Hosted Solutions
Hosted solutions (similar to Blipstar Plus) are a hassle-free option in that you don't need to install anything yourself - it's all done via the web. Cost isn't everything, but important, so for convenience there's a comparison of each product's price compared to Blipstar Plus.
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PHP Zip Code Locator - www.phpzipcodelocator.com
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Example cost | Blipstar cost | Best deal?
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PHP Zip Code Locator seems like a nice straight-forward solution, with very extensive options, all managed via the web. Software design is always a balancing act between lots of features and simplicity - and although the Admin Panel is logically laid out it's perhaps not the easiest interface to get to grips with, but obvious enough. Comparative prices are an annual fee of $256 for 500 locations (Blipstar Plus: $185) and $437 for 1000 locations (Blipstar Plus: $275). Although you can't try it out for free you can easily test out the Admin Panel for yourself via a Demo mode. Worth checking out, although the standard Store Locator interface (i.e. what customers see) is perhaps not the slickest.
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$256 (500 locations) |
$185 (500 locations) |
Blipstar saves you $71 |
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Findlocation Plus - www.findlocation.com
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Findlocation Plus has a no-nonsense approach which works well. It's quick too, although the presentation of results is quite basic and it uses MapQuest background mapping which arguably isn't the best. The cost is $1199 for up to 2000 locations (Blipstar Plus: $384) and includes a 14 day trial period.
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$1199 (2000 locations) |
$384 (2000 locations) |
Blipstar saves you $815 |
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Bullseye - bullseye.electricvine.com
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Bullseye is another established player that has offered a hosted solution since 2005. It claims to have all the features you'd expect, and the site is easy to use which a good sign. Unfortunately there's no online demo (you have to arrange for a salesperson to visit to see it in action) but does have some good example sites. Although it's a hosted solution it's unusual in that they set it up for you (claiming to take around a day to do so).
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Not available (~$545?) |
$185 (500 locations) |
Blipstar saves you ~ $360 |
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Xtreme Locator - www.xtremelocator.com
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Xtreme Locator certainly has a lot going for it, and a handy feature list for you to compare it against other solutions (unsurprisingly it ticks all the boxes). There's a nice option for having text-only results as well as a map-based results, and it's got a crisp, clear interface, although the site keeps refering to IVR as though it's an obvious acronym (apparently it's Interactive Voice Response). Comparative prices are $648 for 500 locations (Blipstar Plus: $185) and $1284 for 1000 locations (Blipstar Plus: $275) so it's a solid choice but expensive. You can try it out with a free 30 day trial.
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$648 (500 locations) |
$185 (500 locations) |
Blipstar saves you $463 |
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LocatorSavvy - www.locatorsavvy.com
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LocatorSavvy is interesting in that it has a set fee regardless of the number of the locations required (i.e. unlimited locations and unlimited traffic) which is impressive. It uses Bing maps (a less ubiquitous but worthy alternative to Google Maps) and looks easy to set up and use. It has numbered map icons on the results page which is a small but nice touch. In terms of cost, if you have 1000 locations or less Blipstar Plus is more cost-effective. But if you want a store locator with no bells and whistles and have over 1000 locations LocatorSavvy is the cheaper option (if you pay annually rather than monthly).
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$350 (500 locations) |
$185 (500 locations) |
Blipstar saves you $163 |
| $350 (2000 locations) |
$384 (2000 locations) |
LocatorSavvy saves you $34 |
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Meta Locator - www.metalocator.com
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Meta Locator has a really nice looking website and a web 2.0 feel about it. The actual store locator is fairly standard and covers most of the key bases in terms of functionality. It doesn't really let you get down to the nitty gritty (although you can use an external CSS file to alter the look and feel) and the range of demos is quite confusing. There's no option to set up an account without entering your payment details but you do get the first month free so you can cancel within 30 days.
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$348 (500 locations) |
$185 (500 locations) |
Blipstar saves you $163 |
Install-it-yourself and Custom Solutions
Install-it-yourself Solutions (similar to Blipstar Server) are where you download and install some software on your webserver/website and gives you the flexibility to set it up how you like, add custom features etc.
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Lookup Runner - www.lookuprunner.com
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Example cost | Blipstar cost | Best deal?
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Lookup Runner has an easy to understand website although the installation process looks pretty detailed, so you really need a good understanding of PHP. If you want a simple way to merely list nearest stores locations (rather than show them on a map or offer driving directions) it's worth investigating. The customer-facing interface is simple to use but not the slickest around and being forced to select a country when searching might annoy some people. It has limited features but the big attraction is the price - just $79 (Blipstar Server: $295).
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$79 |
$295 |
Lookup Runner saves you $216 |
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Ultimate Locator - www.ultimatelocator.com
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Ultimate Locator - with a name like that things sound promising. It's a popular choice and the features list is comprehensive, with a nicely thought-out Admin panel, although some of the options are perhaps only relevant to a small number of users. It costs $299 (Blipstar Server: $295) which seems very reasonable. Although the search interface seems overly complicated it's a well-established product that's definitely worth a further look.
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$299 |
$295 |
Blipstar saves you $4 (spend it wisely) |
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Got WWW? Store Locator Software - www.storelocatorsoftware.com
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Got WWW? benefits from a neat, simple to use website and is a little different in that the solution is custom built for you (it takes around a week). The search results are returned very quickly which is an important consideration, although the geo-targeting technology (which tries to estimate where you are so you don't need to type in a search term) appears pretty inaccurate. It costs $947 (Blipstar Server: $295) but obviously has the benefit of being customised for your site with minimal effort required on your part.
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$947 |
$295 |
Blipstar saves you $652 |
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Xtreme Locator - www.xtremelocator.com
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Xtreme Locator also comes available as a host-it-yourself option, featuring all the functions of the hosted solution. The cost is $3750 compared to Blipstar Server: $295.
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$3750 |
$295 |
Blipstar saves you $3455 |
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Make one from scratch!
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If you like a challenge then you could always write a custom store locator yourself. The concept is simple enough, but getting it to work well is more involved than you might think - and we know! Writing your own basic, but polished, store locator could take anything from one day to a week or more depending on how familiar you are with the various technologies. Might be worth considering if time is on your side or you have a really specific feature set in mind.
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1 to 7+ days effort
$600 to $3500+ |
$295 (+ set up time) |
Blipstar saves you alot (probably!) |
