Build Interactive ZIP Code Maps

ZIP codes are a critical map layer for conducting analysis in business mapping software. Originally created by the U.S. Postal Service to improve mail delivery, ZIP codes have become a meaningful geographic unit used by business to analyze markets, plan marketing campaigns, and define sales territories.

Businesses and non-profit organizations use interactive ZIP code maps for a variety of real life applications:

• Market Analysis and Campaign Planning - Marketing managers use ZIP codes and associated demographic information to define successful markets and replicate these successful markets in untried areas. Because the Census Bureau publishes demographic territories by ZIP codes, these relatively local geographic units have become a standard for market area definition.
• Sales Territory Mapping - Sales organizations use territory maps to define areas of responsibility and track progress against goals. ZIP codes are the most common base map layer applied to sales territory mapping. ZIP codes are a manageable and easily comprehended building block for assignment to a sales person. Often a sales person's territory is related to where they start their day and limited to a certain driving time. Thus, a territory could be just a half dozen ZIP codes.
• Business Expansion Planning - ZIP codes are often applied to expansion planning. Hospital systems or retailers will gauge a new operating area viability based on the number of businesses, potential patient population, and demographic breakdown of the surrounding ZIP codes. It may be a 50-mile spread or a fifteen-minute drive time, but the analysis will focus on ZIP codes.
• Communicating Service Coverage Areas - Businesses communicate their coverage areas through interactive web maps or shared map images. And most often those coverage areas reflect ZIP codes and towns.
• Field Staff Coordination - Field staff management can get expensive and customer focus is critical. Interactive ZIP code maps are used to define accountable areas and define driving time allotments.
• Retail Drive Time Analysis - Smart retailers are always interested in the demographic profile of surrounding ZIP codes. They'll use this information to develop product sales, to segment marketing campaigns and periodical advertising. ZIP code driving times may be important for traffic estimates and delivery promises.

MapBusinessOnline offers a variety of methods for creating and sharing interactive ZIP code maps. So, whether you need advanced, hierarchical sales territory management maps or you just need a simple list of ZIP codes now is the time for you to leverage the power of interactive ZIP code maps for your business.