Mappedin is the leading provider of indoor mapping experiences for shopping malls around the world. Our software for shopping malls provide Mappedin customers with real-time map management and intuitive wayfinding for shoppers. Blue dot is a navigational tool that takes this experience a step further.  

Blue Dot Navigation For Shopping Malls

What is Blue Dot Navigation?

Blue dot navigation refers to the blue circle seen on popular navigation apps such as Google and Apple Maps, which represents your location within a space. As you move, the blue dot updates to reflect your current location. Real-time navigation updates are the difference between blue dot and other types of digital wayfinding. 

Indoor Positioning System (IPS)

Indoor positioning systems (IPS) are required to enable blue dot navigation for buildings. IPS is a network of digital devices used to locate people or objects, particularly across indoor buildings where GPS signals cannot penetrate. Blue dot requires indoor positioning technology in order to understand a user’s latitude and longitude and display their location within the context of a digital map. 

Why Use Blue Dot Navigation For Shopping Malls?

Digital maps are now commonplace in shopping malls and can often be found on digital directory signage, the mall’s website, or shopper mobile applications. While these mapping solutions provide shoppers with easy-to-use A to B wayfinding, blue dot navigation takes this experience to the next level. 

Miracle Mile Shops enabled blue dot wayfinding for their Las Vegas mall through Mappedin’s Responsive Web App, allowing shoppers to see their precise location within the map. As users navigate to a particular store, restaurant, or theatre, the blue dot moves with them in real-time, providing accurate and elevated wayfinding. 

Shopping Experience Made Easy

Real-time positioning for shopping malls enables a guided wayfinding experience by allowing users to find directions from their exact, current location on the map. As shoppers load the mall map on their smart devices, they are immediately given context for their location with a visual blue dot. This solution also allows visitors to skip the “from” step when leveraging wayfinding - because the map understands a user’s starting location, shoppers must simply enter their end destination to receive turn-by-turn directions. 

Enhanced Shopping Experience

Along with making the indoor navigation experience more simple for shoppers, blue dot wayfinding can be used in conjunction with other location-based technology to provide an enhanced shopping experience. Since blue dot wayfinding is possible through both Mappedin’s SDKs and Responsive Web App, our clients can ensure they offer a mapping experience to their visitors that is both enhanced and consistent. 

Find Your Store

Whether shoppers are searching for a specific product, brand, category, or retailer, digital maps of your shopping mall make this process simple. Users can search by a variety of criteria to find their store and blue dot wayfinding seamlessly guides them to their destination.  

Stay In the Know

Once an indoor positioning solution exists at your venue, mall owners and operators can harness this technology to implement proximity marketing. As shoppers navigate through the mall, they can receive personalized alerts about nearby deals and events. With this information at their fingertips, shoppers can make informed decisions while staying in the know. 

Insights & Analytics

Mall managers and retailers alike can review location insights and analytics to gain a better understanding of how visitors move through your property. For example, understanding certain areas that are highly trafficked compared to those that may get overlooked by shoppers. Optimize the layout of your indoor space using location-based data and analytics from accurate positioning systems to create effective marketing strategies that will target customers accordingly.

Real-Time Updates

Mappedin’s blue dot technology provides users with turn-by-turn directions from their current location. As shoppers navigate the mall, their blue dot position updates in real-time on the map. If users stray too far from the suggested route, the map will update and provide the new shortest route to their destination. 

Allocate Resources

Blue dot positioning can be used for assets as well as people. By layering asset tracking with the digital mall map, mall operators can easily locate resources across indoor environments. From sanitation stations and cleaning carts, to security or stroller rentals, these resources can be allocated correctly to ensure safe and efficient operations. 

What Sets Mappedin Apart?

Convert your 2D mall blueprints into 3D interactive mall maps with Mappedin’s indoor mapping platform. Mappedin has advanced mall navigation software to simplify your workflow. With our Map Creator and Editor, you can collaboratively manage your indoor maps from the all-in-one tool and distribute the latest versions across multiple consumer facing platforms including, web, mobile applications, and directory kiosks. For shopping mall portfolios, map admins can grant editing access to local mall managers and bring your mall map concept to life, managing all your venues in one place.

Real-Time Mall Management

From within the Map Editor, you can customize your mall maps to ensure your branding is consistent with other digital or in-person experiences you offer. Any edits to your mall maps can be made in one centralized editor and deployed in real-time across all of your wayfinding experiences. This approach provides customers with the most up-to-date version of your property maps, regardless of device. 

Seamless Outdoor-Indoor Wayfinding

While Mappedin is an indoor mapping platform, we understand that the navigation journey often begins before entry which is why our maps are designed to provide seamless indoor to outdoor navigation. We work with outlet malls around the world and provide the optimal route from building to building and retail venues such as Hudson Yards to offer shoppers a multi-building mapping experience. 

Create A Smart Shopping Environment

By combining indoor positioning and blue dot wayfinding with an accurate and interactive map, malls can create a smart and digital shopping environment. Along with providing intuitive wayfinding, indoor maps can drive additional traffic to your website or mobile app, promote deals and events, increase efficiencies, yield valuable insights and much more. 

Blue Dot Navigation For Shopping Malls Frequently Asked Questions 

Why Do I Need Shopping Mall Maps? 

Mappedin’s shopping mall software platform allows personnel such as a mall manager to edit their digital mall maps. Users can manage details of the shopping mall and its stores and update everything from hours of operation, tenant listings, map routes, directories, and more in our user-friendly shopping mall software.

How Do Maps Find Your Current Location?

The maps find your current indoor location using some form of indoor positioning technology where your latitude and longitude are collected, whether through geomagnetic, beacon, wi-fi access points, radio signals, RFID, or inertial sensors. 

Are Shopping Mall Wayfinding Directories Still Relevant?

Yes, shopping mall wayfinding directories are still relevant! Directories should be placed in key areas, including main entrances and busy gathering points such as the food court, to help guide shoppers on their wayfinding journey. From the digital directory, users can browse category listings, search for a specific brand or retailer, or simply view the map to see what options exist. Shopping malls can also use directory signage to showcase ads during idle usage. To learn more about Digital Directories, contact us today.