Luring the Tech-bot Tourists to Vacation Wonderland
by Joshua Dale*, webmaster of www.Monte-Rio.info
*is not compensated by anyone for this article or its recommendations.
We in West County know how great our local businesses are and that many people don't know anything about them even if they go online. There are a number of reasons for this phenomena, but as the internet changes, where we conduct business means more and more - it also means that we can really help our local businesses with a GPS smart phone, a couple of apps, and a little bit of your time and consideration.
The two apps you'll see me typing into around town are foursquare.com and Gowalla.com - the goal of the apps is to gather information on places to go and things to do. They invite people to find places to spend their time and money. So here is what you do, you take your smart phone and download or browse to both and use the services to document our West County businesses. Leave helpful tips and recommendations for all our merchants who need more business (the ones YOU like!).
foursquare - can be downloaded onto any GPS enabled smart phone (Android, iPhone, or Blackberry) by going to www.foursquare.com or finding the foursquare app in your marketplace or iTunes Store for free. Sign up for a free account too at the website so that your profile is set up and then sign in on your phone - you are all set up to make it function now if you keep your GPS location on and share it with the app.
Gowalla - can be downloaded onto iPhone at the app store for free. The Android app is available (hopefully by this printing) in the market place for free. If it isn't, you can use Gowalla on your browser by going to m.gowalla.com and signing in and sharing your GPS location.
How to use them
As you know when ever and where ever you travel, you know that the best of a community is where the locals go. Well, by us checking in on your phone and sharing your thoughts about merchants and places you go will build a database about West County in foursquare and Gowalla. What you do is remember to check in as you go during the day. Both foursquare and Gowalla work the same way. You arrive where you're going, and then you call up the app on your phone. Push the check in button, leave a tip or recommendation, and then do the same on the other program. If you get your kids to do the same, you'll find that kids of all ages find this to be an intriguing game of sorts that really produces great results on where to go and what to do.
Why use both programs?
Both foursquare and Gowalla have large followings and many, many users are checking in on both programs. Since that is the case, and since we're checking in about West County businesses to help them, we want what I call the Tech-bots to see what we like in West County. If we build the database, they will come with wireless devices in hand.
Don't Be Evil
We're all taught the saying, "If you don't have something nice to say, just keep it to yourself." And in using these services, you'll find places you want to leave a bad referral or recommendation about the business. Well, why not instead let silence be the tell tale sign of an unpopular business? Practice what Google uses, its Don't Be Evil policy. As a corporation, they base decisions on this policy and we should too when leaving tags about our West County businesses.
Now, get to work because before we know it, summer will be here and we'll help our local communities by checking in a few times a day as you travel. You'll also find out the other prizes included by using foursquare and Gowalla as they'll award you badges, stamps and pins. You can also try to unseat me as the Mayor of Safeway, or the Village Inn and Restaurant, Monte Rio. Have fun!
- Download the iPhone Gowalla app: http://bit.ly/walla
- Using an Android phone? Visit: http://m.gowalla.com
- Find your Gowalla friends: http://gowalla.com/friends/find
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