MapQuest Blog

The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20110817181456/http://blog.mapquest.com:80/

Business Listings Add your business to MapQuest

Find best gas prices in your area with MapQuest.com

Gas Prices Now on MapQuest.com Find cheap gas near you

Send Directions to Your Phone Save paper with 'send to'

Aug 11, 2011
MapQuest Local Business Center: Free Listing Basics

Anne Carney · Posted in: Business Tools, MapQuest Local

Create a free business listing today with MapQuest’s Local Business Center, giving you access to the more than 40MM people on MapQuest.com! With our Local Business Center, you can control your business listing to make sure it’s accurate and add additional information that can drive more customers to your door. In this first post of our five part blog series, we’ll show you the basic steps to help you make the most of your business listing.

Getting Started
To get started on the Local Business Center, you must first claim your business. Make sure that MapQuest has the correct information for your business location, or choose to add a new listing if it doesn’t already exist. Once you have claimed your business, it is time to enter in your basic company information. This is your opportunity to obtain free marketing and show consumers why they should choose you. Check out our short video tutorial for more tips on how to get started.

Business Listing Name
When entering the company title for your business listing you want to make sure it reflects what your business does. It should be the exact name of your company or organization – no “nicknames” or added tag lines are needed. When people are looking up business listings on the map, this is what will be bolded when they put their cursor over your business location.

Business Listing Details
The main key here is to have all of the company information correct and clear. Be sure to double-check the phone number, website, reservation website, hours, and credit card listings for accuracy. None of this information should be a part of the title; instead, it will be in the ‘more info’ section that a visitor will see when they want to view more details about your business. The time to be creative is in the business listing description.

Business Listing Description
This is the place to market your business and where you want to be creative and concise. The business description should have your competitive advantage, and explain what you do, who you are, and why customers should seek out your business. You want to limit the amount you write while also providing enough detail to showcase your business. This is where you need to take the time to add those SEO keywords about your business to add to your search engine ranking.

Success Story: Gasthas Eichler
Gasthas Eichler, a boutique hotel in Colorado, has all the key qualities of a successful business listing on MapQuest.com. It has a clear, accurate title and the listing has all of the important company information for customers including correct address, phone number, reservations site and website. It has a great description of the business with its competitive advantage and information about specific offerings and amenities. This listing provides enough information to spark a consumer’s interest when booking a hotel.

In our next blog post of this series, we will give you more tips on creating your business listing. To take advantage of this free marketing now, just go to listings.mapquest.com and enhance your business listing today!
Jul 29, 2011
Visit MapQuest at WordCamp Chicago

jeremytanner · Posted in: MapQuest Map Builder
This weekend, WordCamp comes to the Windy City. Learn more about WordPress, plugins, blogging and search optimization at WordCamp Chicago, July 30 & 31.

If you’re planning to attend, stop by the MapQuest table at the entrance of the event. We’ll let you take our Map Builder WordPress Plugin for a spin and create an interactive map for your blog. Not familiar with Map Builder? It is an easy tool for mapping your favorite local hotspots, local news stories, upcoming events, or your team’s weekend soccer tournament. You can embed the map to your site and share with your friends. Not a WordPress user? We also have a Map Builder stand alone tool for all other blogs or websites. We launched Map Builder at SXSW this year, since then maps have turned up all over the place:
- Volunteering: Aol Monster Help Day
- Food Blogging: Top Outdoor Restaurants
- Finding Beer: Denver Happy Hours
- Weekend Events: Huffington Post Weekend Agenda
Below is a Map Builder map we’ve created, which includes the weekend’s locations, DePaul Student Center (main venue), the after party location, the nearest L stop, the nearest Starbucks, and more.

To get updates live from the event, follow @MapQuestTech.
Jul 1, 2011
Fitness Tips for Summer – Biking Trails, Hiking Routes and Pedestrian Mode Kick Your Summer Workout up a Notch

jenniferasbury · Posted in: General Info
Biking, hiking, running – no matter your sport, summer is the time to take advantage! With today’s average gym membership setting you back at least $50 a month and even as much as $150 in cities like New York, why not take advantage of nature’s free gym and bring your fitness routine outdoors?

MapQuest offers more than driving directions, with several free features that double up as workout tools to meet the need to mix it up! The features below offer great ideas to keep a workout fresh by mapping out new routes before you plan the next walk, run, hike or bike.
- MapQuest app: Available on the iPhone and Android, this free app includes voice-guided, turn-by-turn walking directions, as well as a voice search option.
- Hit the pavement or dirt: “Pedestrian Mode” directions guide you down the most efficient paths and through parks, often avoiding vehicular traffic. To use the feature, visit mapquest.com and click “get directions,” select the “walking man” icon and enter your start and finish destinations. Plan ahead, lather up with sunscreen and drink plenty of liquids!
From city cruising to mountain biking: Available on MapQuest’s Open Street Map, options allow you to choose paved streets or trails and paths, as well as the ability to challenge yourself with a “favor uphill” route or the leisurely “avoid uphill” setting. Biking routes favor bike-specific paths, walkways and roads where the max speed is less than 30 mph. The 27 country-specific open sites are available in 14 language options. Don’t forget your helmet!
Jun 28, 2011
Create a 4th of July Events Map with Map Builder

Chip Diffendaffer · Posted in: MapQuest Map Builder
The 4th of July weekend is always full of events in cities and towns around the country. From parades to community barbecues to firework displays, there’s no shortage of things to do and see. With Map Builder, it’s easy to create a map of events and activities to help your fellow Americans explore and decide what to do.

To create your own custom map, simply go to Map Builder and add the locations for your events and activities. Make it a personal map by adding comments or helpful hints. From there, you can easily share with your friends and family on your blog, website or even your local newspaper.

Here’s one we created for the Denver area:
Need a graphic to use as a fireworks map pin? Use ours!

Creating a parade route is easy as well. Just choose the line tool in the drawing panel and trace the path the parade follows. We traced the Philadelphia Independence Day Parade route below.

We’ve created a few maps of 4th of July events ourselves that we’re happy to let you use as well! Choose a city below to check out the map and copy and paste the provided code to include the map on your site!
Stay tuned for more features and news on Map Builder and have a safe and happy Independence Day weekend!
Jun 24, 2011
4th of July Fireworks, Parades and More!

Anne Carney · Posted in: Features and Improvements, Map Toolbar

4th of July events can be a pain to plan, but don’t sweat it this year – MapQuest is here to help! By clicking the fireworks icon on the Map Toolbar on MapQuest.com, you can easily view all of your local events including 4th of July parades, festivals, amazing light shows and more. We have gone through the trouble of bringing the events to you, just click and get directed towards exciting Independence Day fun.

Eventful supplied us with over 350 star spangled events for you to choose from; whether you want to head to a local event or plan a road trip, there is something for everyone. Once you have chosen your destination, you can get directions and send them directly to your phone, GPS or car using the ‘Send To’ option.

The 4th of July is a time to spend with family and friends so don’t miss anything by getting lost or stuck in traffic. You can view traffic conditions using the ‘Live Traffic’ option and find the quickest route so you can be front row for the parade and not miss the fireworks display!

We would love to here how you spend your holiday so don’t forget to share with us on Facebook and Twitter. Hope you have an explosive 4th of July!
Jun 24, 2011
Green Travel Tip: Send Your Maps and Directions to Your Mobile and Save a Tree

Michael Iams · Posted in: Features and Improvements, MapQuest Mobile Apps, MapQuest Mobile Web
Do you know it would take 17,000 trees to make the paper for one month’s worth of printed MapQuest driving directions?* That’s a lot of paper and ink!

Next time you are planning a trip – travel green. Instead of printing the directions, just send it to your phone. On the printer-friendly page, you’ll see the new Send to Mobile option. Just enter your mobile number, then click ‘Send to Mobile’ and a text message with your maps and directions will be sent to your phone. The link in the text message takes you to MapQuest.com on your mobile. A mobile map gives you quick access to helpful features like:
- Pan, drag, and zoom the map to see more than what the printout would have given you
- See traffic flows & incidents
- Access location details & phone numbers
- View aerial maps
- Search nearby – a parking lot or nearest gas station?
- In the event you get lost: find yourself on the map (iPhone & Android devices)
If you haven’t already, download our iPhone or Android app and get an even better experience through FREE GPS turn-by-turn Navigation.

[* One tree equals 8,000 sheets of paper according to thinkrecycle.com.]
Jun 23, 2011
Business Listings – Add Your Business to MapQuest Today!

Catherine · Posted in: Business Tools, Features and Improvements

Business listings are a powerful way for local business owners to be found on the web. Today, we’re excited to announce the beta launch of the MapQuest Local Business Center. This new tool helps businesses create or edit their free business listing on MapQuest, and also gives them the opportunity to enhance their listing on eight sites across a partner network.

Often times, business listings on the web are out of date or missing important information like the hours of operation or website. This makes it hard for customers to find that business online.

MapQuest Local Business Center gives business owners the tools to update their free listing and add a lot more helpful content. It also provides additional marketing opportunities to help bring in more customers and improve search engine rankings.

Ready to get started? The first step is to create an account in the business center and claim your business. You’ll be asked to verify basic information including name, address and phone number.

Next, you can add additional information, including a business description, website, photos, business video, hours of operation, payment methods, parking tips and more. You can even move the map marker to show the exact location of your entrance, which is very helpful for stores in strip malls, shopping malls and other multi-shop locations.

Once your information is entered, you’ll need to do a simple verification by phone or credit card (again, claim-your-listing is free, we’ll just authorize the card to make sure you really are who you say you are).

Once it’s verified, your updated listing is live within minutes on MapQuest.

You can enhance your business visibility by buying a Premium Listing, which includes a promotion that appears in-line with your business listing in MapQuest search results and on the MapQuest details page. Premium Listings on MapQuest only are available for $99 a year.

You can also upgrade to the MapQuest Multi-site Premium Listings package bundle, which will distribute your updated information and promotion for $399 a year to a broad partner network: Yelp!, Yahoo!, SuperPages, CitySearch, White Pages, Yellowbook, YellowBot and LOCAL .

Head to the MapQuest Local Business Center to claim your listing!
May 26, 2011
MapQuest Android™ App Making Navigation Easier

Rob Schill · Posted in: MapQuest Mobile Apps

We all know that distracted traveling is a major problem nowadays. Whether it’s talking on the phone, texting or eating a burrito we all could do with fewer distractions during our travels. Here at MapQuest we’re on a mission to make receiving and following mobile navigation simpler and easier.

The current release of the free navigation MapQuest App for Android™ boasts some significant upgrades to the gps navigation experience our users have come to love.

What, When and Where

Some inspiration for the new design came from the way car dashboards are designed. In a driving context, icons, buttons and dials need to be simple and intuitive with high contrast and legibility. A driver shouldn’t spend time trying to figure out what the various instruments mean and how to activate them. The controls mesh seamlessly into the natural movements and tasks a traveler executes during the trip.

In a mobile navigation context, we tried to follow these same principles. For example, rather than directions such as, “Turn right onto Broadway” the screen now displays a large right turn arrow and the word “Broadway” in large type. This method provides the user the same information but in a simpler, more graphical way. The visual clutter of a long sentence is replaced by an easily digestible direction that is understandable at a glance.

Less is More

In previous versions the navigation controls were always on display (even when not needed) which added to the distractions during the navigation experience. With the new release, theses controls such as List View, New Route, Edit Route and Stop Nav are nested within an “Actions” menu that reveals with a simple tap. This leaves more room for the things that really matter during a trip—directions and the map.

Are we there yet?

A commonly requested feature now in the latest version of the application is the ability to see the estimated time of arrival (ETA). This comes in handy when you need to give someone an estimate of when you’ll be arriving or when you just want to know how long the trip will take. As a bonus, tap on the ETA display and you’ll also get time remaining and distance remaining.

Testers of these new upgrades raved about the simplicity and intuitiveness of the navigation interface. All users were able to easily read and interact with the new design even in a driving or walking context. Similar to a GPS, the app still offers voice-guided, turn-by-turn directions, but now the matching visual directions are quicker and easier to comprehend.

Download the free app from the Android Market or the Amazon Appstore for Android today and check out the new navigation interface during your travels this summer. We think you’ll really like it.
May 25, 2011
Compare Gas Prices and Save Money with MapQuest

Catherine · Posted in: Gas Prices
Bogged down by expensive gas prices? You can now save time and money on MapQuest by finding the cheapest gas at gas stations near you. In addition to our MapQuest Gas Prices site, gas prices are now conveniently integrated directly into www.mapquest.com. MapQuest makes it easy for you to find and see accurate fuel prices for gas stations near your home, along your commute, or on your next road trip.

MapQuest’s gas prices are:
- Highly accurate and most are updated several times per day
- Easy to find and see while you’re getting a map or driving directions on www.mapquest.com
- Available for all major fuel types including alternative fuels
- A smart way to save money wherever you plan to go
Select the "Gas" icon from the toolbar to see gas stations and prices along a route or on your current map.

To find gas prices along a route…
- Get directions from “Point A” to “Point B” such as “Denver, CO” to “Breckenridge, CO”.
- Click the “Gas Station” icon in the Toolbar above the map to see the cheapest gas stations along your route.
To find gas stations on your current MapQuest map…
- Get a map of any address or place.
- Click the “Gas Station” icon in the Toolbar above the map to see the cheapest gas stations. within your current map view. Zoom in and zoom out to change the map area and view updated gas stations and prices.
MapQuest’s gas prices are highly accurate because we update most fuel prices at gas stations nationally up to seven times per day using cost per gallon data from credit card transactions and other sources. You can select from Regular, Mid-Grade, Premium, Diesel, E-85 and Bio-Diesel fuel-type prices in the drop-down menu to filter gas stations and prices based on your personal auto’s needs.

To select alternative fuel types, use the Fuel Type drop-down.

You can even get gas prices on the go with MapQuest’s new Android App!

Wishing you some convenient gas cost-savings and safe travels this Memorial Day weekend!
May 24, 2011
Greetings from BlogWorld!

Jessica Feaster · Posted in: General Info, MapQuest Map Builder

According to BlogPulse, there are now 163MM public blogs in existence, with 67K started in just the past 24 hours. That’s a lot of people with a lot of things to say. We’re at BlogWorld for the next few days talking with many of these folks about where the industry is now and where it’s headed.

If you’re planning to attend BlogWorld as well, we’d love to see you. Just stop by our booth (#503). We’ll have a free t-shirt for you (while supplies last of course) and you’ll also have the chance to take a quick poll to enter to win a $500 VISA® Gift Card. The poll is meant to educate us – we want to know exactly what map and location-based services bloggers and publishers are truly looking for. We have some great tools available now for bloggers, publishers and more – check them out on our MapQuest tools site – but we want to continue to better these and also create new products. As an example, you can see a great use of our most recent tool, MapQuest Map Builder BETA, on AOL’s Monster Help Day website or see the embedded map below.

If you’re not attending the conference, we still want to hear your feedback. If you contribute to the blogosphere or editorial realm in anyway, take our poll now and you’ll have the chance to win too!

To get updates live from the show, follow us on @MapQuestTech.