A LiveMap is a local map showing the closest location to an opener based on real-time geo-location data. With this, you can point customers in the right direction with a custom map pin and text box with click-to-call phone number and links to the location page.
Examples of use cases are displaying maps with the closest stores or branches, event location, in-store pick-up offers, promotional messages.
With LiveMap you can measure the in-store point of sale data before and after map implementation.
In this topic, we will discuss the different configuration options specific for the LiveMap as well as the preview and embed codes. Check out the topic Create a new campaign, for more information on how to initially create a Liveclicker campaign.
Once a LiveMap campaign has been created, a series of steps need to be followed:
2. Preview and test the LiveMap
Configure the LiveMap
Note: It is recommended to first import your location datasets in Liveclicker before creating a LiveMap campaign.
Also, if you wish to personalize the LiveMap using data from the ESP instead of Live data, you need to set up your custom fields in the Account Settings.
Configure basic settings
The settings configured in the Basic settings apply to all the different versions of the element, if these exist.
Linking — choose whether you would like your LiveMaps to have a clickthrough URL. If not, choose the other option to Clickthrough to a local map in the opener's native map application. Selecting this second option means the following:
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On an iOS device, recipients who clickthrough a LiveMap are sent to the closest location on the Apple Maps app.
When using an iPad, recipients who clickthrough a LiveMap are sent to the closest location on the Google Maps website instead of the Apple Maps app.
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On an Android device, recipients who clickthrough a LiveMap are sent to the closest location on the Google Maps app.
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On any other devices including desktop computers, there 2 different scenarios that can happen based on the map provider chosen:
- If Google Maps is chosen as the Map Provider, recipients who clickthrough a LiveMap are sent to the closest location on the Google Maps website (google.com/maps).
- If Bing Maps is chosen as the Map Provider, recipients who clickthrough a LiveMap are sent to the closest location on the Bing Maps website (bing.com/maps).
Alt text — This is the text that will be read by screen readers and displayed when images are disabled. Although alt text is optional to add, it is a best practice to do so.
Click Save and Next to save the changes to the basic settings and move on to the next configuration section.
Further configuration of the LiveMap element
When a LiveMap campaign is created, there is always a default LiveMap that will be the fallback image when the targeting rules do not apply to the opener of the email or when no targeting rules have been defined.
Start by configuring the default LiveMap.
1. Set the dimensions for the generated image by defining the width and height of the map image in pixels.
2. Choose the provider of the map. You can choose between a Google map and Bing map.
3. Choose the type of map to display. You can choose from Roadmap, Terrain, Hybrid, Satellite.
4. Set the distance over which the map is zoomed out. This ranges from 1 mile to 64 miles or 2 to 100 km, depending on the chosen metric system.
5. Set the maximum number of pins allowed.
6. Toggle the live traffic option on if you want to show traffic on the map. This is especially helpful to keep customers informed about the current conditions and will help them plan accordingly, especially if you are urging people to visit a specific location on the day they open the email.
Note: Live traffic is only supported for Google maps and width datasets of up to 5.000 addresses.
7. Under Locations, select a location dataset. The selected locations dataset will be used to propose a set of locations to the recipient, closest to their real-time location.
Note that you can use more than one location dataset. To do so, click Add secondary dataset. You can assign different pins for the secondary dataset.
Note: If there are no location datasets stored yet, you can upload one by clicking the Gear icon.
You are taken to your Account Settings < Realtime Content > LiveMaps > Location Datasets where you can upload a CSV file.
For more details on how to format the CSV file, check out this topic.
Note 2: When using multiple data location sets, Liveclicker will generate a map image for all uploaded locations. Therefore if a subscriber is not close to a location listed in the primary data set, but is close to a location listed in the secondary data set, they see a map displaying their nearest location. Note also:
- The LiveMap will always be centered on the location closest to the opener of the primary dataset.
- The closest location text box will also take the closest location from the primary dataset.
- The map will only show secondary dataset locations after filling in all possible locations in the map range for the primary dataset.
8. Select a color for the pin or choose a custom one (only possible for Google maps).
You can choose a different pin from the 6 ones displayed or upload a custom pin.
Note: The uploaded pin needs to be in png format and is limit to 64*64pixels. If you upload an icon larger than 64x64, then the icon will get resized and converted to JPG. Once resized, it is not guaranteed the icon will look the same or have a transparent background.
9. Next, in the Location Text box section, you can indicate if in addition to the map, you also want to display a text box with the closest location details. This includes custom map attributes such a location phone number and opening hours, providing the recipient more details on the proposed location.
When you check this option, additional styling options become available, including:
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Text box placement - Defines how you want the text to be displayed, as an overlay or side by side with the map.
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Box layout - Defines the position of the Text box . You can choose from the defaults right, left, above, below, or without a map. Or, you can customize the box layout using a custom CSS.
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Font settings - Defines the look of the text, such as the font family, size, alignment, padding and more
In the Advanced settings you can indicate if a heading needs to be displayed and what custom data should be included in the Location text box:
If you choose to show a column but don't enter a custom name for it, Liveclicker will use the friendly names that appear in the overlay: Address, Phone, Hours, Custom Location Field 1, Custom Location Field 2, etc.
Note: To be able to use the Location Text Box option, you need a more advanced locations CSV file, that also includes the store name and details.
Tip: To show store hours that are relevant to the day of open, build alternate versions of your map for each day of the week, displaying opening times for that particular day and add a targeting rule for the day of open in Step 3 of the LiveMap set up wizard.
10. If in the basic settings you indicated a clicktrough URL is used, you need to define it here.
11. There may be occasions where a recipient's location cannot be determined, or where a recipient is too far away from a location for a local map to be valuable. In these specific use cases, the Map Replacement Image and URL specified below will be served. The Map Replacement Image is also served when account overages are disabled, and an account runs out of credits.
You need to set how many miles away the recipient should be for the replacement image to be displayed.
To make full use of this option, it’s a best practice to upload a pre-designed image with some branded content so that customers outside of the radius will still be targeted.
12. Last, in the Map location source section, you can decide what information and in which order it should be used to render the closest location on the map. You can set 3 options, the second option being the fallback for the first option, and the third option being the fallback for the second option. If the first option cannot be determined, it will try the second option and next the third option. However, if the first option can be determined but there is no shop nearby, the fallback image will always be shown.
For the options you can choose from the following:
- Opener's location — The current location of the opener at the time of opening the email is used to determine the closest location.
- Location ESP field — The location of the opener as stored in the ESP is used to determine the closest location. To be able to use this field, you need to set up the Custom field in the Account settings.
- Store ID ESP field — The unique ID of for example the preferred shop of the opener, as stored in the ESP. You can use the Store ID custom field if you have custom locations for your openers referencing a Store ID instead of an actual address or location. To use this field, you need to set up the corresponding Custom field in the Account settings and the StoreID needs to be in the Locations dataset.
- Dynamic value — The location is retrieved from external data that is made available after an import of a CSV file or via an API.
Example:
In this example, the opener's current location will be used to define the closest location. If it cannot be detected, the location ESP field will be used. If that data is not available, data from a dynamic value will be used. If all three options fail, the fallback image is displayed.
13. Now you have finished the configuration of your first LiveMap.
At this point you can either add an alternative version of the LiveMap or move on to the targeting and testing section.
An alternative version can be used when targeting rules are implemented, presenting some of the viewers with one version, and others with another version.
If you want to do this, click the button Add Alternate LiveMap and repeat the above steps.
Define targeting rules and AB tests
1. In this last step, you can decide which subscriber should get a specific version of the LiveMap through the use of targeting rules. A targeting rule will split up the audience and only target a segment of the audience with a specific version. There are 2 options:
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Define targeting rules from scratch.
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When you have already defined targeting rules for a different element in this campaign, you can re-use these targeting rules for the current element.
For more details on targeting rules, please check out the dedicated topic.
2. In addition, you can also set up AB testing for this element. With A/B testing the final version of the LiveMap shown to the remainder of the audience, is determined by the A/B test.
3. When done, click Continue. You are taken to the next element to configure, if any. Otherwise, you are taken to the Preview.
Preview and test the LiveMap
The Preview tab for your campaign becomes available when all elements in your campaign have been configured. It provides you with the ability to test the look and rendering of the elements in your campaign, either as a static preview or as a dynamic preview, simulating an opener. You can also send yourself or others an email preview.
For more details on how to test your elements using preview, please read the corresponding topic.
Retrieve the embed codes
In this last step, you need to provide some estimated campaign details, such as expected opens, launch date and Expiration date, as well as the Subscriber ID field.
All this information will be used by Liveclicker to optimize resources but also to create the embed code.
For more details on the Embed codes, check out this topic.
