Today, the developer of the map plugin I use on the BBQ site sent me the soon to be released 2.0 update. I've actually been using a BETA of it for a few months, but this update adds a couple of features.
1) Geolocation is more accurate. I didn't realize at first, but the map originally based your location on the zip code in which you make your search...NOT from where you actually are within that zip code. That is, if I am at my house in Mt. Pleasant, the directions would not be based on the location of my house, but rather Google's interpretation of specifically where 29464 is centered. Well, that's worthless.
Now with GPS-enabled devices, the map will lead you from your current location. MUCH better for the end user. This was a flaw I alerted him to after traveling through N. Augusta trying to use my own map with much frustration.
That said, there is still some tweaking to do, so it is not working correctly for me at this point, but it should be soon.
2) The other feature that will be great (and why I am writing) is that he has added categories for each store. So, you will be able to filter by sauce type, for example. Where are all the SCBBQ joints in my area that serve vinegar-pepper based BBQ? Choose VP from the filter menu and you will only see those who serve VP sauce (even if they serve others as well). That will be nice, but will take me a while to enter all the data, so stay tuned. Before I start that process, I am wondering if there are other things to consider.
So, I am looking for feedback: How else might you like to be able to filter your results?
My wife had a great suggestion: Are they open today?
Understand that the filter menu will be a simple dropdown list. So at this point I would have to have each sauce type and each day of the week in there (Open on Mon.. Open on Tues., etc.). Immediately that makes it about 11-12 items in the list...and you can only choose one at a time.
But if you have other suggestions for ways to filter the results, I am open to suggestion (on that or anything else on the site, frankly).
TIA
1) Geolocation is more accurate. I didn't realize at first, but the map originally based your location on the zip code in which you make your search...NOT from where you actually are within that zip code. That is, if I am at my house in Mt. Pleasant, the directions would not be based on the location of my house, but rather Google's interpretation of specifically where 29464 is centered. Well, that's worthless.
Now with GPS-enabled devices, the map will lead you from your current location. MUCH better for the end user. This was a flaw I alerted him to after traveling through N. Augusta trying to use my own map with much frustration.
That said, there is still some tweaking to do, so it is not working correctly for me at this point, but it should be soon.
2) The other feature that will be great (and why I am writing) is that he has added categories for each store. So, you will be able to filter by sauce type, for example. Where are all the SCBBQ joints in my area that serve vinegar-pepper based BBQ? Choose VP from the filter menu and you will only see those who serve VP sauce (even if they serve others as well). That will be nice, but will take me a while to enter all the data, so stay tuned. Before I start that process, I am wondering if there are other things to consider.
So, I am looking for feedback: How else might you like to be able to filter your results?
My wife had a great suggestion: Are they open today?
Understand that the filter menu will be a simple dropdown list. So at this point I would have to have each sauce type and each day of the week in there (Open on Mon.. Open on Tues., etc.). Immediately that makes it about 11-12 items in the list...and you can only choose one at a time.
But if you have other suggestions for ways to filter the results, I am open to suggestion (on that or anything else on the site, frankly).
TIA
