Configure Locator Definitions

Overview

The Partner Locator allows customers to search for partners based on a variety of criteria. This means that they can easily determine which partner in their area provides the products or service they need. Once they have found the best partner for their needs, customers can access partner contact details, view a company profile, create a lead, and request a call-back.

The Partner Locator includes three search criteria fields as standard; Country, Specific Location, and Distance. We recommend that you retain these to maximize usability for customers but you can modify these fields if needed.

Note: The distance radius is in miles or kilometers, depending on the country selected.

You can add advanced filters such as product types and Partner specialty. You should carefully consider what advanced filters you provide because too many will undermine efficiency. As in all cases, you should consider what filters will add value to your users.

The maximum number of markers shown on the map is controlled by the Map Markers Limit parameter under Configure >Administration > Edit Settings > Locator.

Before You Begin

Log into PRM Admin with elementTask Level 2 rights and locatorTask Level 1 rights or greater. 

How to Configure Locator Definitions

The Partner Locator allows you to define multiple Locator Definitions. These are presented to Portal users as appropriate to improve their search experience

1. Navigate to Portal and CMS > Locator Definitions, click Add.
2. Provide a Name for the new Locator Definition.
3. Select Yes under Use Geo to allow users to search using geographical information. Selecting No will disable search by city, state, or postal/zip code.
4. Specify the catchment area distance options available for the search.
5. Set Include 'Company Name' Field to Yes if you want users to be able to restrict results to a specific partner. This is useful to users who have a preference for one of your partners and only require partner-specific information about that partner.
6. Set Contact Reseller to add a direct contact option to the Partner Locator results page. This will open a form that users can fill in to initiate contact with your partner.
7. Choose which search filters users can use to restrict their search results. All enabled options are displayed on the advanced search parameters page. You should carefully consider which fields are relevant to your visitors. Providing access to all possible filters does not necessarily create a better user experience.

Locator Search

The Partner Locator allows users to search for Partners that meet a specific requirement through the Portal. The search results are displayed in a tabbed panel at the bottom of the Partner Locator page. The list page presents all Partners that correspond to the search criteria in a list. The Map tab shows all of the results on a map.

Once you have selected a result from the List or Map views, you will see a View Profile button. This allows you to open the Partner details which include both. At the top of the Partner details is a Contact Us button which opens a form that the user can fill out to contact the Partner. The behavior of this button can be modified in one of three ways:

• Email Form: Prompts the user to enter information so that they can be contacted subsequently by email.
• Create Lead (Default)

The Partner information is separated into three tabs as follows:

• The Company tab provides general information including the company name, description, directions, size, and whether the Partner caters to resellers and wholesale customers.
• The Business Hours tab lists the opening hours for the Partner and any public holidays when they are open.
• The Products/Service tab provides information about the goods and services that this Partner can supply.

Partner Locator CSS

Styling the Partner Locator is achieved by editing the locator.css.