An Customer Review Analysis on Why Google Maps is the Most Used Navigation App
Gone are the days when we had to plan out our trips, long or short, with physical maps, only to be thwarted by our own ineptitude of following our own planned route and having to ask strangers for directions. Now, we possess the power of GPS navigation in the palm of our hands. Well, our smart phones to be specific. If you had told me 8 or so years ago that a smartphone’s GPS would be on par or better than dedicated GPS devices, I would’ve answered, “Well, I guess they’re useful, but I don’t see how a simple app can compete with an expensive device thats sole function is to navigate you to your destination.” How wrong I was. It truly is impressive how much one “app” can deliver, and they’re only getting better. Let’s take a look at the Google Maps app, possibly the most used GPS app out there.
Google Maps Features
The Google Maps app, launched in 2008, is a GPS with turn-by-turn that has since then become one of the most popular apps for smartphones.
Looking at the temporal trend of user feedback in the iTunes store, we see that the number of reviews coming in has remained steadily high, evidence that Google Maps is still a very relevant app. So, other than getting you from point A to point B, what else does Google Maps provide to justify its popularity?
In the word cloud, there are multiple terms of interest. It’s quite clear that there are many more features to the app than just getting you to your destination. For example, the app isn’t just meant for people who drive cars. In fact, a public transportation option is available to guide the user to bus stops or train stations and also includes departure times. Next, several customers expressed their satisfaction with using street view, a feature that lets you view a real image of the area you are navigating in. The app offers many more valuable features such as voice command, the option of avoiding tolls, choosing multiple destinations, and adding stops along your route such as grocery stores or gas stations.
The App is Constantly Improving
With so many features available, there’s bound to be some imperfections with the app. There is no such thing as a perfect product. What are these imperfections and what has Google done to address them?
To start off with, some customers had a couple technical errors with some of the features, which is expected when dealing with an app that handles a plethora of complicated information that is constantly changing. Otherwise, customers were actually quite satisfied with the app for the most part and their “complaints” were mostly about features they wish were included. There were 4 main features in particular that were mentioned in the feedback.
- The first was avoiding tolls. Though the option of toll-free routes are available, customers found it frustrating that they could not set it to default and instead had to turn the option on before navigation.
- Secondly, many customers expressed their wishes for a speed limit feature, something that other apps already possess.
- Thirdly, a night mode option was greatly desired by many customers.
- And lastly, customers also wanted the ability to select multiple destinations on their route. Out of these 4, 2 have already been addressed.
The app now allows users to add multiple stops in their route and has also added a night mode. This shows that Google is constantly improving their software and is a testament to the quality of the app. Ultimately, the app lives up to its reputation.
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