Google Maps has become an everyday essential. It’s hard to think of a life without it. Google brought navigation to our fingertips with Google Maps.
Its easy-to-use interface makes it convenient for everyone to plan their routes. Google Maps provides users with detailed maps of locations worldwide. You can search for specific addresses, landmarks, businesses, or points of interest, and it will display relevant information and locations on the map.
Google Maps is available as a website and as a mobile application for iOS and Android devices. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets, and real-time traffic conditions. It has become one of the most popular mapping services globally and is widely used for navigation and location search.
Advantages of Google Maps
Real-time traffic updates
The biggest advantage of Google Maps is that it provides real-time updates on traffic situations. Once you input the start and end location, it automatically provides you the route which will take the shortest time considering the current traffic. It highlights the high-traffic parts of the route as red to give you a heads-up. This information helps you plan your routes more efficiently and avoid traffic jams.
Auto re-routing
In case you take a wrong turn by mistake, it re-routes automatically and provides you with an updated route. With auto re-routing, you can have peace of mind knowing that Google Maps is actively working to keep you on the right track. It enhances the overall navigation experience.
Updated info about tolls & road closures
Google Maps detects any tolls and road closures. It helps you avoid delays and congestion. Instead of being stuck in traffic or trying to figure out alternative routes yourself, Google Maps takes care of the navigation adjustments for you. It saves time, reduces frustration, and helps you reach your destination more smoothly.
Different transportation modes
Google Maps supports various transportation modes, including driving, walking, cycling, and public transit. It provides detailed directions and suggestions making it easy to navigate using your preferred method of transportation. This flexibility is especially useful when exploring unfamiliar areas or planning daily commutes.
Street View and Satellite Imagery
Google Maps offers Street View and satellite imagery, allowing you to virtually explore streets and view locations from different angles. Street View provides a 360-degree panoramic view of streets, enabling you to visually navigate and familiarize yourself with an area before visiting in person.
While Google Maps comes with great advantages, it cannot optimize the routes with more than 2 addresses. It shows you the most efficient route between a start location and an end location, but when you add more addresses it provides the route in the order in which you have added the addresses.
It works only if you want to visit the addresses in the same sequence. However, if you are looking for the best route to visit those addresses, Google Maps won’t be helpful.
Route optimization means finding the most efficient route not only in terms of distance but also in terms of time and cost.
Advantages of route optimization
- It helps you save money by reducing your costs. The fuel costs can quickly add up if you make last-mile deliveries or client visits. Driving an optimized route also saves you maintenance costs as the vehicle drives fewer miles.
- Route optimization provides you with the most time-efficient shortest path. You can use the time saved towards other tasks as less time is spent on the road.
- It enhances customer satisfaction as it enables you to reach your customers faster.
Zeo’s Google Chrome extension
To help you make the most of Google Maps, Zeo has built a Google Chrome extension.
- It brings together the power of Google Maps and route optimization to supercharge your route planning process!
- You don’t have to use a separate app for route optimization. You get an optimized route within the Google Maps app.
- The best part – it’s free! You don’t have to spend your hard-earned money on buying a paid app for route optimization.
Steps for using the Zeo Chrome Extension
- Step 1: Click here to add the Zeo web Plugin to your Chrome browser.
- Step 2: Open Google Maps in your browser and add up to 10 stops. Ensure that the first stop is the stop from which you want the trip to start.
- Step 3: Click on the Zeo plug-in at the top and select one of the below-mentioned options:
- Return to the first stop – It creates a round trip where after completing all the stops, the user returns to the first stop.
- End at the last stop – The last stop added by you will be considered the end location of the route.
- No last stop – In this case, the route will automatically assign a last stop (except the first stop).
- Step 4: Click on ‘optimize’ and a new window with the optimized route will appear.
- Step 5: Click on ‘Send directions to your phone’ to send the optimized route to the Google Maps app on your phone.
With the optimized route in your phone app, you are ready to go!
Download Zeo Route Planner for Google Maps Chrome Extension right away!
What is Zeo route planner?
Zeo Route Planner is a route optimization platform. It doesn’t require any coding and allows you to plan optimized routes within seconds! It’s pocket-friendly and super easy to use.
If you need to optimize for more than 10 stops – consider Zeo’s Mobile Route Planner if you are an individual driver or Zeo’s Route Planner for Fleets if you are doing business with multiple vehicles. With these, you can add up to 2000 stops in a single route!
Conclusion
Route planning doesn’t have to be a tedious task, especially if you are doing it daily. Amp up the capabilities of Google Maps by using Zeo Chrome Extension along with it!
