People are increasingly using smartphones to access websites, and one of the cool features of the YWD platform is that it allows you to effortlessly add a mobile-optimized version. By that we mean not only that your website can look great on their small viewports and have mobile-specific content but also that you can take advantage of their unique functionality.
Helping your audience find you
For instance, sometimes when people are viewing your website in a mobile phone all they want is to call you. YWD allows you to add a "Call us" button to all pages that will do just that – make their phone place a call directly to you from your website.
But a new feature in YWD Designer / Mobile devices / Smartphones / Special applications lets you insert a "Show Google Map" button as well. When people tap on it the Google Maps API is called and generates an interactive map, with the exact location of your business indicated by a marker.
An example from a smart client
A client called Compushop is already using this. They're in in the technology business in Brazil, offering high-end server and connectivity solutions, including corporate consulting and training. Located in the Northeastern state of Bahia – whose capital city Salvador is many centuries old, with narrow strets meandering through its downtown core – they frequently conduct training sessions and workshops in their own facilities. I've been to Salvador years ago myself and can tell an instant mapping feature would have come in handy (although I was there for its famous Carnaval so Dell servers were not my main concern at that point, but that's a different story altogether).
So they added an "Exibir Mapa" – Portuguese for "Show Map" – button to their mobile website. Tapping on it automatically loads a Google Map of their area, with their location clearly indicated. People can drag and zoom in/out the map at will.
How to do that in YWD, no coding required
Setting up the button is quite easy. Basically you enter your address, just like you would when finding it on Google Maps. You can then customize the button itself – pick a style, enter a different text label – and determine the initial zoom level of the map. You can even tell Google to use geolocation so that it will show the viewers' current location on the map as well (the phone will prompt for their permission before doing that.)
The interface is in YWD Designer, so you don't need to do any programming to set up the button:
More options for the "Show Google Map" button will be added to YWD within the next weeks.
To see this new fetaure in action visit www.compushopba.com.br using your mobile.
Interested in "mobilizing" your website? Visit www.yourwebdepartment.com/ywdmobile
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