Local Mobile Applications (i.e. Foursquare, Yelp, Yahoo! Local) have emerged as a big industry with a tremendous amount of potential to make money. This is especially true as traditional flip phones are faded out and users adopt the flashy new smart phones. Apple made a big jump with the iPhone a few years back, Blackberry and Microsoft have tried, but Google is making one of the biggest pushes in a long while with their Android phones. This push is creating some buzz for local apps.
So why has local media apps created so much buzz lately? Easy–it all creates a way for you to stay connected with friends, family, and just about anyone in the world.
Everything is now customized based on your location. From weather, to Yelp, to what your friends are doing…its all possible by smart phone applications that use your current location to ping friends and family.
What’s most fascinating about all of this?
- There’s an app for just about anything (and for any smart phone) – Where’s the nearest…? Yelp, Yahoo Local. Can I find this merchandise for a cheaper price anywhere else? Barcode Scanners. What are my friends doing? Facebook, Foursquare. Current weather conditions? Weather apps.
- Apps are customizable and work globally
- Easy to use apps that take up little memory on smart phones
- Easily earn badges/discounts for # of check-ins/reviews
- They’re fun and entertaining
The Local Mobile App industry is projected to be a multi-million dollar industry by the end of 2010 and its easy to see why. Cell phone are obsolete, smart phones are taking over…and with these gadgets, there’s nothing that isn’t possible.