Build a Google Maps Store Locator Without Code
Store locators have been a staple of the Internet almost since its inception, but they’re still difficult to build yourself. Set that programming lesson aside and see a quick way to create a locator for multiple locations of a store front, business, office (or anything for that matter) for your website. At BatchGeo, we’ve updated our store locator creator to provide an even easier way for your visitors to find the locations they seek.
If you try to create something like this map yourself, you’ll spend a lot of time reading tutorials and learning to write code for the Google Maps API. Instead, we let you copy and paste a list of addresses and we do the rest.
Enable Store Locator Mode on Your Map
Use our store locator tool to create a map with all the features you’d want in a Google Map. The tool will quickly geocode every address, turning each into coordinates to plot on a map. Then we create marker icons for every location. You can include the name for every store and any other data (such as the telephone number, hours, and more) in your spreadsheet. When you click a location, you can see the additional information about each place.
You can tune your map with various options, but here is the fastest way to create a store location map:
- Copy and paste your addresses into the map data tool
- Click “Map Now” to begin geocoding
- Click “Save & Continue”
- Select the “Store Locator” option and click “Save Map”
Now you’ll have a map that shows all your store locations visually, as well as in a browsable list to the left of the map. Your visitors can click on a map marker icon or any name in the list to open a box with additional data. Or, they can use the search at the top to find their nearest location.
Embed Your Store Locator on Your Website
Your store locator map takes minutes to create versus hours or weeks if you wrote the code yourself. You can send visitors to its unique web URL to quickly find nearby locations. Even better, make the map part of your website by embedding it like we did at the top of this page.
Again, it’s as easy as copy and paste. You’ll just need to locate the Embed Code while editing your map:
- Find the email we sent with your link to edit your map
- Click on the embed code field and copy the contents
- Paste the embed code into your website HTML or content management system
The embed code will look something like this:
<p><iframe src="https://batchgeo.com/map/tesla-dealers" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="550" style="border:1px solid #aaa;"></iframe></p><p><small>View <a href="https://batchgeo.com/map/tesla-dealers">Tesla Dealerships and Galleries</a> in a full screen map</small></p>
When this code is embedded in your website, you will have a fully functional, interactive store locator map.
Use a Store Locator in Data View Mode
While the store locator allows users to browse locations by name, as well as on the map, you may prefer to only provide a visual representation. To remove the list from the left side of your store locator, you can switch the map to Data View mode. Even better, your map will remain functional as a store locator. Your visitors can click the marker icons and search for locations.
Use these steps to create a store location map without the list:
- Copy and paste your addresses into the map data tool
- Click “Map Now” to begin geocoding
- Click “Save & Continue”
- Select the “Data View” option and click “Save Map”
If you’ve previously created your map in Store Locator mode, you can simply switch its mode. Edit your map (look in your email for the special link) and toggle between Store Locator mode and Data View mode.
Add a Search Box Outside Your Map
While every store locator map made with BatchGeo comes with its own search functionality, you may prefer to include a search box elsewhere on your site. Similar to embedding your map, we provide the HTML needed to create a search form that will open directly in your map.
You’ll just need to locate the Locator Code while editing your map:
- Find the email we sent with your link to edit your map
- Click on the locator code field and copy the contents
- Paste the embed code into your website HTML or content management system
The form code will look something like this:
<form action="https://batchgeo.com/map/"><input type="hidden" name="i" value="tesla-dealers"><label>Search for nearest location <input type="text" name="q" value=""></label><input type="submit" value="Search"></form>
When your visitor submits this form, it will open in your store locator with the search pre-populated.
Create a Map of Your Retailers, Sellers, and Other Locations
Store locators are a great way to share all kinds of locations. Even if you don’t operate a chain of stores yourself, you may have retailers who carry your merchandise. You can create a map of retailers and sellers and enable Store Locator mode to make it easily searchable.
BatchGeo will map any list of locations. Create a map today!