New tool to build mobi-friendly maps with infowindow (+ tabs), routing and one-touch dialling etc.

[Rob Maclean]

Hello,

[It was suggested on the Fusion Tables forum that I post here to share a tool that might help some on this forum].

We've just built a free web app (http://www.satpacktravel.com/build-your-own-map.html) that enables any business to generate their own Google Map that does all the 'normal' stuff you'd expect but also:

• Is mobi-friendly - optimised quick loading for mobile browsers / screen sizes, infowindows with tabs, one-touch dialling etc.
• Is geo-located - detects / updates users location and provides routing from their location to the business.
• Shows business description, photo, contact details and uses the businesses logo as their map marker. 
• The user can select the initial zoom level, view type etc etc.
• The built map runs Google Adsense maps on it.

We built it using the Maps V3 API but all the submitted data is stored online (and then pulled from) a Fusion Table. One thing that is quite different about our approach to other map making tools is that we generate and provide the entire webpage to be uploaded (or businesses can link to a version on our server). This is because if you just provide code snippets for embedding, this is often dropped in to a page that is not itself mobi-friendly. So the map is too small or doesn't work properly. Our pages are automatically generated and emailed out using content from the Fusion Table but contain complete Maps V3 API pages.

We only beta-launched last week and already 40+ SMEs here in South Africa have built their maps / microsites using it. And that's is with no proactive marketing, just viral. Having a mobi-friendly site here is v. important given more people access web from phone than PC. But because it all sits in cloud / uses Google Maps, Fusion Tables, Adsense etc. it works just as well anywhere in world.

Interestingly, some businesses say they will use it as their mobi-site pending investing a lot of money in a 'proper' one. In fact, given most people on a phone want just a snapshop and to get contact info/directions it makes a lot of sense to base the mobi-site around a map with automatic one-click routing.

Anyway, I hope this tool and its code might be of interest to some people here. Lots more info at www.satpacktravel.com. Please get in touch if have any questions. There's still quite a lot of work to do to optimise, but any suggestions or feedback very welcome.

Thanks.

Rob

[GISMappR]

Thanks for this Rob. This tool is awesome. Can anyone use it?

On Jan 25, 11:35 am, Rob Maclean <robmacl...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> [It was suggested on the Fusion Tables forum that I post here to share a
> tool that might help some on this forum].
>
> We've just built a free web app (http://www.satpacktravel.com/build-your-own-map.html) that enables any
> business to generate their own Google Map that does all the 'normal' stuff
> you'd expect but also:
>

>    - Is mobi-friendly - optimised quick loading for mobile browsers /

>    screen sizes, infowindows with tabs, one-touch dialling etc.

>    - Is geo-located - detects / updates users location and provides routing

>    from their location to the business.

>    - Shows business description, photo, contact details and uses the

>    businesses logo as their map marker.

>    - The user can select the initial zoom level, view type etc etc.
>    - The built map runs Google Adsense maps on it.

>
> We built it using the Maps V3 API but all the submitted data is stored
> online (and then pulled from) a Fusion Table. One thing that is quite
> different about our approach to other map making tools is that we generate

> and provide the *entire* webpage to be uploaded (or businesses can link to

> a version on our server). This is because if you just provide code snippets
> for embedding, this is often dropped in to a page that is not itself
> mobi-friendly. So the map is too small or doesn't work properly. Our pages
> are automatically generated and emailed out using content from the Fusion
> Table but contain complete Maps V3 API pages.
>
> We only beta-launched last week and already 40+ SMEs here in South Africa
> have built their maps / microsites using it. And that's is with no
> proactive marketing, just viral. Having a mobi-friendly site here is v.
> important given more people access web from phone than PC. But because it
> all sits in cloud / uses Google Maps, Fusion Tables, Adsense etc. it works
> just as well anywhere in world.
>
> Interestingly, some businesses say they will use it as their mobi-site
> pending investing a lot of money in a 'proper' one. In fact, given most
> people on a phone want just a snapshop and to get contact info/directions
> it makes a lot of sense to base the mobi-site around a map with automatic
> one-click routing.
>
> Anyway, I hope this tool and its code might be of interest to some people

> here. Lots more info atwww.satpacktravel.com. Please get in touch if have