Technology plays a big part in the way we identify the best potential locations in commercial real estate. Here are 4 ways technology can help with your commercial site selection:

Guest blog by Holly Welles. Holly is a real estate blogger interested in the ever-shifting landscape of the market. You can read more of her work on her own blog, The Estate Update, and follow her on Twitter @HollyAWelles.

Data centers typically occupy office or industrial space. However, their needs are very different from most typical office and industrial uses. As such, the site selection criteria that you'll keep in mind when looking for a data center are also unique. Below are the top four things keep in mind:

While pundits might make it seem like all that you need to do in your office site selection process is to find an urban space with character, the process is actually much more nuanced. Finding the right location for your office requires you to balance many different variables.

More than any other commercial real estate asset class, the actual characteristics of a retail site will have a large impact on the success of the business you put in it. Think about it for a second. If you choose an office building that is across the street from the "perfect" building, you might lose a hire or two or have a couple of customers inconvenienced, but the odds are that your business will do just fine. For a coffee shop, though, being located on the side of the street where afternoon commuters pass instead of morning commuters could be enough to make that business fail. With this in mind, here are some site selection tips to keep in mind.

When you're searching for commercial real estate, it's easy to start off by just focusing on what units are available in your region, but before you begin considering buildings, discussing square footage requirements and other specifics, it's important to take a step back. Site selection is the important first step in finding the right commercial space that you can't afford to skip. When you're selecting your site, follow these tips to help ensure that you choose the right location.

While nothing can replace a physical visit, technology makes site selection a faster, easier and less expensive process. Doing research at your desk before you go, and having data with you when you go lets you make more informed decisions more quickly.