Putting a Business on the Map
I’ve received an increasing number of emails from small business owners recently. They want to know how to get themselves “on the map” so to speak. They might have a GPS of their own and have tried unsuccessfully to find their business, or it might be a new business and they assume they are not yet listed on the map. So as a business owner, how do you get yourself on the map?
First, it is important to remember that just because you can’t find your business on a GPS device doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t on the map. It just might not be on that GPS. The GPS manufacturers don’t include each and every POI due to storage space and cost limitations. You can read more about this on our Points of Interest page. But, if you want to be sure you’ve got a shot at inclusion you can report your business to the major mapping companies to make sure they have your information.
The appropriate URLs are listed below. You will enter the address of your business, and then the type of change you want to perform is to add a POI. For NAVTEQ, you will want to select the ‘POI is missing’ item under the ‘Point of Interest’ section. For Tele Atlas you will select ‘Point of Interest’ and then ‘Add Point of Interest’.
NAVTEQ:
mapreporter.navteq.com
Tele Atlas:
mapfeedback.teleatlas.com.
InfoUSA:
dbupdate.infousa.com.
If you have lots of businesses or a chain of businesses, you might not find that type of feedback form to be efficient. In that case, both NAVTEQ and Tele Atlas have programs for you to keep all of your locations up-to-date. You can check out NAVTEQ’s Direct Access program and ContentLink program from Tele Atlas.
We would like to include this business on the gps systems. It has been a successful business in Louisville, KY for 10 years now and we recently learned that we are not located on gps systems. Please advise. Thank you.
Kay, the article here on this page describes how to do that.
I live in a tourist destination area. The local Chamber of Commerce is interested in adding POI for the various attractions in this area (parks, pioneer homesteads, historical monuments/sites, cemeteries, etc). If these GPS locations are added to the database, what is the probability they would be available on a vistors GPS device traveling through the area?
Robert, the GPS companies ultimately decide which POIs to include, so you would need to ask them.
Thanks for the prompt feedback! One more question regarding managing a project on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. Are there tools available that allow me to download and review the data that exists in these databases (beside a GPS unit itself). I’m thinking in terms of importing into Excel so I could see what already exists and the extent of what is missing compared to their wish list?
No, the information in those databases is highly protected. (They won’t give away their core products in a manner someone could freely copy them.) So you would need to use the tools on their websites to figure out if the locations already exist in their databases.
Okay, I should have anticipated that answer even before I asked it! I’m getting up to speed as quickly as I can with the current state of the technology. The fundamental question I am trying to answer is whether an entity such as a tourism bureau or chamber of commerce is an appropriate ’single point of management’ for smaller, tourist driven areas. They asked me about getting POI’s added and some old outdated information deleted. It appears my question should be directed to the database companies.
Thanks for your website and your help! It has helped answer many of my questions.
I would also try to set some realistic expectations for the businesses you are adding. From the time you request the additions, to the various companies verifying the data and putting it into production, to the GPS companies purchasing an updated map, to then customers purchasing new devices with those maps or purchasing a map update— that process can take a long time to get to the final result. Not that you shouldn’t try…. just make sure the businesses realize they won’t see their business on the GPS devices of their fends appear overnight.
It appears the map database updates are issued periodically so I understand the consequences if I were to miss the update window.
My fundamental question though is not so much about streets, business, and services which are the primary focus. It is whether secondary POI that a tourism bureau wants to promote would even be listed, or is this simply whistling in the wind?
Using the knowledge I gained reading your website, I have asked this question of Navteq and will see what kind of response I get from them.
I really appreciate the information on this page. I’ve been in business for 3 years and this is the first time I have found information on GPS Points of Interest. Thanks..
Dear GPS Review,
I found you by Google and I’m glad I did. I have contacted all the database people you suggest and will see how it works out. We’ve been in business for 5 1/2 years and didn’t know how to get this accomplished. Thank you for the time you’ve put into this website.
Katrin
Glad I could help!
I want to find out how I can add my business to GPS.