Map Business Online is gaining quite a following among business mapping software users. The combination of affordable price point with an outstanding feature set seems to be a winner. Who knew?
There are a lot of hidden gem sub-features in MapBusinessOnline that users might not realize exist upon first glance. These come up here and there as I speak with customers and I thought it worthwhile to share them as a list.
Did you know that when using Map Business Online you can:
• Use the Print Screen button on your keyboard and quickly paste your map view into a PowerPoint slide?
• Build sales territories by selecting first one zip code or county and then, simply hold down the Shift key as you pick the rest? Save when done. Name it something clever.
• Use the Filter Button in the Data Window to search for a consecutive numeric range of zip codes and then create a sales territory based on that zip code range?
• Import a list of sales territories with preassigned territory names using the Create Territories button?
• Allow sales territories to overlap and highlight the overlap using the Territory Options in Map and Data?
• Use the City Limits map layer as a tool to better define town and city names?
• Edit imported data record fields within Map Business Online? Hover over the left hand column in the Data Window and choose your editing option.
• Identify and correct incorrectly geocoded addresses? See colored dots in the left hand column of the Data Window. Hover over a Red X to fix the location of a bad record.
• Rearrange Data layers by selecting and dragging layers up and down in the Map & Data Tab?
• Rearrange route stop order by dragging stops up and down in the Route Window?
• Use multiple radius tool buttons to create zip code maps, lists of your business data, and to generate territories?
• Create a list of favorite route stops? Great for easy access to home locations or repeat hotel locations.
• Add Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico to your map image using the Save Map Image tool?
• View just one sales territory using the Filter Data on Map check box in the Data Window?
• Add data value totals to labels, callouts, and territory names by editing the associated Map Layer labels in the Map and Data Tab?
• Add calculated columns to your data by editing the associated imported data layer in the Map & Data Tab?
• Use your mouse roller to scroll or resize the map view in and out?
• Retrieve a lost Map Legend in the Map and Data Tab’s, Edit Map Properties dialog?
• Edit what states are included in your map view? In Map and Data click the top right filter button.
• View satellite imagery by choosing the satellite imagery template in Map and Data?
• Turn off the Streets layer for a less busy map?
• Request a new feature by sending us an email? We track of the number of requests and consider popular requests for the feature list.
We all use business mapping software to support our own particular business requirements. It could be an advanced workflow that is critical to the business, like sales commission calculation. It could also be a basic address data import just to visualize all the ZIP codes impacted by your business. Pretty simple. Either way, building and sharing a geographic business visualization or territory is very important for your business.
But it’s important to remember the additional functionalities available in Map Business Online, just in case your soon to be father-in-law is overheard struggling with a location-based business issue over the weekend, that you can help solve; thus, improving your standing with the old codger and winning you a seat at the adult table this Thanksgiving. (Wait. Did I say that out loud?)
It’s easy to forget that Map Business Online holds many benefits outside of the most commonly accessed features we’ve all come to know and love. Standard features like advanced territory management, demographic data layers, optimized routing, extensive drawing tools, data filtering capabilities, symbol assignment and color shading, are all features we remember. But there are always more capabilities we may forget or not be aware of in map Business Online.
Ok, so my own personal dysfunction aside, let’s remind ourselves of additional Map Business Online functionality.
- Education Data & Geographies – Map Business Online includes a variety of education related information including school district geographies and public datasets of public and private schools. This means education analysis, which might make use of Map Business Online demographic data, is extremely affordable and available through Map Business Online. Great for community planning, and education related studies. Look in premium layers and in Plot Data – public data.
- Satellite and aerial imagery backgrounds are always a background map option accessible from the Map & Data Streets layer. Hover over that layer and click the edit gear to see other background data options. You’ll find that sometimes the aerial imagery’s dark green hue can be a nice change of pace for your background map. Aerial imagery often provides views that could be pertinent to your map – like a power-line swath or houses with swimming pools. Think large objects.
- Map Business Online Market Analysis – Derive distances between the points of imported dataset A and imported dataset B. Using the market Analysis tool (full time subscribers) users can compare two different datasets and append the data with a distance calculation. That distance is a straight line, not a street route distance. Still, as-the-crow-flys distances help retailers define areas of saturation.
- Map Business Online Market Analysis Multiple radii searches (circles around points) can be applied on up to 200 points at once using the Market Analysis tool (first option on the drop down.) Search the data while you’re at it.
- Map Business Online Market Analysis has five analysis functions. I encourage all full-time subscribers with access to Market Analysis to explore its functionality. You’ll find it comes in handy for comparing datasets and appending datasets with demographic data and names.
- Summarize – users can summarize color coding and symbolizing by ZIP code, county or state. This can be a helpful data perspective on a busy sales map or market analysis. Maybe your imported data layers are overwhelming the map, on top of everything else. Summarize them to display fewer points but still carry the requisite data to the viewer. You can also hit the Summarize button when searching a geographic map object (circle, drive time polygon) for fast compilations of searched data layers. Summarize by clicking the sideways M button on your map object toolbar. Export a quick list of the data you pull into your summarization.
- Map Legend – Never forget that Map Business Online’s map legend is editable. Change data layer names, uncheck map layers that are not primary to your map case. Take a close look at the map legend before you share your map. Make sure it supports your business map case. Remember a map legend is sometimes referred to as a KEY and so it is. Make your map legendary by fine tuning your map legend.
- Map Business Online YouTube Videos – Map Business Online help videos are just a click away, either through the help documentation in the product or via a direct link to our YouTube page. Once on our help video webpage, you can look up videos by category. Click the Search Magnifying Glass icon and type in words like territory, import, or route to pull up a list of videos related to that subject. Let us know if you feel there’s a subject we’ve missed.
- Large Format Printing may require some testing on your part. Available through the Print Button you can print up to 60″ x 60″ plots. But that’s a lot of data and calls into play a variety of control mechanisms. Try various zoom levels, use the various print options to determine what works best for your map. Keep your printer on Landscape. And California will be harder than Arkansas because of its orientation. And getting all of Texas’s counties to display will probably kill you. Experiment!
- The Map Business Online Blog – I’m pretty sure you are reading the blog right now, so you don’t need directions. However, the blog does have a lot of helpful information. You can search the blog by keyword. Just insert a word in the search bar at the top left. Key topics include territory mapping, routing, latitude and longitude support, point ZIP codes, importing data, data visualizations, color coding, and many other subjects that might help you improve your use of Map Business Online. Even I use it this way.
MapPoint users – please consider www.MapBusinessOnline.com as a MapPoint alternative.
NEW! Refer a business associate to Map Business Online in exchange for a $20 Amazon Gift Card!
Find out why over 25,000 business users log into www.MapBusinessOnline.com for their business mapping software and advanced sales territory mapping solution.
Contact: Geoffrey Ives geoffives@spatialteq.com or Jason Henderson jhenderson@spatialteq.com (800) 425-9035
MapPoint users please consider www.MapBusinessOnline.com as your MapPoint Replacement.
Please read customer reviews or review us at Capterra, G2Crowd (LinkedIn connected), or at the Salesforce.com AppExchange.
