Many in the industry are looking at mashed up map-based search as constituting a revolution/evolution of the way people search for property online. Thinking if you make your property search, if not your entire site, entirely mapping based you will get the adoration of a thankful consumer and in the process look really really cool. Well I am sorry to put a dampener on all of this, but I don't think works as well as other more established methods of searching for anything online. Before you start thinking I have some deep seated thing against maps or that I was beaten with a map as a child; I have to admit - I really like maps, especially ones that pull once disparate data sources together to make something very useful. I just don't think they are practical as the primary way to search for property online. I believe they can be used to complement a search and listing detail pages, but I just can't see what the hype is about as a primary search tool. But okay, they do look cool.
Why I don't like maps (or, who do you think your consumer is?)
Yes, maps are brilliant! Now we have that out of the way, let's take a look at why they aren't in many situations.
Firstly, most people I know, and many that I have surveyed, have trouble navigating around their own city. Then how are many consumers meant to know where they are looking on a big city map. God help someone who isn't from that town, as is the case with many homebuyers in the Atlanta market. In just about every map-based search that I have seen (and I feel like I have seen most) the level of specificity is just not there. If you want a 3 bed, 2 bath with a fireplace, 2 car garage, finished basement, with master on main you are out of luck or the mechanism for selecting these additional criteria is just not intuitive to most people. I am sure it made sense to the developers at the time...
Enough with the push pins already!
Okay, I get it... I can drill down and get specific about an area and the number of markers will go down. I am sorry but this is a completely inefficient way to search. You have to mouse over or maybe click the marker to get the property detail bubble if it has one and maybe the site is advanced enough to bring it up somewhere else on the page. You only have to look at other industries that are location dependent like travel, not one of the major travel websites gives you a map to plot your starting point and to plot your destination. Maybe they should, you may be thinking. If they did it would be completely inefficient. Instead of going to one box and entering your departure point, which in many cases will have some kind of cool auto-complete function. You would have to hunt and peck for it on a globe. Cool maybe... efficient no. The trend with websites has to continue to aim to provide consumers and users in general with the information that need, in an easily accessible and clearly communicated fashion.
Full Hypocritical Disclosure
As you might already have guessed, although I do not like maps as a primary search mechanism or the foundation of a site - I do have map search on http://www.atlantarealestate.net/. In fact I am expanding the way that mapping is used to complement the user experience as we are undergoing a major overhaul and redesign of the website. 'Cause you know what... some people actually like it.
Your thoughts? Please let me know if you know of good examples of maps used in sites... or of course if you think I am right/wrong/crazy.
Cheers - Scott.
(you always remember your first time - blog post #1)
Comments(2)