Web Watch - June 08

Hot: Google maps

The geocode data may not be as good as Streetdirectory yet, but maps.google.com comes with a superior user interface you'd expect from a Google made product.

Google Maps features everything a map provider ought to, like streets and driving directions (sometime soon it will have street video). However what differentiates Google Maps from the pack is My Maps.

My Maps allows users to share experiences through text, pictures and video, according to where the event took place. By permitting 'place' to be the point of reference adds context, making the story told more powerful.

Because My Maps allows users to read and record experiences in a more human way, it encourages communities to share experiences. For example the brand Nike used Google Maps to allow its community of runners to share jogging routes. They created what techies call a 'mash-up'.

Examples like these will become more common as marketers begin to understand how they can take advantage of these new types of technology. 

4/5


Not: Can.com.sg

This site ought to have defined the brand. As a new entrant into a competitive market, the brand makes no promises about how it will be different or better than its competitors. Apart from the obvious connotations, it is not clear why 'Can' is called Can.

The site feels like it was built in rush. Its choice of colour and design resembles sites made from an uncustomisable CMS. The search interface provides no clear starting point. Map results would only serve after downloading and installing software - a big deterrent to casual users.

However I think the site missed an opportunity to innovate. Although its maps provide useful details like bus stops numbers on bus routes and unit numbers on blocks, modern map sites allow their users to toggle on and off overlay data, providing a customized preview. This type of function would have provided a distinct advantage compared to streetdirectory and Google Maps.

If you are like me and believe aesthetics count, you probably won't like their maps. Unlike a lot of map sites which employ familiar colours and icons, can.com.sg feels like you are interfacing with a linux reader.

Although Users frequently complain how slow streetdirectory.com loads and also the presence of cluttered advertising, (And try using it on your mobile - impossible) compared to Can, give me back streetdirectory.com anytime. 

2/5

Anthony Coundouris
MD
Firestarter