Using the Google Maps Api

A good example of using the Google Maps API to enhance a site's usability can be seen in work we did for our sister company in Australia.

Two sites selling Car Servicing Certificates were built. The certificates entitle people to free labour for their car servicing at a number of different garages across several states.

We initially used a standard Google Map to add to the site showing the garage locations.

As the number of garages signing up to the sites grew we decided to add more interaction to the map with some custom development.

We added individual markers for each of the major garages, Bridgestone, Goodyear and Midas, with a general marker added for other independent garages.

Each marker is clickable, popping up an information window with the garage address and a loink to follow for exact details of the offer and a link to purchase the certificate.

We also decided to list the garages outside of the map, making each location in this list clickable also. On clicking a list link the map is then panned to the correct location, with the information pop-up automatically opened.

The user experience is significantly enhanced with the decision process made easier.

The code is backwards compatible so you can navigate to a separate page with the individual garage offer detailed, should you not have javaScript enabled.

For most people a Google Map is free to use on your site, if your site's content is openly free to the public. You simply need to generate a map key for your domain name with the Google Maps site.

We can help set everything up you need, and there are many more possibilites for working with the Google Maps Api, so why not get in touch and see how it could help your site.

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