Following on from the last article on how to add a map into your project, it’s time to take a look at the type of map that you add and how you can best represent your business or organization.

Since I’m going to be using Google  My Maps feature, you will need to have a Google account. We will be discussing how to add specific content for your business, club or family.

Have a hard to find location?

Strip malls? Stripped of any defining features and often possessing numbering schemes that seem to require that you saved that secret decoder ring from your cereal a couple of decades back. Worse yet, you may have no actual address. For example, you may be trying to give your camp group a map to a tail gating party.

Here’s a way to show people on your website where you are. You can add notes, your contact info, your website, and even a photo of your building into this map. Then you can bring it all into your Website Tonight project using the steps shown in the previous article. As an added bonus, your business now shows up in searches based on your geographical area.

Let’s make a map.

Head to maps.google.com and log in, search for the location, and view the type you wish to use. For this purpose, satellite usually works best (though it depends on the area of the country that you are in). Go to the “My Maps” tab.

Start by clicking “Create new map” and then select the tool that best fits your need. I want to make an area showing our location, so I’ll pick the “Draw a Shape” tool and create a box. Once this is done, you can now add further details to the box. When this is done, OK the changes, click “Done” and then copy the map’s html code using “Link to this page”, for placement within your Website Tonight project.

That’s great for those staying in a fixed location. What about the more mobile endeavors? It’s back to Monterey, Ca for a small charity walk.

Creating a route

Organizing a charity walk Fun run or parade? Maybe a motorcycle run? You can create the route on Google Maps and then place these results within Website Tonight.

For this example, I placed a start and end point and then used a line tool to highlight the route. Now your site visitors can see exactly where you are going and you can include hints, suggestions and things to look out for on the way. You can add the same type of links and content as mentioned in the prior example, as well as way points that provide additional information.

These are only two examples, but hopefully you’ve seen a way you can benefit from the use of Google maps into your WST . I’m always interested in seeing what uses you’ve put this, and other third party services, to within WST. Please let us know of any interesting examples.

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