Au contraire, mon frere.

Use Mapquest’s gift of access to their platform to entice your customers with a map that’s alive and percolating with data and intelligence. Maybe you would like to help your customers find a nearby golf course or perhaps identify a campground that allows you to take your dog along in your big rig. If your customers start with a map to find you, now you have an opportunity to stand out.

If you’ve already made an investment in search marketing, consider this the graduate school class - helping your customers find your physical location by enriching the mapping experience. How else are you going to convince them to go that extra mile?

Currently only MapQuest Business Solutions (MBS) customers have access to the beta version (pre-release) of this API. If you’re not an MBS customer, Google offers a free beta version of their Javascript API with some similar traits, but does not yet allow you to integrate the fancier Flash animations, graphics, or videos that will delight your target audience.

When you’re developing content that will be delivered in a map, put yourself in the same vehicle as your customer. Think about how you can add value to the entire experience. It may be something as simple as reminding a service customer at a car dealer that they can wait for their car at the wi-fi equipped Starbucks down the road.

The Mapquest advantage Google vs. Yahoo maps

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