With the increase of more automated, complex, and detailed data-driven processes being implemented into everyday workflows, it’s more important than ever to ensure that your business is taking full advantage of the capabilities that the Google Maps Platform (GMP) offers.

With the second post in our Google Maps Platform series, we will touch upon another area where GMP provides an outstanding performance – through the retail & e-commerce industries.

The Google Maps Platform builds a foundation on 3 main core items: Maps, Routes, & Places:

• Maps helps to bring live, real world information to our users through the utilization of customized maps and a variety of Street View images.
• Routes is exactly what it sounds like – helping users find the most efficient way to get from point A to point B through the use of real-time traffic information and detailed location-based data.
• Places uses location data to help GMP users explore the world and, on a more specific level, find places & businesses through the use of phone numbers, addresses, and other real-time signals

Retail and e-commerce are both fast-moving, constantly changing industries, with new innovations and advancements in technology shifting the limits of what’s possible for both businesses and from the consumer standpoint as well. 

With the rebirth of traditional brick and mortar stores, fueled by digital searches and online services, having an in-depth multi-channel presence has become more important than ever for retailers around the world.

Users are changing how they shop online, with mobile devices providing a quick and easy way to purchase items, by utilizing technologies such as fingerprint scanning and facial recognition. This is creating a massive boost in the percentage of transactions being completed on mobile.

With the increase in the uses of machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities, businesses can better leverage consumer and behavioral data to ensure that they are truly targeting and engaging with the right user base.

Google Maps takes full advantage of the newest technologies and use cases of the Google Cloud Platform to create a seamless user experience:

• GMP helps customers find stores using the store locator feature, read reviews of the store, offer them photos and business hours, and then helps the user navigate to the store.
• GMP provides an Autocomplete feature, reducing the number of customers who abandon their carts during the checkout process – which in turn minimizes the number of returns a business has to handle, and reduces the amount of late shipments due to the wrong address being input.
• With the unique Geolocalization feature, customers can search common queries such as “clothing stores near me” or “restaurants nearby”, and GMP will determine the most convenient nearby stores that suit their need.

All of the information and advances in machine learning, A.I., photo, and voice search has driven the changes and services that GMP offers. With location intelligence becoming more important than ever, it is vital that retail stores use the technology available to its maximum potential.

Through the use of Maps, retail and e-commerce businesses can become more efficient, reducing the amount of data errors, and increasing the overall conversion rate when properly implemented, which in turn reduces the overhead costs of running a successful business.

Be sure to check out our previous posts regarding GMP and its various uses:

Top 5 Areas and Use Cases Where Google Maps Excels

Google Maps Platform Expanded – Area #1: Routing & Logistics

For more information on how you can integrate Google Maps into your company’s processes, feel free to schedule a consultation with our Google Maps team to learn more.