Modern technology has made it much easier for retail businesses to get information about locations, points of interest and even customer demographics. In today’s age, it is possible to use geomapping and sophisticated location mapping software to get deep insights and make data-based decisions.
Many business owners aren’t familiar with this technology and are missing out on the benefits it offers. In this post, we look at some of the most helpful facts about location analytics software so you can get started with it.
- What is Location Mapping Software?
A location mapping software provides geospatial demographic information. It collects data from many different government and private sources to provide a detailed map of demographics. In most of the software, the data is presented in an easy-to-read manner. You can get a gist of the data just by looking at the map, which is why this form of presentation is so useful in business decision making. A few products have the ability to build customized data sets as per your business needs.
- Can Help You Visualise Data Easily
Consider what would you find more appealing; a long series of numbers in complicated tables or a visual representation of that information? Location mapping services present all the data in form of thematic maps. This means that every parameter is represented with a colour or a pattern. The data can be presented in the form of heat maps, dots, strings, and other such options. Every type of map has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, the heat map can easily show the spread of demographics but it isn’t as accurate as a map with dots. Fortunately, GIS mapping software products provide different map options so you can choose what appeals to your interests.
- Fast and Easy-to-use
Different GIS platforms are designed differently. Some have a steeper learning curve than others. But good part is there are location intelligence platforms available today which do not require any GIS background and can be used with even one hour of training. You might need such sophisticated and easy-to-use platform for your business decisions. If you want to understand the local demographics or find a new profitable retail location, this platform will be relatively easy-to-use. Practice makes perfect when it comes to software programs like GIS. The more you use it, the more comfortable you will be with it.
- For Any Industry or Location
Some of the best mapping software programs are designed to handle different kinds of data sets. You can use them in different industries like hospitality, food, and catering, fashion, travel, medical and healthcare, education, and so many more. It is also possible to use the platform in different countries like Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, India, and the Middle East. Any location which has enough data available can support the use of GIS mapping platforms.
- Data, Map and Analytics
There are three aspects of the entire location mapping process. The first aspect is data, which is all the information you need to understand. The second aspect is the map, where all the data is presented in visual form. The final aspect is analytics, which includes studying the information on the map and drawing the right conclusions from it.
If you want to know more about this software, you should get in touch with a business who has been using GIS platforms or a company which offers mapping as a service.
You can also look at review websites like these, where they have reviewed and compared different location intelligence products. Reading the reviews will help you understand the functionality better and make the right decision.