WordPress Maps
WordPress & Google Maps
We wanted to incorporate Google Maps into a wordpress website. Not by just merely displaying a single point on a map, but by allowing every line in the database to have the option of being placed on the map as well.
This is where we started. We publish our steps here in achieving all the different Google Maps we create on various websites.
We have tried to make the explanations as simple and non technical as possible. This way even inexperienced and non technical users will have the ability to create this functionality on their own websites.
Premium Themes
We wanted the ability to create a directory, and combine the listings in the directory with the Google Map functions. Firstly we had to purchase a copy of DirectoryPress and learn how to edit and manipulate this theme.
DirectoryPress is a premium theme for WordPress which has all the features of a web directory included. We have shared our experience with this theme here. This was our approach to get the directory aspect sorted before we even attempted the maps.
Database Disaster
The biggest challenge was to incorporate the one ”submit” form to populate our database for the map locations. Using the specific theme DirectoryPress we already had a submit form that complied with all the directory functionality sorted. And still working from the database we had to allow for the geo-coding process of Google Maps to edit our UK post code, to the specified longitude and latitude settings.
We have broken these steps down into seperate little processes. Even non technical minded users should be able to understand how to get the database working for you to incorporate these features.
Google Map Tutorial
This section is divided into little sub sections. We have displayed seperate navigation guides in the sidebars, so be sure to follow all the steps. They are all seperately listed. As a small company we cannot add content as quickly as we would like to, but we will keep it relevant. 
Google Map Plugins
We know there are some plugins already available for Google Maps. Here we have listed some of the best known plugins for wordpress and Google Maps.
Unfortunately, none of the plugins offered the feature we required. Most plugins deal with a single map display on a post or page within wordpress.
Premium Theme Map Options
The theme we were using, DirectoryPress have some google map features embedded. On every listing you can get a map, interactive or static, if you provide the data for the field. This fulfills the similar function as some of the wordpress plugins available.
Even though this is a useful feature, it still didn’t allow for our requirements.
Online Resources
There are varied online sites that offers from tutorials to some functional map builder. This one is an example.
Of course none of these services matched our requirements.
The Tutorials we found were written for a very technically focused, and knowledgeable group of people. Couldn’t figure out most of the tutorials until we used coding experience and technical hands-on approach. You can find tutorials online where you can create various web application, even websites, without that much technical knowledge required. Maps however requires at least a intermediate level of knowledge of coding etc.
But no chance to create a turnkey google map, especially not within a WordPress install.
