About Blipstar, the Store Locator Tool for your website

Background
Store locator software provides a convenient way for potential customers to find which of your stores/shops/dealers etc. is nearest to where they live (and how they can get there). They simply enter a zip code, post code or address and the store locator finds the nearest store locations (within a given radius) and plots them on a map. Store locators and Branch locators are a popular feature of many websites but setting up an effective online store locator from scratch takes time and effort.

Blipstar is born
So in August 2006, the original Blipstar was born, an online store locator service designed to greatly simplify this process - it does the hard work for you! You create an account, upload a spreadsheet of store information (name, address etc.) and set up some design options. Blipstar then creates your store locator tool and and you simply need to link to it from any web page. No programming experience is required and you don't have to download or install anything on your website. Blipstar makes use of the excellent Google Maps to provide attractive background mapping and driving directions.

Blipstar Plus - the next generation Store Locator tool
Blipstar proved popular and many businesses and organisations (of all sizes) have set up online store locators using the original Blipstar. Two things people asked for was the ability to 1) save more stores and 2) make the store locator look more like their own website. Blipstar Plus was created in response to this, allowing 1000s of store locations and providing a wide range of options for customization, including the ability to integrate the store locator directly into the customer's website.

Blipstar Server - for developers and programmers
Some advanced users wanted even more control over their online store locator and not have to rely on third-party software or servers. Blipstar Server was therefore released, effectively allowing a customer to set up their own store locator on their website and expand and customize it to meet their exact requirements.