Site Selection Mapping: Choose Better Business Locations
Site selection is a comparison problem with a geographic dimension. The best location balances demand, access, competition, cost, workforce, and operational constraints rather than winning on a single metric.
This guide turns the workflow into a repeatable process and includes a live example you can inspect before using your own data.
How to use the live example
Start by scanning the overall distribution, then hover over individual points to compare their attributes. Use the legend and map controls to separate categories and inspect areas where several locations overlap. The example is intentionally small enough to understand quickly while preserving the fields needed for a realistic workflow.
Download the sample CSV below the article if you want to inspect its structure. Replace the example rows with your own locations while keeping the column headings that support the analysis. Before sharing the result, compare the number of source rows with the number of mapped points and review any location that appears outside the expected area.
Define the decision before collecting data
List the criteria that can disqualify a site and the criteria that merely improve its score. Examples include required population, maximum rent, highway access, delivery reach, zoning, and distance from an existing location.
Assign weights before viewing the final scores. Changing weights after seeing a preferred result turns the model into justification rather than analysis.
Layer demand and constraints
Map customers, population or household characteristics, competitors, candidate properties, and logistics infrastructure. Drive-time areas are usually more realistic than straight-line circles for customer access.
Keep source dates and geographic units visible. Census estimates, traffic counts, and property listings may describe different time periods.
Stress-test the shortlist
Compare candidates under several reasonable weight sets. Visit the strongest locations, verify local conditions, and document qualitative factors that the dataset cannot capture.
Practical checklist
- Separate disqualifiers from scores
- Weight criteria in advance
- Use drive time for access
- Record source dates
- Validate finalists in person
Turn the analysis into a repeatable workflow
Document the source, owner, update cadence, and meaning of each important field. Give locations stable identifiers so refreshed data updates existing points instead of creating duplicates. Save a clean source file separately from presentation-specific edits, and record any manual corrections made after import.
A useful map should lead to a decision or next action. Name the intended audience, the question the map answers, and the threshold that would trigger a response. Revisit the map when the underlying data changes materially rather than treating the first published version as permanent.
Continue in Mapize
Use these product guides when you are ready to apply the workflow to your own map.