Aug 08, 2023 23:00:00

5 reasons why Google Maps has become difficult to use

According to

estimates , Google Maps' share rate reached 80% in 2020, and has since maintained its position as the most used map service in the world. However, author Michael Grothaus, who said that he started using Apple Maps because Google Maps has become difficult to use recently, summarized the reasons in five.

Google Maps is an eyesore. 5 examples of how the app has lost its way
https://www.fastcompany.com/90930810/google-maps-eyesore-5-examples-apple-maps

◆ Reason 1: Too many hotel and bar pins
When Grottohaus is in a metropolitan area, Google Maps always tries to show as many hotels, bars and clubs as possible on the map. This happens even if Mr. Grottohaus doesn't search in hotels or bars, and it's no exception when Mr. Grottohaus is at home.

About this, Mr. Grottohaus questioned, 'Google knows my address, but why do you display so many hotels when I'm in my city?'

◆ Reason 2: Too many ad pins
According to Grottohaus, the square pin displayed on Google Maps is an advertising pin. In other words, the advertiser is the business owner of the pin, who pays Google to show the pin on the user's map.

This advertising pin is also often a hotel, and under the restaurant advertising pin, a small text is often displayed to urge you to order delivery with Uber Eats, making it difficult to see the map.This point is also Google Maps. Grottohaus says that it is one of the reasons why he became dissatisfied with.

◆ Reason 3: Hard to understand photo pin
Google Maps pins are icons that represent what is at that point, such as a pink icon of a person sleeping on a bed in a hotel, or an orange pin with a fork and knife drawn in a restaurant. increase. Previously, there were only two types on the map, this pin and the advertising square pin, but from 2022 a third photo pin will appear.

As far as Mr. Grottohaus knows, this photo pin is about some kind of business. However, unlike icons that simply represent the meaning of the pin, it is often difficult to tell what kind of store it is. was For this reason, Mr. Grothaus points out that photo pins do not help business, they just confuse users.

◆ Reason 4: Home business that is displayed in large quantities
Google Maps will show a large number of locations of people who have started home services as a remnant of the pandemic. For that reason, when Mr. Grottohaus looks at residential areas on Google Maps, he often finds a lot of work-at-home business pins.

Many of these work-from-home businesses are 'consultants,' often web designers, app programmers, and handymen. These may be legitimate businesses operated by self-employed people from their homes, but Grothaus said, 'Without customers coming in and I searching for providers of these services, Why would you put that on a map?'

◆ Reason 5: They don't tell you the name of the important street
Street names are an important element of location in the English-speaking world, as the address is called 'Street Address' in English. However, although Google Maps shows pins for hotels, advertisements, and home businesses, it often doesn't show the name of the current location.

Grothaus found a workaround, ``If you select a business pin on the next street, it will somehow display the street name of your current location,'' but it's the biggest disappointment of the five. For this reason, Mr. Grothaus ended up using Apple Maps more often.

However, Apple Maps lacks a lot of information, and there are useful data that only Google Maps can provide, such as times when there are many people, walking data, and word-of-mouth information. Says.

In the thread of the social news site Hacker News, which featured Mr. Grottohaus's article, Hacker News user Albert Corey, who has been involved in the creation and monetization of Google Maps, appeared and said, ``Monetization is a disaster. I don't know how well it's doing now, but when I was there the map was in big red forever, I'd be a little surprised if there were no losses now, but maybe less than when I was Hmm, I don't know how much pin ads cost, but I'm pretty sure it's a lot cheaper than search ads, there's a ton of patent lawsuits on maps, and the courts may reveal revenue documents, so Google I dare to avoid summarizing the revenue of the map, ”he posted a note revealing the inner workings of Google Maps.