This section looks at how to decide to use interactive web mapping -- visit the GIS for web mapping page to learn more about your technology options.

Deciding Factors

The main factor in deciding to move to interactive web mapping is the usefulness of this functionality vs. its cost:

• Simple, quick and inexpensive:  Add image maps to your existing graphics, allowing users to mouse-over objects on your maps and pop-up new maps, photos or other information just by clicking.  This technique is very easy to master or have a web designer implement - a few hours of time should be plenty to create useful "hotspots" on your maps.
  
• Pizzaz without a big budget:  Create Flash objects out of your maps, which allow users to mouse-over certain points and have other information on the same screen change. For example, moving around a map of your holdings on one part of the screen highlights a property which then triggers a photo of the property and a text description in another box on the screen. No clicks are required.  This technique usually requires finding a designer who knows Flash technology, and could take 10-30 hours of their time to implement, depending on what data you already have and what functions you need.
• Fully interactive mapping:  Use GIS to set up an Internet-enabled map server, which shows a base map and various tools (pan, zoom, etc.), plus a legend and a chooser for the layers you want to show. This requires significant web design and GIS time, with likely budgets in the $5-20,000 range, depending on what you need and who you work with.

If You Choose Interactive Mapping

If you choose the latter interactive mapping option, here are some guidelines:

The customer is king - The most critical starting point is not whether technology can do something or whether you think it's a good idea for others to see a particular image -- it's whether the intended viewer will be engaged by what you have created. The true test of online mapping is whether those using it return and get value from it. Be sure to identify your intended users and profile them carefully - if at all possible, test ideas with typical viewers before you implement.

Test early, test often - While it's possible to design and carry out a major interactive web mapping project, it's probably more efficient to start by simply posting digital images of appropriate maps on your web site. You can then evaluate user interest and engage others in figuring out what you need next.

Use a good web design consultant - Successful web mapping sites are carefully designed so that the user can be easily satisfied. This is an art and is almost always done best by engaging a design consultant to work with whoever is putting up your interactive maps, to ensure that the graphic interface you are creating is effective with your users.

Be Willing to Budget Enough - If you already have a web site that suits your needs, adding basic map images is low cost and can often be done by land trust staff or volunteers. If you are adding interactive maps (hotspots, flash animations, etc.) this will probably cost $2-5,000 for simple products and could cost as much as $10,000 if you have more demanding needs (design, interactive features, lots of data, etc.).  If you are creating full Internet map serving capacity (lots of layers, lots of area, many map functions), you may need to budget as much as $25,000.  These figures all depend on whether you have capable volunteers and the part of the country you are in - they could be somewhat higher or lower depending on your situation.

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