Over the past 2 decades, digital shopping has taken the world by storm. Today’s shopping journeys are dominated by activities such as online browsing, product comparison, and cashless purchasing. As a result, brands have taken notice of these activities and have begun creating online presences to raise brand awareness and increase sales.
One of the best and easiest ways to raise awareness for your products and stores is by using a product and store locator widget on your website.
Currently, there are two store and product locator software that are often compared for the value they provide, WP Maps and Where to Buy.
In this article, we will take a closer look at both these software. Furthermore, we will compare both these software side-by-side to find out which software is better. The comparison will be done in 5 “rounds”, at the end of each round a winner will be decided. Finally, in the end, we will see which product and store locator is the overall winner of this comparison.
Let’s get a bit of background information about both these software before we jump into the comparison.
Let’s start off with WP Maps.
WP Maps is store and product locator software created by AgileLogix, who are also the creators of a highly successful store locator plugin, Agile Store Locator.
WP Maps allows users to create a product locator page and a store locator page on their website in a few simple steps. All you need to do is upload your product and store location data, configure the store and product locator, and then paste an automatically generated HTML code onto your website. It’s that easy!
WP Maps is an easy-to-use software that even non-tech people will find easy to use and navigate. Moreover, WP Maps comes with a bunch of customization options such as color customization, template customization, and layout customization.
The two main benefits WP Maps provides users are increased sales and awareness. It does this by providing your customers with everything they need to reach your store and make a purchase, this includes:
All the above elements work together to remove any potential barriers that might prevent a customer from buying a product.
WP Maps comes with a host of useful features that are designed to give users a pleasant and sophisticated experience when using the software, such as:
There are many store locator applications in the market, but we believe WP Maps is the superior choice. Discover how WP Maps is better than the following store locator software:
Where to Buy is also a software that provides users with the ability to add a store locator widget to their website. This store locator widget can guide customers to different physical stores from the user’s website.
The Where to Buy Software has access to a huge library of on-shelf product data in multiple grocery stores, which provides users with accurate information regarding product stock and availability. In addition, this store locator is highly customizable, and it easily integrates with the visual style of your website. Moreover, this analytic data can provide valuable information on consumer interactions.
Similar to WP Maps, Where to Buy can be used by brands and store owners to drive more traffic to their physical stores and boost sales. However, unlike WP Maps, Where to Buy does not provide any product locator services. This means that you will not be able to display products on your website.
Lastly, Where to Buy also comes with a lot of great features which include:
Consumer shopping gradually began to evolve due to the introduction of online shopping. Furthermore, consumer demand and expectations have also changed to adjust to the new age of digital shopping.
The traditional way of shopping has been on a steady decline ever since digital shopping through the Internet became more common. In fact, in 2021 it was estimated that 2.14 billion people shopped online. Furthermore, the global e-commerce sales forecast for 2024 is expected to reach $6.4 trillion. These figures show a clear shift in shopping behavior.
Retailers began noticing this shift in consumer shopping behavior, and what they saw were new opportunities to promote and sell their products in the online world. As a result, these days you will find almost every major retailer with an online presence (website, blog, social media account, etc.).
Consumers nowadays usually carry out the following steps when buying something:
Alternatively, a consumer might decide to make an in-person purchase by going to the physical store after doing their research online. According to one stat, 65% of consumers prefer in-store purchasing to avoid delivery fees. Therefore, it is vital for brands to provide customers with everything they need to easily and quickly find your products and stores.
This is where a product and store locator widget comes into play.
The main purpose of store and product locator software is to add a store and product locator widget to your website.
A product locator widget allows you to display all of your products in neat and organized ways. As a result, it allows your website visitors to browse your entire product catalog and quickly find what they need.
Once your customers have found a product they want to buy, they will be directed to the store locator widget. The store locator widget has a map that shows the location of all your stores that have the customer’s selected product in stock. In addition, the store locator widget also provides accurate and up-to-date information on how your customers can get to your store if they want to make an in-person purchase. The information provided by the store locator includes address, location, directions, store timing, stock information, etc.
By adding a store and product locator widget to your website, you will ensure that your customers will have no barriers to buying your product.
Oftentimes when a consumer is browsing a website looking for a product to buy, he/she is prevented from making a final purchase decision by the following “barriers”:
All the above “barriers” hinder the consumer’s purchase journey. Moreover, by having a store and product locator widget installed on your website, you will successfully remove all these barriers, and now the customer will not be prevented from making a purchase due to the above reasons.
This is because a product locator displays all your products and provides your customers with all the product information they need. Whereas, a store locator widget makes it easy for the customer to reach your store to make a purchase by providing them with all your store locations on a large map. Moreover, the map provider for the store locator can be chosen to be either Google Maps or Mapbox. Some business owners might want to compare Google Maps with Mapbox for a more objective decision.
By installing a product and store locator widget, you will most likely see more customers coming to your physical store after browsing your website and finding their desired product. As a result, the increased traffic coming to your store(s) will give you more opportunities to:
Now that we have all the background information we need about WP Maps, Where to Buy, and store and product locator widgets in general, we can move on to the main comparison.
The comparison between these software will be carried out in 5 “rounds” which are price, customizability, ease-of-use, key features, and analytics. At the end of each round, we will determine which software surpassed the other.
Before purchasing a product, one of the first aspects a person looks at is the price. After all, at the end of the day, the price of the product is one of the most important determining factors that results in product purchase (or not).
WP Maps is available in 4 different flexible packages that range from $19 per month to $185 per month. With the lowest tier package, you will get the most basic features of WP Maps that will allow you to add a store and product locator widget to your website. However, the higher tier packages will grant you access to more powerful and handy features that will improve your overall experience of using WP Maps.
All in all, WP Maps has something for everyone. If you are looking to buy a premium, top-of-the-line store and product locator software with all the available features, you can go for the corporate package on WP Maps. On the other hand, if you are a small business that only needs the most basic features, then you can purchase the “Entry” package.
The price of the Where to Buy store locator software is also available at 3 different price points. However, when compared to WP Maps, it is on the more expensive side. The lowest pricing plan will set you back by $499 per month, while the most expensive plan costs a staggering $1399 per month. Moreover, the exact features available in each plan are not mentioned on the website, to find out what each plan comes with, you will have to contact a representative from their website.
In this round of comparison, WP Maps is the winner for providing many of the same services at a fraction of the price. Furthermore, WP Maps provides the extra service of a product locator widget in addition to a store locator widget, while its competitor only provides you with a store locator widget.
For the next round of this comparison, let’s talk about customizability.
Customization options are a very welcome feature in products. In many cases, the customizability of a product can become a huge selling point for a product. Moreover, customization allows users to make a product unique and one that is close to their vision.
WP Maps has extensive customization options that will enable you to create the perfect store and product locator widget for your website. On the store and product widget, you can customize colors, texts, layouts, etc. You can even create custom maps for your store locator widget and customize it according to your needs. Furthermore, you are also able to customize various “templates” of the WP Maps store and product locator widget, such as:
Where to Buy also provides users with a lot of customization options. This software’s store locator is designed to match the design and format of the user’s website. As a result, you will be able to add a store locator widget to your website that matches your brand identity.
For this comparison round, we have to declare a tie, since there is no clear winner. Both locator software provides users with extensive customization options that let you create your ideal store and/or product locator widget which perfectly fits your website.
In this round of the Where to Buy Vs. WP Maps comparison, we will see how easy it is to use each of these software.
WP Maps has a very simple UI and a straightforward design. All the features and tools are laid out in a systematic order that makes WP Maps very easy to operate, even for non-tech people.
Creating a store and product locator widget, configuring it, and customizing it through WP Maps is quick and easy. In no time, you will have an ideal store and product locator widget set up on your website.
Where to Buy on the other hand, also claims to be easy to implement on your website. Moreover, it is compatible to be used with all major website platforms. However, we feel this software might have a slightly higher learning curve, especially for beginners since it is very sophisticated software.
So for this round, WP Maps slightly edges out its competition for having a more simple and straightforward UI.
In this penultimate round, we will look at some of the key features of both these software, and see which one provides a better set of useful features.
WP Maps comes with the following key features:
The main advantage of WP Map over its rival is that WP Maps also gives users the ability to create and add a product locator widget to their website. With a product locator widget, you will be able to display all your products to your customers in an organized manner, and thus make it easier for your customers to find the product they need.
Where to Buy has the following key features:
Both WP Maps and Where to Buy have an impressive line-up of features that are designed to improve the overall user experience. However, WP has a significant edge by providing users with the ability to create and add a product locator to their website. Which is extra added value.
Therefore, for this round, the winner is WP Maps for providing the extra service of product locator widget creation.
Here is a table that summarizes the features that are available on WP Maps and Where to Buy:
| Feature | WP Maps | Where to Buy |
| Analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Google Sheet Integration | Yes | No |
| Multiple Layouts and Templates | Yes | Yes |
| Fixed Price Points | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable Interface | Yes | Yes |
| Store-Level Data Feeds | No | Yes |
| Multiple Language Support | Yes | Yes |
| Intuitive User Interface | Yes | Yes |
| Lead Forms | Yes | No |
For the final round in this comparison, We will be comparing the analytic features of both these software.
WP Maps comes integrated with Google Analytics. The analytic data provided by WP Maps gives you valuable information about your customers’ browsing and shopping behavior on the store and product locator widget. Moreover, with WP Maps, you will be able to gain data such as:
In addition, WP Maps is also able to provide you with another useful piece of information. With WP Maps you can get access to user demographic data (region, country, items viewed, age, etc.) for all the top products and stores in your locator widgets.
All this analytic data from WP Maps can help you optimize your selling strategies to maximize sales through better decision-making.
Where to Buy also comes equipped with analytic data-providing capabilities that can give you data in consumer interaction with your store locator.
By using the analytic data provided by Where to Buy, you will be able to gain insight into various metrics of consumer behavior. Furthermore, with this knowledge, you can make better decisions that can potentially enable you to sell more products.
Both WP Maps and its contender have an above-average analytic data-providing mechanism. Overall, there does not seem to be any difference in the quality or quantity of the analytic data provided by these two software.
Therefore, for this round, we have to declare a tie.
Bringing customers from your website to your physical store is a great way to raise awareness for your brand and increase sales.
One of the best ways to bring more customers to your store from your website is by installing a store and product widget.
Both WP Maps and Where to Buy are excellent software that can easily add a store and product locator widget to your website.
However, when it comes to choosing which one of these software to go with, we have to choose WP Maps for the following reasons:
Although Where to Buy is a top-rated software, we feel it requires a higher learning curve to get used to. Furthermore, it seems to be the more expensive option. Especially, for many of the same services that are also provided by WP Maps.
Therefore, the overall winner in this comparison (in our opinion) is WP Maps.
If you would like to explore more diverse topics related to e-commerce, please see our blog pages.
Talha has 3 years of experience in writing blogs and guide articles about topics that cover e-commerce practices, WordPress plugins, and SaaS apps. His blogs are SEO-oriented and have ranked high on SERPs. His main goal is to convey complicated topics in an easy-to-understand format for his readers. Usually, this involves thoroughly researching a topic beforehand before translating it into a comprehensible article. Talha has completed his bachelor’s from the American University of Sharjah where his passion for writing and communication was sparked by learning to write about a wide range of topics such as social issues, history, and scientific methodology. His main area of expertise was writing technical papers that were easy to digest by a general audience.
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