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Like it or not, mobile location-based services are on the rise. Small businesses take notice, it doesn’t have to be a big boys’ club. Whether we’re talking about Facebook, Foursquare or some other (smaller) app/service, local businesses can benefit from their use. Here’s how:
- Claim your store. First thing to do is to claim your place across all social networks starting with Facebook and Foursquare. This will allow you to communicate with people entering your store/office and checking-in, and offer them discounts.
- Offer discounts. Prepare few special offers, each tailored for specific clients. For instance, you can offer a freebie to a regular customer checking-in at your place for 10th time as well as to first-time visitors (if they check-in). Moreover, you can also setup group discounts, with special offer activating only when a certain number of people checks-in at your place.
- Go easy. You can’t give away the store – at the end of the day, you must earn a living. The point of a special offer is to entice your customers to spend more and feel good about themselves for checking-in at your place.
- Experiment. Don’t stop after few weeks. Make it a habit to experiment with location-based services, offering something special every month. People will notice and inform their friends about your place.
Still not sure you should participate in location-based market? Perhaps the following infographic will convince you to “push the button.” Here goes…
[Via: intuit]
About The Author
Dusan Belic
Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis.
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